This week we shared reviews of our favorite local Mexican restaurants. To wrap things up, we checked in with some of our foodie friends around town to see if we’d left anything out. Here’s what they had to say:
Kate Washington, food writer for Sactown magazine, told us that while she often visits Azul and La Fiesta, she especially likes El Herradero on Arden Way.
Ann Martin Rolke, author of Hands Off Cooking and the Sacatomato blog had this to say: “I love the burritos at La Favorita because they’re the most like Mission burritos I’ve found here. I like the mole at Tres Hermanas a lot. Oh, I did like Sal’s Tacos in West Sac for their impressive array of salsas and a HUGE, delicious bowl of posole. They also have great mosaics.”
Garrett McCord of Vanilla Garlic told us that he loves Taqueria Garibaldi. As he said, “Garibaldi. Hands down. I can get a whole fried tilapia there and make two meals out of it.” (Sounds like a great Tightwad Tuesday idea to us!)
Kristy DeVaney of CakeGrrl also chimed in: “I really love El Centro. It’s got a great location and I love the decor. There are also over 100 tequilas available at the bar. Most importantly though, the food is spectacular and plated so elegantly! Kurt Spataro developed the menu through a collaboration with Diana Southwood Kennedy, a noted author and authority on Mexican cooking.”
Julie Gallaher, author of the blog Fun Things To Do said that her top three in Sacramento are Zocalo for the fundito and margaritas, Nopalito’s for the Nopalitos Taco and Ernesto’s for the Huevos Rancheros – Ole!
Sacramento resident Lisa Serna-Mayorga told us that for her, it’s a tie between El Novillero and Zocalo.
And, don’t think we’ve forgotten about the great Mexican eateries we’ve reviewed on Sac Foodies in the past! Here’s a quick recap:
First, there’s Azul. With a prime midtown location, tacos for less than $2 and burritos under $4, you can’t go wrong.
Dos Coyotes offers some of the freshest tasting Mexican food in town – and did we mention the cheese sauce? Maria ate at Dos recently and tried the Mesa Taco Plate with shrimp – hold the rice and double the black beans. Looks delish!
If you find yourself in Roseville with a hankering for Mexican, head to Mas. You’ll go home happy after a meal of albondigas (meatball) soup with churros and ice cream for dessert.
If you’re looking for a trendy atmosphere with fancy margaritas, then we suggest you try Zocalo. One of the most popular dining establishments in Sacramento, you’ll get great food and service, and if you’re lucky you might even be serenaded by their mariachi band!
Archives for February 2009
La Fiesta Mexicana
When I moved to East Sacramento a few years ago, one of the first neighborhood restaurants we began frequenting was La Fiesta Mexicana at the corner of Elvas Avenue and 65th Street. From the moment you walk in, you feel like you are the family’s long-lost cousin. The reason we’ve made dozens and dozens of visits here is a tribute to both the food and the family. They are always friendly, warm and quick with the service too.
After sitting only a minute, you quickly receive a basket of warm tortilla chips and bowls of salsa and warm bean dip. If you are a fan of bean dip, then you need to try this one. Add in a couple of their Cadillac Margaritas and I’m in heaven. But rarely do I ever stop there.
There are many dishes to love at La Fiesta Mexicana including the Veggie Quesadilla, Pork Tamale and the Cheese Enchilada/Crispy Chicken Taco combo. On this particular dining occasion, I went with an old stand-by, the Beef Enchilada Ranchera. Each bite is filled with savory, cheesy, beefy goodness. Beans and rice can make or break a Mexican restaurant, and here, they are excellent. Whether I have room or not, I always clean the plate.
My husband could eat breakfast all day long, and at La Fiesta Mexicana, they serve breakfast for dinner as well. His favorite is the Papas Dona Chuy (named after the owner’s mother-in-law, I believe), a delicious egg scramble loaded with potatoes, cheese and chorizo served with hot tortillas.
Next week I’m moving from East to West Sacramento, and while I will miss how close we were to La Fiesta Mexicana, I can assure you, we’ll be back.
La Fiesta Mexicana
6438 Elvas Ave. (at 65th Street)
(916) 456-5962
Taqueria Davis
Living in a college town such as Davis, one can expect great variety in things like bookstores, bars, coffee shops, and of course… taquerias. As I’ve been eating my way through town there has been one taco shop that has captured my heart: Taqueria Davis.
It’s not in the most convenient location, and its outside appearance definitely doesn’t do it justice… so what keeps me going back (again and again)? The best service in town and their delicious burritos. As a family-owned and operated business, it’s clear that they take pride in the menu as well as the quality of people that they employ… quite possibly the friendliest people, ever!
The menu is simple, and includes several meats to choose from. I usually stick to chicken, but everything from chile verde, to carnitas, pastor and even lengua (beef tongue) are on the menu, for the adventurous types. People rave about their carnitas, so that’s next on my to-try list; plus, word on the street is their horchata is homemade!
My latest favorite is the super veggie burrito, served “wet” with enchilada sauce and melted cheese. Set me up with a super veggie and a Dos Equis and for a total price of about $11.00 I’m completely full and going home with leftovers.
Taqueria Davis
505 1/2 L St.
Davis, CA 95616
(530) 758-8453
Tightwad Tuesday Taqueria
In every city I’ve lived, I’ve always made a point to quickly locate the best nearby taqueria and promptly integrate it into my regular dining schedule. And by the best, I mean it has to be close to my house, fast, cheap and serve good food, of course. A great selection on the salsa bar doesn’t hurt either. Los Jarritos on Broadway not only meets my criteria, but exceeds it.
Here’s why: I don’t think there’s anything on the menu that costs more than $5 – at least nothing I’ve ordered. That includes full entrees with rice and beans. Another plus is the generous sides of guacamole for 25 cents! I don’t know another place that offers guac for 25 cents – needless to say I always add a few to my order. Tortilla chips are free and the salsa bar offers plenty of choices. Finally, the employees at Los Jarritos are always friendly and orders come out fast – for dine-in or take-out.
I’ve tried a number of menu items and my standby is the Super Veggie Burrito for $4.50. But on this particular occasion I went with a Chicken, Beans and Cheese quesadilla for about $3. All things considered, you really can’t go wrong with a quesadilla and this one was no exception.
My dining companion went with Tres Sopas for around $4 – another cheap and filling menu offering. But he raves about his usual order, a Torta with beef and pork carnitas, which is basically a Mexican sandwich.
Los Jarritos has become my standby for those nights when the fridge is empty and I don’t want to travel very far. So if you’re in Land Park and looking for a cheap place to get a filling meal, I suggest you give Los Jarritos a try.
Los Jarritos Mexican Food
2509 Broadway
Sacramento, CA 95818
(916) 455-7911
Have your own go-to Mexican food restaurant that meets my close/fast/cheap/tasty requirements? Share your secret by leaving a comment below!
The Quest for the Best Mexican Food Begins
As we’ve mentioned before, we are prone to impromptu foodie debates around the office. Although the best French fries debate was heated, it was nothing compared to the “What’s your favorite Mexican food?” e-mail conversation which took place last week. When it was clear the answer couldn’t be determined via e-mail, we moved the debate to more familiar territory: the kitchen white board. All the talk led us to realize that there was no alternative: we’d have to take it to the blog and officially deem this week “Best Mexican Food” week on Sac Foodies. We invite you to study both our white board debate and some choice excerpts from our e-mail chain as we prepare to present you with a week’s worth of our favorite Mexican food eateries from the Sacramento area. But we need your input, so leave us a comment below if you already know your favorite, or if there’s a place you’d like us to review.
From the emails exchanged last week:
Shelly – “My vote will be for Paco’s in Woodland. It’s drive-worthy.”
Kim – “I want Mexican food right now! Oh wait, that wasn’t the question. I love La Fiesta Mexicana on Elvas in my neighborhood. We go there nearly every week and I love the people who work there. I will miss it when I move.”
Jenna (in response to Kim) – “When you move, you’ll be closer to Emma’s Taco House in West Sac. I’m sorry, but if we are giving points for the margaritas, then they win.”
Christine – “I want cheese for dinner now.”