515 Valencia St
(between 16th St & 17th St)
San Francisco, CA
The best place to go for real Mexi-Cali food is, you guessed it, Cali. SF has too many taco joints to name and this review is not to find the best one. La Cumbre, however, does put up a good fight and is a perfect example of what a mexican restaurnt should be: tasty, fresh, and cheap!
The menu is huge and the combinations endless. Combine that with low prices and you will want to order everything twice. Taking much thought and restraint, I decided to order just 2 tacos: pollo asada (grilled chicken) and al pastor(grilled marinated pork). After you order, the assembly line starts and fresh grilled meat is pulled out of a tray and chopped up before your eyes and then toppings are added to your liking. Stop by the surprisingly ample salsa bar for peppers and sauces and chow down.
I could tell right away these tacos were the real deal from the refried beans alone. The grilled pork and chicken were juicy and tender. The pastor was flavorful but not too salty or overpowering with a touch of sweetness. For less than $6, you get 2 tacos with plenty of meat and all the fixin’s.
Super Taco
truck parked on 96th and Broadway
(6pm-late night)
Possible Swine flu pandemic grips nation with fingers pointed at Mexico and New York City has the most reported cases in US. I know, let’s goto the city to grab some real Mexican food actually prepared by Mexicans. Great idea! Only 2 brave souls accepted this grave task, bravely putting their lives in danger as well as their immediate familys’ by dutifully heeding Eatclub’s call to eat authentic. We survived but caught an incurable infection: Mexican food fever!
Fast and friendly staff
Super Taco is street food at it’s most evolved. It is indeed a truck parked on a corner with a full kitchen busily preparing fresh food as it is ordered. There is an expansive menu (though some knowledge of Mexican is required), a makeshift salsa bar with lime wedges, and even a counter for eating standing up. Somehow, this truck even manages to have a phone number for takeout orders. For cart comparison, 53rd & 6th Halal cart makes Super Taco look like white table cloth fine dining.
Three carnitas tacos
Steak, chicken, and al pastor tacos
We got tacos. Real tacos at $2 each: chicken, carnitas, al pastor, and steak. You get a double corn tortilla piled with your meat of choice, and a mountain of onions and cilantro. Slather on some red and green salsa, squeeze the lime wedge and savor this super taco. The fillings were all fresh but some definitely stood out. Carnitas were very cartilage-y and were an acquired taste. I am sure its authentic but it wasn’t for us. The steak was just average tasting but you shouldn’t expect top quality beef from a truck. The chicken was outstanding, clear tasting flavor and juicy enough to quench your thirst after crawling out of the Baja desert. Al pastor was the meatier and heavier alternative but just as good. Perfectly cooked marinated pork strips cooked up with a touch of pineapple. Drool. This truck is the real deal.
Good
The TACOS! @$2 a piece, why not try them all, especially the chicken and al pastor.
Large menu and open late. You can even call ahead for pickup.
Bad
Carnitas was like eating a taco filled with gristle
Ugly
You may not get swine flu from the food but perhaps from the cook.
Brucio
We stopped by Koronets near Columbia University for their infamous pizza slice. It was big. Quarter shown for reference.
La Hacienda (aka Mojitos)
116th St. between 2nd and 3rd Ave., New York City
Word of mouth is the best way to find the real places to eat. Sam knows Leo who is Mexican and highly recommends Hacienda. Given vague directions, we venture out to Spanish Harlem craving some authentic grub. Of course, the directions Leo gave were wrong and with Sam’s Spanish severely lacking, we enlisted the help of a local who pointed us in the direction of Hacienda. Lights off, gates closed, and orange Dept. of Health stickers greeted us. Not good. We helplessly turned to the good samaritan who said Mojitos (3 doors down) was just as good. But lo! Soylent green is people and Hacienda is Mojitos. The owner changed locations (hopefully not to dodge the DoH).
Green and Red Salsa
Carnitas
Jalapeno Nachos
Bistec Burrito
The interior was newly renovated and indeed it looks as if they just moved in; hmm…I wonder from where? The free chips and salsa es muy bueno. The red salsa was fresh and tasty but the green salsa was FANTASTIC. Tangy with fresh herbs and almost mayonnaisey. It may sound ick but just trust me on this one. Sam was disappointed with his pork carnitas ($10) as they were “too authentic” tasting. What more can you ask for? Skip the nachos ($7), we ordered those out of pure hunger. The steak burrito ($10) was cooked well with plenty of that grilled flava. The rice filling was perfectly flavored, as many “mexican” joints usually get this wrong. They also nailed the red sauce on the plate: not too overpowering but just enough to complement the burrito. It tastes like they may use lard in the cooking which, depending who you ask, is a good or bad thing. As a diehard burrito eater, I recommend. Menu also offered more adventurous (meaning authentic) items for those looking for the real deal i.e. tongue or cuitlacoche…
7 out of 10 chili peppers
Good
Authentic Mexican flavas
REALLY good (and free) chips and salsa
Has a bar with Mexican beer on tap and good place for groups
Bad
The nachos, do not order
Maybe they were short-staffed but food took forever to come out
