THAI DRIFT

Where: Thai Drift, 1655 N State Street, Orem 

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Papaya Salad, Spicy Pad Phet, and Pineapple Curry

What It Cost: $36.00 (including tip)

What We Thought: 

Let me just start off with, this is literally the most spicy meal I have ever eaten in my entire life. Ever. And man, I like spicy food, and don't try to avoid it. BUT WOW. 

So when we ordered the papaya salad, and the server asked us how we wanted the spiciness on a level of 0-10, we went with for a 7, since papaya sounded fruity and like it would kind of cancel out some of the heat. UM, NO NO NO. Do not be surprised. It's the kind of heat where the food tastes super good so you eat it really quickly, and then it hits you. And you die. Because it feels like your tongue is literally bleeding from every taste bud -- seriously, I asked Owen to check my mouth to make sure I wasn't actually bleeding! Let me tell you, it was spicier than everything I've ever had, but the flavors were excellent and it was a lot of fun! But if you don't actually like spicy food, maybe go for like a 2. The server kind of laughed when we said we want a 7.

The spicy pad phet on the other hand wasn't as spicy as you might think (thankfully). I have to admit, we had to save most of the dishes we ordered, and reheat them the next day so that we could actually taste them. Because our taste bloods were on fire. Eating was actually physically painful. Anyway, the pad phet was really good -- normally I don't really love bamboo, but this dish made it work for me, and it was great!

Pineapple curry is always my favorite, and this one definitely did NOT disappoint! Of course, the pineapple enzymes made me want to go in for anesthesia, considering the papaya salad-damaged tongue. But when I ate it the next day, IT WAS SO GOOD! I'm telling you, Thai food definitely makes the best leftovers. This was one of the sweetest (but not in a bad way), creamiest, best pineapple curries I've ever had. And that's saying something.

The only thing I didn't like about this meal was that I was so full by the end that I couldn't order my all-time favorite dessert, mango and sticky rice! But man, it looked good, and I want to go back and order dessert first next time!

What You Should Do: I have it on quite good authority that this is the best Thai food in Utah County, and so far, I have to agree! In every other restaurant we've been to in Utah County, when you say you want something hot, they make it with a little kick, but usually pretty weak. THIS IS THE EXCEPTION. You can't say I didn't warn you. But it's so worth it!

Read other reviews here:
 

SETTEBELLO

Where: Settebello, 260 S 200 W, Salt Lake City

Who Went: Chelsey, Owen and Aaron

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Involtini di Prosciutto, Settebello Pizza, Vico Pizza, and Pizza Special 

What It Cost: ~$50

What We Thought: 

People, people, people. 

THIS PLACE is what it is all about.

Pizza like it should be. Its seriously so good. Well unless you don't like thin, authentic-style Italian pizza which I won't judge you for of course. But I will probably feel very sad for you, because this stuff is so wonderful and amazing. 

We started with a little appetizer, with goat cheese, prosciutto, a reduced balsamic dressing, and microgreens. It was pretty good, served on a cute little wood block which was adorable, and altogether a nice way to start the meal off...but really not the most important thing here...let's get to the pizza.

The crust is so chewy and good, and the ingredients are all fresh and so flavorful -- I could eat this pizza every day. I know, I know, its in Salt Lake, and you will all cry at me that its so far away, but seriously, its so worth the drive. My pizza, seen above, had super tasty sausage, fennel, red onion and fresh basil. A warning -- it doesn't have sauce. Heathens, I know. But trust me, you won't miss it with all this goodness going on.

This pizza was the special of the day -- can't remember everything on it, except lots of cheese, some parsley, a spicy oil, very peppery meat, and a fried egg on top! If you haven't had a pizza with a fried egg on it my friends, you are missing out on something truly special.

Owen ordered the restaurant's namesake pizza, with pancetta, sausage, roasted mushrooms, and toasted pine nuts. If you're into a more traditional tasting pizza, this one would be an excellent choice, with a crushed tomato base and sensational toppings. Its really hard to rave about pizza, since its like already the perfect food. But somehow, Settebello really manages to take it the next level in a way you'll be thinking about for weeks after. 

What You Should Do: Drop all other pizza commitments and try Settebello next! If you love that authentic Italian pizza taste, I have it on good authority (former missionaries from Italy and Italians themselves) that this place is the most legitimate Italian pizza in the state, and besides that, its just amazing. And I wish I was eating it. Right now.

Read other reviews here:

Pantrucas

Where: Pantrucas Chilean Restaurant, 3161 N Canyon Road, Provo

Who Went: Chelsey, Owen, Anthony & Kierea

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Churrasco Palta, Barros Luco, Ave Palta, Completo Italiano, Cheese Empanada,  2 Peach Juices and a Mango Juice. 

What It Cost: $26.00 for two people 

What We Thought: 

In the mood for something unique, flavorful, and local? Pantrucas is a delicious little family-owned and operated treat hidden up on Canyon Road that serves Chilean fare. They have been on my to-visit list for a long time now, and when I set up a double date with one of my friends who served his mission in Chile, I knew we had to go here so I could get a real opinion on its authenticity!

We started out with three juices - two peach and one mango. Though a little on the pricey side, they definitely do not skimp out on the juice with these huge carafes filled with fresh-squeezed flavor! Definitely some of the best juices I've ever had at a restaurant, and I can only imagine how delicious and refreshing these would taste on a hot summer day! Definitely will have to come here mid-August!

My favorite sandwich was actually the one Owen ordered - the Barros Luco sandwich. It is essentially a steak and cheese sandwich, served on their homemade crunchy bread. The homemade bread is outstanding - very fresh and toasted to a fun crispness, and I really loved the marinated, flavorful, tender steak inside. They went a little crazy with the cheese, which made me love it even more! So comforting and soooo good!

Anthony ordered the Completo Italiano, which was essentially a loaded hot dog. I had no idea that hot dogs would be considered Chilean food, but Anthony said that food carts sell hot dogs just like this all over the place! The hot dog was enormous, and had plenty of tomatoes, onions, and other toppings that all looked fresh and wonderful.

The Ave Palta and Churrasco Palta sandwiches were essentially the same - the former with chicken and the latter with steak - and they were equally tasty. Served on the same bread as the above steak sandwich, these were absolutely loaded with fresh, ripe avocado, smashed and spread into a thick layer. Then the same delicious marinated meat, topped with hefty slices of thick tomatoes and herbs. So simple, but so amazing. This is another one that I bet would be absolutely divine in the summer, and it is definitely worth it.

What You Should Do: Pantrucas is definitely one of those special Provo places you should add to your list. They are very different, very delicious, and very authentic according to my friend! You may not have known what Chilean food is like, but Pantrucas can give you a fun cultural dining experience with plenty of choices to satisfy all palates.

Banana Leaf

Where: Banana Leaf, 409 N University Avenue, Provo

Who Went: Owen & Chelsey

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Avocado Juice, Sri Lankan Lamprice, and Sri Lankan Chicken Kothu

What It Cost: $37.00

What We Thought: 

I've been hesitant to write my post on Banana Leaf for a while because I know a lot of people are really passionate about their food. I was very excited to try this restaurant after I had heard about their unique menu and atmosphere, and though it was certainly very different than anything else in Utah County, I didn't really love it. The service was exceptionally slow (it took us over two hours to have our meal, and we didn't order any appetizers or desserts), it was fairly expensive for what we got, and some elements of each dish just tasted sort of off to us.

We started out with the avocado juice which obviously sounded very interesting. It was more of an avocado smoothie than juice, which I thought was fine, and it had a very mild flavor and smooth, creamy texture (**Looking back at their menu online, I see that they have now changed the name to "Avocado Shake," which is appropriate). The whipped cream on top was nothing special, and it was served with a chocolate sauce. This would have been a great addition, except for the fact that it tasted exactly like Hershey's chocolate syrup (which I'm pretty sure doesn't contain very much real chocolate at all). We decided to forgo the syrup and just drink the smoothie plain, but it really would have been nice with some chocolate undertones. Since it was also very thick, it didn't really do much to quench your thirst after you ate something spicy, like you might find with a mango lassi and Indian food. But I don't know anywhere else in Utah where you can get an avocado beverage, so at least it had that going for them.

The one thing I absolutely insisted on was ordering something that came in a Banana Leaf. Their menu was surprisingly limited (usually I find that ethnic restaurants have very large menus), so I decided to go with the lamprice (one of two options served inside a banana leaf) which sounded more unique and original.

It certainly was unique and mixed flavors I'd never had before. There was seasoned rice with curried chicken and baked potatoes, topped with a mango chutney and spicy chili sauce. The thing that really threw this one off for me was the fried eggs inside - there was a hard boiled egg that had been deep-fried and cut in half inside of the banana leaf concoction. Visually, it was unappealing, and when I tried to eat the egg with the rest of the dish, it had a very strange flavor. At least I enjoyed playing with my banana leaf while waiting for the check!

Owen got the chicken kothu, which also came with different sambols (chili sauces) and chutneys. Of the sauces, we only really liked the flavor of one, which was a little disappointing. The actual meal portion was rice and chicken mixed with melted cheese, vegetables, egg, shredded roti (the unleavened flatbread), and masala curry spices. Once again, this dish provided us with an exotic flavor. The melted cheese mixture gave a singular briny taste, and the chicken, though seasoned nicely, was a little dry. We weren't planning on finishing it, but our server took so very long to return with our check that we ended up slowly picking at it over the course of a half hour.

What You Should Do: If it sounds interesting to you, and you really like trying new, unexpected food, then it may be worth a visit to Banana Leaf - but only if you aren't in a hurry to get anywhere else that night. I understand that it is a family-run business, and the hostess was very friendly and kind to us, but it's just not the place to go if you are on a tight agenda. I do not think that we'll be returning to Banana Leaf because we felt like it was a bit overpriced, and nothing on the menu is anything that we ever would crave or really want to try again. However, this restaurant is a great place to go if you are on a vegan or gluten-free diet, as many of their menu options can be customized to fit these dietary needs.

Read other reviews here:

Tortilla Bar

Where: Tortilla Bar, 1454 S State Street, Orem

Who Went: Owen & Chelsey

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Chorizos, Pork Belly Tacos, & Tres Leches

What It Cost: $24.26

What We Thought:

Okay, I know, I know, two taco places in a row... I can't help it! I love tacos, they are quick and delicious and inexpensive.

We were driving home from shopping at those new dangerous outlet malls in Lehi the other night around 10, and decided that we were not quite ready to call it a night...and we wanted TACOS. Rather than stopping somewhere gross like Del Taco or Beto's (sorry to those who are fans...) we decided to stop at the long-anticipated Tortilla Bar - seriously, we've been following this restaurant since like April or something waiting for it to open! It was such a spur of the moment decision so I didn't have my camera - I apologize for the crummy phone pictures, but I just had to share this one right away!

The atmosphere was fairly dark (once again, not amazing photos, I know) and industrial, with very limited seating. It's kind of fun because the hot kitchen is right out there in the open with a bar right where you can watch the chefs work their magic. I originally tried to order the gordita from their menu, but the server said that they weren't serving that tonight, instead I could get something the guys in the back call "chorizos" that has squid. It sounded interesting, so I decided to go for it! I'm pretty sure that chorizo is really a spicy Mexican pork sausage, which seemingly had very little to do with this meal, but what the heck. I've only ever had squid in a fried form as calamari, and here in an unadorned, very fresh manner, it was new and delicious! The squid was served on top of little slices of crispy baguette with a creamy and savory sauce. The only thing that was a slight turn off where the large bits of rock salt that were sprinkled on top - they were a little overpowering, but fortunately there were only a few. On their Facebook and Twitter pages, this restaurant keeps talking about being a food rebel, and this plate definitely lived up to that reputation - it was unlike anything I've ever had before, and was very enjoyable.

The pork belly tacos were a little more similar to food we've had before - a rich juicy pork topped with pickled, sharp onions, refreshing cucumbers and crunchy chicharrónes. The tortillas were clearly freshly made, tender with a real delightful corn taste. I think I may need to have a tortilla show-down between Tortilla Bar and Taquería 27...they were both so good! The tacos were a little difficult to eat without everything falling out - a typical problem of tacos I suppose, but I felt like if the cucumbers were cut up a little bit (maybe even in half), it would have been much easier to enjoy. Nonetheless, it was a perfect little late-night snack and definitely satisfied our craving for something unique and tasty.

We weren't ready to quite be done with Tortilla Bar yet, so we went for the tres leches dessert. Not that you can really tell from the photo above, but it was a little square of soaked sponge cake with a banana topping, shaved coconut, and red pepper flakes! If you like milk at all and have never had tres leches, you are very much missing out on this sweet and satisfying dessert. It was a little disappointed with the small portion, but I guess since tres leches is very rich, you don't really need much to make an impact. I enjoyed the banana pairing, and the spicy red pepper flakes really gave it a fun kick, with a nice crunchy texture addition of the coconut. I thought it was absolutely delicious, and only regretted that I couldn't eat like four more of them!

What You Should Do: Definitely go and support this new and very unique restaurant! After all the hype, I would definitely say that Tortilla Bar is a wonderful new addition to the Utah County restaurant community, and I am very much looking forward to visiting there again and seeing what else they have to offer. One thing to be aware of though is their rather strange hours, which are posted on the door as this:

Breakfast 5 am - 11 am
Lunch 11 am - 4 pm
Late 8 pm - 5 am
Saturday Brunch 9 am - 12 pm (not sure on that last one, somehow my note got partially deleted...)

I am not sure if they really aren't open for dinner, and if they are really open all night long (I do not envy the person who has to work that shift!) but it's a great place to get a unique culinary delight at pretty much any time of day! I definitely want to try their Saturday brunch, and don't worry, I'll get better pictures next time!

Read other reviews here:

Bombay House

Where: Bombay House, 463 N University Avenue, Provo

Who Went: Chelsey, Owen, Devynne, Mom, Grandma, Uncle Lee & Aunt Sara

Number of Visits: 3

What We Ordered: Mango Lassi, Assorted Snacks, Vegetable Samosas, Chicken Tikka Masala, Chicken Makhani, Peshawari Naan, Lamb Vindaloo, Vegetable Briyani, & Regular Naan

What It Cost: ~$40.00 for two people

What We Thought:

Well, in the battle for best Indian food in Utah County, Bombay House takes the gold for us! We love their atmosphere, varied menu, and heavenly unique Indian flavors. My mother's never really been a huge fan of Indian food, but we took her here on one of her visits and now I think she's been converted! Bombay House delivers consistently delicious meals in gigantic portions, so even though some people may comment that it is a little expensive, we've always had plenty of food for at least two meals! The only thing I wish was different about this restaurant was the dim lighting, but only so I could take better pictures of their amazing food! 

Cool and refreshing mango lassi - a heavenly complement to the intense and rich flavors of Indian food. I love super spicy food, so I didn't find that Bombay House was ever too hot for me, but if you are a little more wary of spicy food, then ordering this drink could help balance things out for you!

Owen and I decided to try the "assorted snacks" appetizer, which is basically a platter of heavenly fried Indian food! It came with my all-time favorite, the vegetable samosa (if only I could eat these every day!), two onion bhaji (sliced and fried onions - like Indian-style delicious onion ring cakes), chicken pakora (fried chicken strips), and vegetable pakora (where yummy spinach was the highlight). Honestly, after eating these wonderfully fried foods, we were already pretty much full and could have called it a night!

The vegetable samosas are filled with a delicious mix of veggies - including peas, potatoes, chickpeas, and is served with mint and tamarind chutneys. I am obsessed with the tangy sweet tamarind chutney dipping sauce, and Owen prefers the mint, so it works out great!

Their chicken tikka masala is definitely the best I've ever tasted anywhere - creamy, flavorful, and rich. It doesn't look like much in the picture, but trust me, you've got to try it! This barbecue Indian classic will charm even the biggest Indian food doubters. We'll never be able to go to Bombay House without at least one person ordering this in our group because we never can get enough of it.

The chicken makhani was a similar dish to the tikka masala, but with the addition of cashews, ginger, and different spices. Though they may look nearly identical, the flavors of these two chicken dishes were completely different. The tikka masala was much more sweet, whereas the makhani dish had this unique smoky flavor. It wasn't my favorite dish that we've ordered at Bombay House, but it was still satisfying and tasty.

We ordered the peshawari naan as per recommendation of a friend, and were pleasantly surprised. I don't like raisins and my mom doesn't like coconut, but somehow combined with cashews in this dessert-like naan, it was delicious! We are definitely adding this to our must-order list of foods here at Bombay House.

My uncle ordered the lamb vindaloo, and although I didn't get a chance to taste it, he guarantees it's the best lamb vindaloo he's ever had. So there you go...

Now for my personal favorite - the vegetable briyani. If I was a vegetarian, I think I would eat Indian food every single day because the combinations of vegetables and spices is so delicious! Sometimes I prefer ordering vegetarian dishes to meat at Bombay House because the mixture of vegetables is more interesting and multi-dimensional. In this incredible basmati rice dish, there is an assortment of vegetables, garlic, onion, cashews, golden raisins, and ginger all mixed and cooked to perfection, and served with a large bowl of raita - an amazing cool cucumber-mint yogurt sauce that tastes good on pretty much everything. I would never expect that one of my favorite dishes would be a bowl of vegetables and rice, but this vegetable briyani was an unexpected delicious discovery.

What You Should Do: Definitely go. Even if you think you don't like Indian food, you've got to give Bombay House a chance. They have a ton of different options, and something to please everyone. I mean honestly, I've never met anyone who doesn't like their chicken tikka masala. If you are looking to have the traditionally very spicy Indian food, make sure to tell your server that you want it "actually hot" not just "Provo 'hot'." There's a difference :)

Read other reviews here:

Terra Mia

Where: Terra Mia, 1050 S 750 E, Orem (across from the theater at University Mall)

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen, Chelsey & Family

Number of Visits: 6

What We Ordered: Many kinds of pizza - on this visit we had the Terra Mia & Mamma Mia pizzas

What It Cost: $26.37

What We Thought:


When Owen's former Italian roommate told us that Terra Mia had the most authentic Italian pizza he had ever had here in Utah, we knew we had to try it. Since our very first experience at Terra Mia, we have always looked forward to coming here and enjoying their fresh, light, and amazingly delicious pizza. I've never been to Italy, so I can't vouch for his roommate's claim, but I do know that we have eaten at Terra Mia many times, and it still proves to be one of our favorite pizza places nearby!

The pizza above is the Mamma Mia pizza - topped with loads of fresh, piquant arugula, shaved parmesan, and thin, savory prosciutto on top of a classic margherita. I love this pizza, with all of its fresh ingredients on top of a fantastic chewy crust. I love the taste that comes from the wood-burning oven and that authentic Neapolitan style!

The Terra Mia namesake pizza is my absolute favorite - loaded with grilled chicken breast, heavenly toasted pine nuts, salty Italian salami, and provolone cheese. I have wonderful dreams about this pizza. I especially love dipping the extra remains of crust in the olive oil and balsami vinegar that accompanies each table - there's nothing better!

What You Should Do: If you haven't tried Terra Mia yet, add it to the top of your list! They have incredible authentic pizza, approved by the Verace Pizza Napoletana Association, and is a real hidden gem here in Utah County. Definitely my favorite pizza here!

 

El Mexsal Restaurant

Where: El Mexsal Restaurant, 325 S Freedom Blvd, Provo

Who Went: Chelsey

Number of Visits: 1

What I Ordered: Chicken Enchilada and Chile Relleno & Revueltas Pupusa

What It Cost: $8.08

What I Thought:


As strange as it may sound, this was the first real restaurant I went to for this site all by myself! Usually I coerce my husband into going with me, or try to call up a friend, but the other day when I found myself in south Provo at 1 p.m. with no concrete plans for lunch, I decided to go to this Mexican and Salvadorian restaurant I've been wanting to try for a long time. Though I of course prefer going to a restaurant with some company, I found out some interesting bonuses of eating out on your own. For example:

• You can eat as slow or as fast as you want
• You can double, triple, or quadruple dip in the salsa, and no one will give you weird looks
• You don't have to share the chips and salsa
• You can text or check your Facebook during the meal at your leisure
• You don't have to worry about ordering the same food as someone else
• You can have a super horribly lazy hairstyle and you don't have to be self-conscious about it
• When you choke on your water because of that funny thing you just read on Twitter, no one will even notice! 

The one terrible thing though about eating solo is that when you find a delicious place, you have no one to share it with!

But luckily for me, I have all of you readers to share my experience with! And El Mexsal was definitely a delicious experience to share. I went with the chicken enchilada & chile relleno combo, which was cheaper since it was a lunch special. Like all ideal Mexican places, the combo plate came with rice and beans on the side, which were prepared perfectly. The rice actually had flavor and the beans were slow-cooked and smooth, just how I like them (plus with lots of cheese!). The chicken in the enchiladas was good quality, not overcooked, and spicy. I loved the chile relleno, infused with punchy spice and a tender exterior.

When they bring you your dish, it is accompanied by a huge jar of spicy relish and a large container of salsa - no complaints on skimpy salsa here. The salsa isn't too hot or too runny, and tasted great alongside the rice.

Finally, I tried out one of the pupusas - ever since Devynne and I had our first arepa (similar concept, but from other South American countries) at the Provo Farmers Market, I have been on the search for this delicious, convenient thick corn tortilla meal. Even though I was pretty stuffed from the enchilada combo meal, I thoroughly relished the few bites I was able to manage of this tasty pupusa, filled with melty and savory cheese, beans, and chicharrón (ground cooked pork meat). If El Mexsal was closer, I think I would be tempted to snap up a couple of these every day for lunch! They are cheap and filling, and so SO appetizing!

What You Should Do: Definitely check it out! I am hesitant to say this since I haven't been here with anyone else or visited multiple times, but I think El Mexsal may be my new favorite authentic Mexican restaurant here in the Provo area. They have great prices, fast service, lots of options, and a real hearty and flavorful menu. Certainly worth a visit!

Read other reviews here:

Red Iguana

Though the primary goal of this blog is to focus on restaurants near BYU, there are a few places outside of Utah Valley that I feel compelled to share with you. If it's within an hour & a half drive and I think it's awesome or horrible, it's going to show up here!


Where: Red Iguana, 736 W North Temple Drive, Salt Lake City (just west of the LDS temple and Gateway mall)

Who Went: Chelsey, Owen, Monica (my lovely mother), Devynne (my sista), Jarom (my brotha-in-law)

Number of Visits: 3

What We Ordered: Enchiladas Suizas, Friday Night Special (Mango Enchiladas), Tacos don Ramon, Carnitas, Enchiladas Poblanas, Puntas de Filete a la Norteña, Shredded Beef Burritos, Horchata (every time), Fried Ice Cream, Peach Virgin Margarita

What It Cost: $40, $35, $47 (with tips added)

What We Thought:

My mom kind of has an obsession with the Food Network, and so when she told me that Guy Fieri came to Salt Lake and raved about this place, I knew we had to go. We ended up planning to go there on the night of our 1st anniversary (yay!) and we loved it so much, that we went back the next day for lunch! Seriously. I don't have pictures of all of the food we've eaten there because well, we've eaten a lot of things there. 

I don't really know how to put it better than this, but...The Red Iguana is THE BEST. If you've never been there and you are a fan of Mexican food at all, do not delay your visit here any longer. The Red Iguana is best known for their complex moles. 

When you go there (which hopefully will be tomorrow), be sure to ask for a mole sampler plate. On this plate they will dish out a small portion of each of their 7 (8 if you're on a Friday) different moles that you can try with tortilla chips to see what's your favorite. Mole is a Mexican sauce that usually involves Mexican chocolate (though not always) and lots of different spices and ingredients. And it is wonderful. 

Here are some of the images of their most popular dishes. And let me tell you, these babies are popular for a very good reason. 

 Enchiladas Suizas: Enchiladas with avocados & sour cream with mole poblano and shredded jack cheese. This is exactly how enchiladas should be -- wonderfully flavorful sauce and lots of it, and honestly I could eat this forever.

Puntas de Filete a la Norteña -- this is what Owen ordered the first time we dined there. This is not a dish for the faint-hearted! The Red Iguana is not skimpy on portion sizes, so be warned! This dish was full of flavor and spice - the meat is cooked with bacon and then it is all grilled together similar to a fajita. Served in one of their top notch mole sauces, a fantastic choice for a hungry night!

The Tacos don Ramon. I have painfully pleasurable dreams about these. Now I have to throw out a little disclaimer - I was hesitant to try these at first because I had a bad history with chorizo growing up. The one time my dad made chorizo & eggs was hands-down the most disgusting, vomit-inducing meal he ever served us (and probably the ONLY disgusting meal he ever served us), and I haven't really brought myself around to trying chorizo since that time I was 11. Oh am I glad that I got over that inhibition just for these tacos! These tacos are the best kind of greasy you'll experience, and the avocado-lime sauce that accompanies them perfectly balances the flavor. Eat these or else you will not be a complete person.

I would definitely recommend the horchata (my previous love for this amazing Mexican drink expressed here), and I got the peach virgin margarita which was pretty good -- even though it looked small, it lasted the whole meal which was nice. P.S. Free refills on the horchata, so it's definitely worth it! The fried ice cream was tasty, but nothing spectacular, so don't worry if you miss it. We've also tried some other dishes, all of which did not disappoint!

Carnitas:

Juicy, not too sweet, served with corn or flour tortillas. Amazing.

Enchiladas Poblanas: 


You really can't go wrong with any type of enchilada here.

Shredded Beef Burrito:


I'm not a huge beef fan, but Owen liked them well enough. However, if you're only going to go once or twice, we'd recommend getting one of the earlier-mentioned dishes. Their chile verde is also reportedly to-die-for.

What You Should Do: GO RIGHT NOW! But only if it is an "off-hour." We've heard rumors that this place can get insanely busy, and since they don't do reservations, you can end up waiting up to 45 minutes. However, this didn't happen to us any of the 3 times we went, so maybe we just lucked out! But to ensure a perfect Mexican dining experience, try going for a late lunch or an early dinner. There is enough food to fill you up for two meals worth, so it works out great! This is a restaurant that totally lives up to the hype, if you ask me!