I decided to stay very local for today's post. It was a lazy Sunday (for me) and my sister and brother in law had stopped in to town for a visit. When it came time to figure out were to eat, El Sancho Loco Taqueria in Newbury Park is the first place I thought of since I hadn't eaten there yet. And again, it was local.
El Sancho Loco opened up just this year and occupies a building that was once a Taco Bell. And like every other place I've been to, good things have been said to me about the food there.
The first thing I notice when I walk in, is that the layout of the place has not been changed. The tables and trash receptacles are all in the same spot that they were in when this place was a Taco Bell. Kinda funny.
The menu was varied and had many selections; Sopes, Menudo and Tamales from Friday through Sunday and also Huaraches. It was a regular who's who of Mexican lunch time fare. Not that this hasn't been done before or isn't available at some other taqueria that I've visited but it was nice to see in a place like Newbury Park.
Anyways, after I ordered my tacos (Asada, Al Pastor, Buche) I started to chat with who I think may be the owner. He was a real friendly type and I got a good vibe just speaking to him about his business. I could tell that he really cared about the food that he was putting out and it definitely gave me a feeling of wanting to support a place like this. In any case, him being cool (and giving my brother-in-law and I free drinks) won't have any bearing on my opinion of his tacos.
***TROMPO ALERT***
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| Tacos are $1.50 each. |
Buche was not that good. it had a very rubbery and slippery texture to it that would have been better if chopped in to finer pieces. also, it lacked that flavor of pork that makes buche so awesome.
The Al Pastor was also real good. Much like the asada, it was solid and very close to an authentic execution. It had some crispy bits and some good char, it was tender and pretty tasty too. My only complaint would be that the flavors were not bold enough. I could taste that they were there but it was too subtle for my palate. Also, to kick this taco up a notch, they should include a few cuts of pineapple.
All the tacos came topped with cilantro and onions but you have to top them with the salsa yourself. These tacos are on the small-ish side so the $1.50 price tag seemed a bit cheeky. Although if you go in on Tuesday or Thursday they go for $1.00.
The salsas were good; the verde was exceptional and it had some other grilled/blackened chilies in the there with the usual tamatillos to give a smokey accent. Great taste. The salsa roja was solid but it did not have the distinctive smoke flavor. Also, the heat did not slowly build but rather it came on very fast and snapped in my mouth.
The tortillas are all hand made to order and taste good. You may want to eat your tacos quickly after the plate hits the table though because once the tortillas start to cool they're not as good.
El Sancho Loco has a very good (taco) future. As long as they continually strive to get better the skies the limit for this new little taqeuria. 3/5 stars
El Sancho Loco Taqueria
2271 Michael Drive
Newbury Park, Ca 91320
I made it out here and man the food was good, it's not typical to what i get in Santa Monica. The pastor is very smokey and the flavors don't come out that I'm used to, but it's really good in a different way.
ReplyDeleteCarnitas was soft, tasty but not tasty enough. It was great with the salsas they provide.
Asada was good, it wasn't fatty, the flavor was good.
man the pastor, i got a burrito too and it was good. Cost was a little steep, but not so bad. I wanted to try Chorizo but maybe they only had it for breakfast, i should've asked and will next time for a chorizo taco.
December 14, 2010 they have grand opening day with free tacos. Are we going on a date that day?
josh
Hell yes we’re gonna go on that date Josh.
ReplyDeleteYeah, In comparison to what’s out there in Ventura County I think the food is good. Not great, but I like that they at least tried to make good food. They certainly play it safe as far as the execution goes, not to many chances taken. They still lack in a bunch of ways but I have to give them some credit, the Pastor came off a spit, the asada was solid, the salsas were adequate to solid, made to order tortillas………..I looked at this one with a glass is half full mentality.
Really, it just goes to show you how sad the state of taquerias is out here. Well, there’s still plenty to go, Josh. I’m sure we’ll find some good stuff eventually.
Rob
ReplyDeleteLiving in Montana I can only dream. In your opinion, what cut of meat is used most often in Taco Trucks and Taquarias. Secondly do they do a 2 step cooking method?
Thanks,
Rich
...cut of meat for carne asada...
ReplyDeleteHi Rich, thanks for reading.
ReplyDeleteWell, in my opinion the cuts of meat most commonly used for asada tacos are: Skirt steak, Flank steak or flap meat. Flap meat (if you can find it) is similar (but not quite the same!) to hanger steak since it comes from the same area of the cow and is also very thin. If you go to a supermarket in California it’s pretty easy to find pre-marinated flap meat for carne asada. Not sure you’ll be able to find that kind of cut readily available in your area though. Any one of these is probably what’s being served at taco joints or taco trucks.
As far as a 2 step method, I’m not sure what you mean exactly but a kind of 2 step method that I’ve experienced at some taquerias I’ve visited in the area that I’m blogging about, seems to be that they cook the meat on a hot griddle prior to say a big lunch or dinner rush, chop it up, then store it in a “heating bin”. The bin will sit in hot or boiling water (or maybe under a burner) like a mobile caterer may do. By doing this, they have the meat ready to scoop out and serve onto tortillas for faster service. One of the effects this has on the meat is that it makes it a bit tender by sitting in that bin for however long while condensation builds in the bin giving it a steamed effect. Some places will take the meat out of the bin then give a quick re-cook on the griddle when you order your tacos, it depends. Not sure that answers your question either.
I don’t think this is the way to go though. You should have that cut of meat sitting in a marinade (or a dry rub) and then cooked to order on a super hot griddle or grill. I think that the better taquerias I’ve been to prepare Carne Asada tacos in this fashion. That’s just my opinion and I’m definitely no expert. If someone else has a different way of making it I would love to know.
Remember, the tricky thing about Mexican food in general is that recipes can differ depending on what region of Mexico the person cooking the food is from.
Thanks for the reply
ReplyDeleteI ate here right after it first opened and I wasn't blown away and didn't go back. But after reading your review I decided to give it another try. And I actually really liked it. I have been going there once a week ever since.
ReplyDeleteI'm not as wild about the asada (one of the spices in the marinade stikes me as odd) here, but I love the pastor and carnitas. The guac is great too. I always get a side of habenero sauce to raise the heat level of everything.
Yeah, after a few months of going to this place, I’ve decided that it’s not great by any means but I like it much more than say a place like Letty’s or Mercado Guadalajara. For Newbury Park, it will do. Thanks for reading!
ReplyDelete