Instant Reaction: Jalisco Fresh Mexican Grill
March 24, 2011
You can tell a lot about a taqueria by its tacos. They’re a staple of the menu and are simple enough so you can taste the individual ingredients.
With that in mind, I paid a quick visit to Jalisco Fresh Mexican Grill, a new restaurant in the Safeway parking lot at 19th and S at what was previously a Daphne’s Greek Cafe. I arrived at about 6:30 p.m., and parking was easy and available despite the evening rush of after work shoppers.
The new restaurant had only a few customers and I was able to place my order immediately – a chicken soft taco for $2.49.
My first reaction was that that’s a little pricey for one taco. Over the weekend, I got a delicious taco from a taco truck near the Freeport Bridge for just $1.
I got my number and waited for my taco. The restaurant had a free chips and salsa bar – a must have for any quality taqueria experience. The chips were of medium thickness – not as thin as those at Chevy’s and not as thick as those found at Vallejos. The salsa bar included more than a half dozen salsas ranging from mild to fiery hot.
The soft taco came with the customary two corn tortillas and a heaping mound of chicken and pico de gallo. They didn’t skimp on the meat and made it well worth the $2.50. The pollo was fresh and juicy, and the pico de gallo was recently-made with a nice bite.
To give you a barometer of my tastes in Mexican food, I love La Fiesta Taqueria and really enjoy Oscar’s on Land Park. Jalisco Fresh Mexican Grill was on par with Oscar’s – good food at a good value with a great location. I plan on stopping by again -- soon.
I went a couple days ago and it was pretty good, but far from the best around. Prices were a little high for tacos in my opinion, but maybe that's just what it takes to have a taqueria in midtown (high rent). Burrito prices seemed better though.
Posted by: AJ | March 24, 2011 at 10:28 AM