Second Helpings: Interior Mexican (Beyond Tex-Mex)
MM Pack takes readers beyond Tex-Mex with her listings of local interior Mexican restaurants in this week's "Second Helpings."
Fri., Dec. 8, 2000
The weekly Chronicle feature "Second Helpings" offers readers the opportunity to sample tasty, bite-sized restaurant listings compiled from new and previous reviews, guides, and poll results. This week's entries were compiled by Chronicle Cuisines writer MM Pack. When you need quick, reliable information about Austin eateries, check here in the print edition or look us up on the Web at auschron.com/ guides/restaurant/.
Los Comales Taqueria
2136 E. Seventh, 480-9358Sun-Thu, 10am-10pm; Fri, 10-1am; Sat, 10-2am
These folks are expert purveyors of real Norteño-style meats -- grilled, stewed, and braised. If you're hungry, you can't beat the Pancho Grande platter (a juicy sirloin steak, a giant crispy chile relleno brimming with gooey white cheese, flavorful red rice, real refried beans, and all the tortillas you can eat). Both the corn and flour tortillas are thick, fresh, and housemade. Another winner is the fork-tender cabrito stewed in a thick spicy adobo. Beer and margaritas are available, and the stellar jukebox plays continuous classics from south of the border.
Acapulco Video
2009 E. Seventh, 482-0215Mon-Thu, 8am-10pm; Fri-Sun, 8am-11pm
I'll never again view a shrimp cocktail in quite the same way. The informal restaurant attached to the Acapulco Video store serves a campechana to die for -- a huge heavy beer glass filled to overflowing with the freshest squid, shrimp, oysters, and octopus in a piquant sauce of tomato juice, fresh onion, avocado, cilantro, jalapeños, cucumber, Tabasco, and fish stock. You can also get gorditas and tacos with a variety of fillings, menudo, a fried fish plate, and a thick fish stew. They don't serve liquor, but you can choose from eight flavors of fruity aguas frescas from the traditional five-gallon glass jars. While eating, catch up on Mexican futbol on the two big screens.
Taqueria El Borrego de Oro
2414 S. First, 441-4878Sun-Thu, 7am-9pm; Fri-Sat, 7am-10pm
Nestled in the heart of the South First zone of Mexican restaurants, El Borrego de Oro differentiates itself by its trademark lamb dishes, not to mention a terrific stewed pork in chile verde, enchiladas, flautas, and tacos of many varieties, including barbacoa, beef tongue, fajitas, chicken, or piccadillo. Any Saturday or Sunday, you can observe (or participate in) lots of morning-after menudo consumption, and there are several other hearty soups available as well. On your way out, pick up some tamales to go.
Abarrotes Mexicanos
901 Tillery, 926-1709Mon-Sat, 7am-7pm
Along with convenience-store provisions, this little Oak Springs neighborhood tienda, decorated with a bold and colorful graffiti-esque mural, does a brisk business in succulent breakfast tacos and lunch plates all day. Wash them down with the assorted beverages available from the Big Red machine just outside the front door.
La Morenita Mexican Restaurant
2944 E. 12th, 472-4841Mon-Sat, 7am-9pm
The cheerful tangerine and turquoise exterior sets you up nicely for the interior décor that sparkles with color and charm. The restaurant's homey ambiance is warm and welcoming, and it does a land-office business in the standard assortment of breakfast tacos and plates and reasonably priced lunch plates of fajitas, gorditas, menudo, and enchiladas.
El Tripaso #2
408 N. Pleasant Valley, 476-2852Mon-Fri, 7am-2pm and 6-10:30pm
Although you can eat in the dining room, this friendly Govalle establishment offers a most convenient drive-through driveway between Pleasant Valley Road and Pace Street for those who need their tacos on the run. From the pickup window, order fresh, hot, made-to-order breakfast tacos for 99 cents, accompanied by a satisfying smoky salsa. They also serve breakfast plates (migas, rancheros, and chorizo) and lunch plates of chalupas, flautas, barbacoa, and chuletas de puerco.
El Zarape
218 Comal, 476-4241Mon-Sat, daytime hours
Mrs. Gomez's tiny establishment, just around the corner from the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store, is the kind of spot that you frequently encounter in Mexico, but not so often in Austin. The order window goes directly into the kitchen and the al fresco dining room is a converted garage. While the place is small, the menu includes tamales, gorditas, enchiladas, menudo, chile rellenos, and eight kinds of tacos, including chorizo, picadillo, and chicharrones. Oh yeah, don't forget the fish burgers.
