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For our third outing as the MRS (Mexican Review Squad) we chose Tacos Mexico. It’s located at 1408 South Bascom Avenue just north of Hamilton Avenue in the Dick’s Center. You cannot miss the sign. We were attempting to find a hole-in-the-wall and we did just that.

This is a very small place. There were only three small tables inside but too large stacks of chairs (probably 30 chairs) don’t see why. There was also several tables on the front sidewalk area. It was not crowded at all when we went there but they did have a steady stream of customers.

The menu was very small, burritos, tacos, tortas, tostadas and maybe a few other things but that’s pretty much it. They have the traditional choices of meats, pollo, asada, chorizo, and they also had pork cheeks and beef tongue. No chips! I really wanted some chips. They have canned soda, bottled water, Jarritos and horchata. They only accept cash but there is an ATM inside if that’s all you’ve got.

They have one cook but the food came surprisingly quick. I had a asada tostada and a pollo tostada, both with extra lettuce. It was a corn tortilla with re-fried beans, meat, lettuce, sour cream, cheese and a tomato slice. Everything was good except the beans. They tasted EXACTLY like the canned beans from the super market and they may have been. The vegetables were very fresh and nice and cold. All-in-all the tostadas where okay, slightly above average. I also tried a asada taco which was delicious. I would get that next time.

The prices can’t be beat. Each tostada was $2.50 and was a good size. Two tacos are $1.70 and the burrito I think was $4.50. Drinks however are $1.00 per can.

They had a delicious salsa verde but I didn’t see any other varieties of salsa.

The staff was very friendly, didn’t speak much English but had no problem communicating. They also didn’t mind us louging around after our meal even though we took up 1/3 of the indoor seating (again it wasn’t too busy).

I would give this place 3.5 stars if possible and I will definitely be back. It’s perfect for a quick, cheap meal.

From Max.

Max sings me Lollipop by the Chordettes…sort of.

The actual lyrics are:
Lollipop lollipop
Oh lolli lolli lolli
Lollipop lollipop…..

Call my baby lollipop
Tell you why
His kiss is sweeter than an apple pie
And when he does his shaky rockin’ dance
Man, I haven’t got a chance

I call him
Lollipop lollipop
Oh lolli lolli lolli
Lollipop lollipop…..

For our second outing as the Mexican Review Squad (MRS) we chose Taqueria Tlaquepaque No 1 located at 2222 Lincoln Avenue. It’s a bit hard to find if you go at night because their sign does not have a light and the other businesses around it are closed. It’s in the strange strip of businesses just north of Curtner.

To start off, there is very limited parking. There are maybe four spots in the front, other than that you have to park in the neighborhood around the restaurant. I found that you can park across Lincoln Avenue in a small business parking lot but you must play Frogger Live to reach the restaurant (do not attempt with small children).

Not heeding the advice of others we chose to dine here on a Saturday night. We were expecting it to be busy and the line to be long. There were six of us which made the matter worse as all of their tables seat four and you have to wait for two tables near each other until you can seat 5 or more. After over 50 minutes of waiting in the lobby, which was decorated with a large tile mural, faux roofing replete with terra cotta shingles, and a strange absence of lighting, we were finally seated (at a table for four, with two extra chairs on either side). I think they felt bad that we were waiting so long and had to come up with some solution.

The menu is very large and fairly priced. There are some items which are extremely cheap. The super burrito for instance was only $5.50. The colas however are $.90 and you get the can, so no free refills.

The chips came quickly once we were seated and might I say they were delicious. You could tell they were fresh and not sitting in a large bucket all night as they were warm and melted in your mouth. We must have gone through at least 6 baskets of chips. The salsa was equally delicious. It was the perfect blend. Not too mild and not too spicy.

I ordered a chicken tostada salad. Others ordered a super burrito, carne asada, quesadilla, chimichangas and a combination platter. Everyone enjoyed their meals as well as their portions. Mine was actually on the smaller side but for the price, $5.50, it was a deal. There was plenty of chicken. I think the salad was actually under the Sides on the menu and is definitely not something they specialize in. They were very accommodating as several ordered sides of sour cream, which they brought plenty of, and did not charge for.

The service was good. We never had to wait too long for anything. There were several waiters running about the room and they would sort of rotate who brought us what. We had a bit of a snafu while paying. We paid half with cash and half on a credit card but they charged the whole amount to the credit card as well as taking the cash. We caught their mistake and they handled it quickly. As a note they only allow one credit card transaction per table, so bring cash if you plan on paying separately.

Overall I would rate this place 4 out of 5 stars. The ambiance was cozy, the service was friendly and quick, the food was delicious and prices were good. They only down sides are the parking and the wait.

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Shayna’s Review

I really liked this place. The food had that great authentic taste. The way I rate a Mexican restaurant is how the refried beans taste, these were great! The wait is a little long but it is worth it because you are served fast and get to eat endless chips and salsa. It is a little hard to find at night as the sign outside is not lit well. It is worth trying.

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Adam’s Review

I ate here with some friends on a Saturday night. The experience started off in their cheesy waiting room adorned in blue paint and the ubiquitous faux Spanish villa rooftop. The wait was longer than expected and the host seemed out of it in his mechanics shirt (which really is his uniform, it’s just got the restaurant name where the garage name would normally be). He called about 3 different parties of 8 which were non-existent before calling our party of 6. Strange…

Anyhow, all my fears were for naught once we sat down. The waitress came over, took our drink order and dropped off the most scrumptious tortilla chips I’ve had in a long time. I think our table devoured 6-8 baskets of the things. It was great.

I do have to knock the fact that they serve their soda in cans, I mean, it’s not THAT hard to get a soda machine. Tsk tsk. We ordered and the food arrived fast. I mean blink-and-it’s-there fast. My chimichangas were excellent and I devoured them.

Most items are priced well at around $5-$6 and their larger platter (or “plater” if you go by their menu) style items are closer to $10-$11. But it’s a good deal and I can’t knock their prices which are mostly better than average.

Overall, the place seems a little quirky, it’s a little hard to find but worth it if you’re in a smaller group or not going on a busy night!
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From Allison.

Allison’s Funny Phone Message

1415 Foxworthy Avenue
San Jose, CA 95118
(408)978-7244

I was not impressed. Me and my buddies went here for a new venture of ours, the MRS (Mexican Review Squad). We plan on eating at a different Mexican food establishment each and every Friday. This was out first outing.

The decor was pleasant with many large murals along the walls. They attempted to have it feel like you’re in a courtyard in Mexico which they pulled off to some degree with the terra cotta shingles and the vines painted around the doorways. They have a full bar located to the right of the front door. There is plenty of seating. There is essentially four large rooms here.

We were seated quickly and this was especially good because we had a medium sized group. We were put in the way back among two very large parties. One was a family with at least 10 kids and the other was another large family.

Once seated we did not see a waiter for the first 15 minutes. There was a busboy who brought us water but he did not speak English and could not answer our questions about the menu. We received the customary basket of chips and salsa. The chips themselves were quite ordinary and even on the poor side. The salsa however was delicious and surprisingly spicy (hot).

While waiting to order the Mariachi band (which plays every Friday & Saturday night) stopped by and played us a sweet little number. They were definitely the high point of the night.

I ordered the Chicken Mexico Lindo Salad, which is a shredded chicken tostada salad with lots of cheese, avocado and grilled onions and bell peppers. Again, it was just ordinary. Nothing to note on necessarily. It wasn’t particularly bad but nothing stood out.

Others ordered carne asada, a chicken dish with cactus (?) and a burrito. I will get their reviews and add them to this. No one was blown away by their food. I tried the chicken dish and was amazed at how dry it was, I have never tried chicken that dry before, ever.

Overall this place was below average. In summary, the wait to get seated was short, the wait to order was very long but the wait to get our food was short. The food was bland but the salsa was great. The staff were friendly including the Mariachi band and the rose peddler. The crowd was mainly large groups and families. The atmosphere was pleasant but not overly great. The price was a bit high for what they offered. I don’t plan on going back here. If you do go though you can save $5 on a $20 and over tab by printing out a coupon from their website.

www.originalmexicolindo.com

I give this place 2 stars out of 5.

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