Nov 2009

Mario’s De La Mesa – San Diego (La Mesa)

MARIO'S FACADE

If it’s wrong to take one’s current flame to an eatery that was introduced by an ex, then I just don’t want to be right. I believe that good food is meant to be shared under all circumstances, even somewhat awkward ones. Plus, they don’t call it the past for nothin’!

Back in high school, my boyfriend and I used to frequent Mario’s De La Mesa a couple times a month for casual Mexican fare. Curious to see if it could still stack up as one of my favorite restaurants, I returned recently with the squeeze to shame all other squeezes, The Astronomer.

MARIO'S INTERIOR

Not much has changed at Mario’s since I last visited sometime back in 2000. The plastic booths were eerily familiar, as were the brass parrots hanging from the ceiling and the faded Diego Rivera posters plastered on the walls. The place was bumpin’ on a Saturday night.

BEER AND CHIPS

The Astronomer started off with an ice cold Dos Equis Amber, one of his all-time favorite beers. I sipped some ice cold water and dabbled in complimentary chips and salsa.

FISH TACO PLATTER

The Astronomer ordered a fish taco platter. The battered and fried nuggets of white fish were sauteed with onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes. Fresh corn tortillas, crema, coleslaw, and a plate of beans and rice were served on the side. On the authenticity scale, Mario’s fish tacos ranked fairly low. However, on the tasty scale, it was just what The Astronomer was craving this evening.

MACHACA PLATTER

My standby dish at Mario’s is the machaca platter, which is served with rice, beans, and a wicked ranchero sauce. Machaca, which comes from the verb machacar (to pound or crush), is comprised of stringy bits of beef that have been seared and seasoned along with bell peppers and onions. It’s an extremely flavorful dish that is usually eaten for breakfast with eggs, but I prefer to have it for lunch or dinner. I like to eat my machaca wrapped up in a warm flour tortillas with a bit of ranchero sauce and a slathering of guacamole (Mario’s house-made guacamole is fantastic). Machaca is the polar opposite of a tender steak, and I love it for that very reason.

Even after exploring the tremendous Mexican cuisine available in Tijuana and Ensenada, there’s still a very special place in my heart (and gullet) for Mario’s De La Mesa and its seemingly timeless machaca platter.

Mario’s De La Mesa
8425 La Mesa Boulevard
La Mesa, CA 91941
Phone: 619-461-9390

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11 thoughts on “Mario’s De La Mesa – San Diego (La Mesa)

  1. This post would have been a lot more dramatic if the astronomer and your HS ex ran into each other, had a fist fight and then made up over Dos XX. Alas, peace reigned throughout the land. (Darn!)

  2. You are absolutely right, past is the past, who cares, it’s a restaurant a public landmark. I think my wife and I have been to plenty of places that her ex and my ex’s have been too. DOS EQUIS is a awesome beer, however I like to drink the green bottle. Photos are awesome!

  3. Did you drive down to san diego just to partake in Mario’s de la Mesa? If yes then it must be amazing! The fish tacos looks so crunchy and delicious and I’ve never had machaca before but now if I see it on a menu I will have to order it. My fav fish tacos are from Best Tacos in Ensenada. I heart Mexican food!

  4. Definitely putting this on my SD list for my next trip! 🙂 Methinks it’s awkward if only you retold stories about you and your ex at Mario’s to The Astronomer. So, it’s all kosher in my book.

  5. Nastassia – Mario’s is good, but not drive all the way from LA good! I was in town visiting my family 😉 The Taco Task Force recently convened for an LA Fish Taco throw down. We really liked Best Tacos in Ensenada, but we LOVED Tacos Baja in East LA. Check that place out!

    E*Star – There was no reminiscing about the good ‘ol days at Mario’s 😉 That would’ve been silly awkward!

  6. Eh, I see no big deal in talking about the past. It’s far back, how is it awkward? We all have a past!

    I will be checking out your Task Force’s findings!

  7. That’s kind of how I feel about my OC Mexican resto, Avila’s. Not the best Mexican by far, but those chimichangas certainly make me smile!

  8. My ex’s fave dining experience is getting Papa John’s delivery and watching a black and white film on the couch 😛 So I haven’t had the issue of running into each other lol

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