December 27, 2006
Cuisine: Mexican

489 San Diego Ave
San Diego, CA 92110

Phone: (619) 297-4330
Website: www.oldtownmexcafe.com/

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Tortilla chips with Pico de Gallo (complimentary)

Appetizer II: Fresh corn and flour tortillas

Entree I: Machaca con Huevos – Shredded beef, eggs, onions, bell pepper, chiles, and spices; served with rice and beans.

Entree II: Burrito Colorado – Chunks of beef with red chile sauce

Dessert: Cinnamon and Sugar Churro with Vanilla Ice Cream

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As a small child, my aunt Ut used to take me to the Old Town Mexican Cafe. Even though my taste buds weren’t full developed yet, I loved their fresh flour tortillas smeared with butter. While home for the holidays, we decided to see if the Old Town Mexican Cafe was still magical after all these years.

The restaurant is located in Old Town San Diego which has become quite the tourist trap these days. Plenty of souvenir shops and historical placards line the streets. We dined on a Wednesday afternoon around 2:30 PM but still had to wait at least 30 minutes for a table. Que popular!

We were famished by the time we were finally seated and quickly ordered some tortillas to snack on. We also enjoyed some complimentary chips and dip. The tortillas were just as great as I remembered them. They were warm off the griddle and amazingly pliable. Supermarket tortillas tend to tear easily, but these tortillas could be stretched and folded without harm. They also tasted wonderfully, especially the fragrant and earthy corn tortillas. My small cousins enjoyed the flour tortillas smeared with butter. The circle of life continues.

For my entree I ordered the Machaca con Huevos, which were served with a side of tortillas, rice and beans. I thought the meat and eggs could’ve used more salt, but the rice and beans were right on point. My uncle ordered the Burrito Colorado at the suggestion of my aunt. He found it a bit too salty, but since my entree was mild, I appreciated the saltiness. My aunt and cousins shared a steak quesadilla. I did not get a chance to taste it, but my cousin Madison proclaimed that it was “so, so good.”

For dessert, my cousins Megan and Madison shared the churro with ice cream. The churro wasn’t up to Megan’s standards so she cast it aside and focused on the ice cream. Madison was also a big fan of the ice cream. In fact, she sipped up the melted ice cream with a straw.

Maddie