Hot Dish Review

Funny how I know so many Tauruses. In fact, most of my best friends, past and present, are Tauruses. Put simply, they are awesome!

One recent Taurus birthday party was at El Azteca in Sandy Springs, a family celebration with lots of kids. But that didn’t stop the birthday boy from having a couple of shots of tequila.

But first, our table of 16 or so ordered some food….chips and salsa with guacamole (the chunky, freshly prepared style) and cheese dip to start, of course. The quality of their chips is inconsistent, although they were quite good on this visit.

El Azteca, with numerous locations, has become somewhat of an institution in Atlanta. The margaritas are weak and made with the traditional cheap sour mix and they still offer a multitude of combinations….could I get a #124 por favor? From tacos with ground beef on old-fashioned hard shells to enchiladas filled with cheese and covered with….what what? That’s right, more cheese, you can count on El Azteca to deliver the quintessential cheesy Mexican experience.

What El Azteca lacks in the food department, they make up for with their enormous patio. Really, there is nothing I’d rather do than sip a salty, tangy margarita in the sweltering Summer heat. I decided to buck tradition and ordered one of those new-fangled “skinny” margaritas, made with fresh lime juice rather than the aforementioned cheap sour mix that LC loathes.

We split the combo fajitas, a mix of grilled steak, chicken, and shrimp, gorging ourselves on chips and dips while we waited. It was a huge platter, served with the usual suspects….rice, beans, cheese, sour cream, shredded lettuce, and “standard” guacamole as opposed to the chunky “homemade” style. Why bother having two kinds of guacamole? My guess is the standard kind is purchased in bulk rather than being made in-house, probably delivered in those big institutional boxes fitted with a spout. Tasty.

Certainly enough for two people, we were puzzled that the fajitas came with only three flour tortillas. Me and LC loaded ‘em up. I ate a shrimp and noted it was oversalted, a problem which was masked by the fixin’s. Then I tried some steak. Again, a bit too salty. LC agreed. The worst offender, however, was the chicken. It was so salty that we both found it inedible.

Another margarita hit the spot as we wished PC a happy birthday….cheers my Taurus friend!

5925 Roswell Road 404-252-7347

The storms had passed, the sun was out….put me in the mood for a shot of tequila and some Mexican food!

LC and I met at Uncle Julio’s for a late lunch. We started with shots of Herradura Silver, shaken, with lime and salt. It’s my standard. Two margaritas to chase, plus chips, salsa, and guacamole….the ingredients for a fun Summer afternoon!

Uncle Julio’s chips are my favorite. They are extremely thin, so thin in fact, that they break when you are dipping them into anything. Whatever, I still think they are the best.

Salsa at Uncle Julio’s is very smoky with a little heat. I like it. Their guacamole is like mine, but with less cilantro and no jalapeno. We had a hankerin’ for heat so we got an order of grilled jalapenos on the side. Although I love cheese dip I never order it at Uncle Julio’s. It is orange….just too gringo for my taste.

More margaritas, on the rocks with salt. LC didn’t think they were strong enough so he got another shot to add to our drinks. By then, we were feelin’ alright.

Uncle Julio’s space is enormous. There is a whole upstairs that I’ve yet to explore. Coral, turquoise, and blue dominate, with a minimal amount of kitsch. With 16 locations nationally, mostly in Dallas and Washington DC, it is a chain, which probably explains much of the following flavorful yet somewhat generic “Mexican for the masses”.

We ordered the Guadalajara platter to share, with three bacon wrapped shrimp and a combo of chicken and beef fajitas. LC had his eye on those shrimp so he snatched one off the platter right away. They came with a garlicky sauce that neither of us cared for. Although they seemed to be soaked in butter, the huge shrimp (that’s an oxymoron!) were perfectly cooked but suffered from the wrapping of undercooked bacon. That seems to be a common issue with things wrapped in bacon….filet mignon, shrimp, scallops….the bacon is rarely cooked enough to render the fat, leaving it limp and practically inedible. It’s always a shame to waste bacon.

Our fajitas arrived without the necessary tortillas or the cheese and sour cream we requested. Sorta hard to make a fajita without a tortilla. After some time had passed LC told the bar manager, who in turn told the manager. We didn’t mean to get our server in trouble, but seriously, you gotta bring out all the shit required for fajitas when they are hot, right? The manager came out and kindly replaced the whole set-up, including the sides of beans and rice, then comp’d it. She was very professional and I felt that was a great way to handle the minor snafu. Not to mention, a good way to make sure we stayed and continued to drink! And we did.

Another round of margaritas please. LC and I dug into the fajitas. Some strips of the beef were tough, others tender. That’s what you get when it’s flank steak, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was cooked medium rather than well-done. We piled meat, grilled onions, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, and more of the grilled jalapenos onto their exceptionally good flour tortillas. Both chicken and beef were well seasoned with a smoky grilled flavor but lacked sufficient kick.

The point is, we like spicy food, especially when it’s Mexican. However, many restaurants are hesitant to make their food too hot. Most folks can’t take the heat and they’re ruining it for the rest of us! Pussies.

1140 Hammond Drive 678-736-8260

This heat almost reminds me of Brazil, minus the part where there is no air-conditioning and the only clothing you can comfortably wear is a bikini. Here, thankfully, bikinis are optional. Especially when me and B are chowing down on baskets of chips, fajitas, and tacos at El Taco.

Their patio is the perfect spot to chill out and sip tangy margaritas with salt. On Saturday our server recommended an all natural margarita made with only lime juice, tequila, and a little agave nectar….awesome!

El Taco serves freshly made guacamole that can be spiced up with jalapenos and cilantro from their salsa bar. The cheese dip is the perfect consistency to cling to chips, although I do wish their chips were a bit thinner, like Uncle Julio’s.

B ordered the steak and shrimp fajitas while I got my usual red chili steak taco having already filled up on chips and dips, as planned. At just $3.95, the taco is full of grilled steak, crispy onions, and tomatillo-lime salsa. I get it on a corn tortilla and add a bit of shredded cheese, guacamole, cilantro, and jalapenos…..delicious!

The fajitas came out on a sizzling platter. Of course B let me have one! I was impressed with the perfectly cooked fat shrimp and tender steak, although B mentioned that the steak would have been easier to eat had it been sliced thinner (true). At $14.50 the portion was not huge but I think the flavor compensates.

I like El Taco. It’s close to home, the margaritas are great, the food is fresh and flavorful. Only problem, I always have a huge bill because they nickle and dime you on everything. Chips and salsa are $2.50, guacamole and chips are $5.75, and queso is $4.75….$13 just to get started! Ouch. Have another margarita and maybe it won’t sting so much.