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| - Spin-offs don't usually work. For every "Frasier" there are a hundred "Three's a Crowd" (Hey, look it up). But I'm happy to say that El Carnicero is a nice spin-off on Momocho.
And that's mostly because the menu is almost the same as the excellent Ohio City restaurant. It looks like there might be a couple fewer taquitos than at Momocho but everything else seems to be at this Lakewood eatery. Plus, they have multiple options for tamales
The margaritas ($8 to $8.50) were nicely balanced between the bitterness of the tequila and the tartness of the mixes. And, like Momocho, you get 8 flavors to choose from in addition to Traditional.
If you aren't big into spice, like my wife, then I'd recommend the pineapple/jicama salsa ($2.50) to go with the crisp, non-greasy chips. Otherwise you have multiple options for salsa ($2.50) and guacamole ($7-$8.50).
For our main courses, we took advantage of the expanded tamale options. I had the coffee/ancho braised beef brisket ($14.50) and enjoyed mixing the blunt, slow-build heat of the brown sauce on one side of the plate with the tart green sauce on the other. The masa corn bread added a nice soft texture to go with the chewiness of the brisket.
Jeannene had the wild boar tamale ($14.50), which was presented similarly though the sauce on this plate was not as spicy while the pork was more moist.
The differences in the two restaurants are more non-food releated. As far as ambiance, it is more clean-cut with only some framed pictures of masked wrestlers to remind diners of the quirkiness of Momocho. Comparing the two is like comparing the new Melt locations to the original. But El Carnicero is huge so you don't have to worry about making a reservation two weeks in advance.
And Carnicero seems to have an intriguing breakfast menu that we will have to back for.
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