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| - I was expecting to be crushingly disappointed when I walked into El Nopal. For any lover of Mexican cuisine, *all* the red flags are there--location at the Stratosphere across from Perfumania; sign advertising "Mexican and American food" in requisite national colors; kitschy, Aztec-derived decor; Carribean salsa masquerading as Mexican music. Nonetheless, I decided to enter and made a shocking discovery.
This place makes an amazing, authentic carnitas burrito!!! I've been on the quest for carnitas for over 20 years, and it's rarely prepared correctly. You know what I mean--that grey, pulpy crap with globules of fat that often passes as pork. Ideally, it should be lightly crispy, chopped in small pieces and well-seasoned with salt and cilantro. When it's done right, a thin stream of grease should collect at the bottom of the tortilla. And that's exactly what I got here!
Take in mind, I don't believe in ordering a burrito with tomatoes or lettuce. When you're eating fried pork, there's no reason to dampen the flavor with off-season greens. So here, I ordered the burrito with meat, refried beans and rice inside the tortilla. A bit of tomatillo salsa verde on the side (provided free at their salsa bar) and that's it.
With the substitutions, the burrito came out to $10, with a few XX Ambers for $3.75. Not the cheapest bite in town, but filling and tasty. Take in mind, I'm not going to vouch for any of the other items on the menu. I also have a difficult time believing what I experienced, and plan on returning soon to see if it's a fluke. But until then, El Nopal has my heartfelt recommendation--the first I've given on the Strip.
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