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| - One thing I missed having after living in Iowa is good Mexican food. Finding Mexican cuisine in rural Iowa wasn't difficult, but the range of ingredients, freshness, and flavor often fell short of expectations. On the first visit, I came with fellow Yelpers Angela T, Fia R, and Kurdy S. More recently, I introduced my aunt to this place when she came to visit me. There's plenty of parking in the strip mall. Lighting isn't the best, and the hole in the wall décor consists of tiled floors, large open kitchen, TVs, and a down to earth vibe.
The first thing interested diners need to know is their specialization in tortas. These gigantic subs are known for their size that probably weighs more than 5 pounds. The Del Rey ($9.50) came fully stacked with ham, cheese, pork sirloin, breaded beef, refried beans, two hot dogs, chorizo, eggs, tomato, onion, avocado, chipotle sauce, and a plate full of potato chips. There seemed to be no end to this sandwich, as I couldn't even finish half of it. In terms of quality, I liked the overall composition, the soft toasted bread, and the apparent shock effect for the amount of calories this beast carries. However, the refried beans could be more evenly spread, and the breaded beef could be seasoned so it has flavor. It was an item fun to have in group situations, and a novelty to cross off my long and never-ending to-eat list.
The Nopales con Asada ($10.99) came with thick slices of grilled beef, cactus, fresh cheese, guacamole, and my choice of flour tortillas. The beef was juicy, fully marbled, chewy, and flavorful. The cactus was a highlight too, but was slightly over-salted. Food again was plentiful. I couldn't finish it all and had to take the rest to go. I'm likely order this again.
The Chilaquiles ($7) came with fried tortilla, cotija cheese, runny eggs, onions, sour cream, and green and red salsa. The combination was delicious, particularly with the thick runny egg yolks to finesse the crispy textures and sharp salsa. The mix of flavors was still not as excellent as the Chiaquiles at Anepalco's, but it is a dish I would recommend besides the torta.
The Pollo Burro ($6.75) came with chunky chicken, refried beans, pico de gallo, cheese, and avocado. The texture was too wet and mushy. El Farolito has a better burrito, where each ingredient is discernible and better seasoned. I don't recommend it.
Another item I would not recommend is the Cocktel de Camaron Chico ($10.99). It came with shrimp, tomato juice, cilantro, onions, and avocado. The ratio was off as the few shrimps were lost in the tomato juice. The support cast could come chunkier as fillers. I felt like I had gone fishing only to come up empty with a few tiny shrimps. Overpriced and it was awful.
These meals would not be complete unless I hit the 10,000 calories mark. So, for dessert, I highly recommend getting the Chocoflan ($5). It's a custard cake, not too sweet, very moist, and rich in chocolate flavor. It was addictive and easy to finish.
For drinks, I liked the Aguas Frescas Naturales ($3.50). I preferred the watermelon flavor to the cantaloupe, and the non-alcoholic King Margarita ($4.50) was also worth considering as it comes with fresh strawberries with a touch of salt in every sip.
The food took some time to arrive at our table and service was very absent unless we flag down someone to help us. Overall, I thought this restaurant offers a good variety of dishes, and portions were consistently out of this world. However, I have also had better and cheaper Mexican food elsewhere. I would consider this a good place to bring out of town guests looking for hole in the wall experiences. 3.5 stars for both visits, I'd be interested in coming back.
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