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Type: Mexican
Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 10 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Fri.-Sun. until midnight.
Good choices: Quesadilla with cheese, burrito with chorizo, fajitas, chiles rellenos, tamales, flautas.
Credit cards: MC, VISA, AmEx.
Access: Restrooms not accessible.
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TAQUERIA MEXICO
24 Charles Street, Waltham
(781) 647-0166
Restaurant reviewed 01/03/99 by Sheryl Julian
A jukebox was humming with Latin music, and three small young boys, hugging its console, argued in Spanish about what song would go next. Their parents were seated at four tables pushed together to form one long one, and theirs was one of several similar parties in the room.
The place was probably a dingy bar at one time and little has been done to lighten it, although this doesn't seem to bother the patrons. Decor (such as it is) consists of a few serapes and Mexican hats lining the walls.
Taqueria Mexico is another world. And so is the food, which is extraordinary: highly seasoned, all homemade, garnished with beautiful sauces, and so unlike dishes on Mexican-style tableside-sizzle menus, it shouldn't be called by the same name.
This restaurant has a real Mexican mom and pop in the kitchen, with their son at the door, and a host of other relatives chopping vegetables, whirring fruit drinks, and waiting tables.
The Serrados family, who own Taqueria Mexico, are from Mexico City. Javier Serrados originally opened the restaurant on Prospect Street, where it was located for five years. It moved to this spotlocation about three years ago. Regulars include Mexican families, Guatemalans, and only a handful of Anglos.
More would come if they could find it. Charles Street is behind a Fleet Bank -- where Moody intersects Main. It is one way, flowing into the square, which means that figuring out how to get back there requires a cartographer's license. Heading west on Main, I crossed Moody and took a left before Shaw's.
The chorizo alone was worth the detour. This homemade pork sausage was spicy without being too hot; its seasonings were perfect inside a burrito ($3.10) and were sandwiched between two thick corn tortilla buns called gorditas ($2.95).
Every dish was strewn with chopped tomatoes and lettuce and garnished with sour cream, so there was lots of crunch, cream, spice, heat, and cold all at once, a hallmark of this cooking.
Tortilla chips came as soon as we sat down. Accompanied by two salsas, both hot (one smooth and one chunky), the chips were oily. That didn't stop this hearty diner, especially when the Corona beer arrived with a tiny wedge of lime tucked into the bottle neck.
Cheddar quesadillas ($6.45), smooth and crisp, were made with the nice, chewy house tortillas, accompanied by a dreamy guacamole spooned onto shredded lettuce.
Taqueria's flautas ($5.65) are exceptional, fried tortilla shells rolled with delicious spicy lamb barbecue and dusted with tomatoes, onion, and cheese, then garnished with sour cream.
Another beautiful dish were was tamales ($4.99). Three long, tender pork-and green-chili chile tamales sat on a mild green chili sauce.
Grilled chicken fajitas ($8.95) came on their own, without the searing hot black skillet so often used to plate this dish. Moist, flavorful onions and peppers were just right with the smooth fried black beans and rice.
Best of all were chiles rellenos ($7.95), the traditional Mexican stuffed chili peppers stuffed with cheese or picadillo (ground beef and potatoes). Fleshy peppers, spicy beef, melted cheese, crunchy vegetables, a sip of Corona, Latin music on the juke box. Only the bright Mexican sun was missing, though it wasn't it's not hard to imagine.
Tips & hits
