(late night edition)
Well, the old neighborhood has certainly changed. Long gone are the days of grabbing a seat at JB's on a warm night and relaxing. It seems the introduction of Frankford Hall and the ensuing gentrification has led to various levels of douchebaggery – from the influx of too-cool hipsters migrating from South Philly, to the college kids who can't handle their liquor, to South Jerseyites (no explanation needed) – the hood has turned into a shitty circus and lost its charm. At least they have this taco truck.
Mi Pueblito sits at Girard and Frankford on the weekend nights and cranks out some of the best Mexican in the city. Cheap, quality, and delicious, it's the triple threat. They also have guacamole salsa, which is one of my favorite things on earth.
Tacos are cheap, $2 a pop, and offer a variety of protein choices. Chorizo and pollo are two of my favorites.
The burritos, however, are the best thing going. Huge, loaded with flavor, and wrapped to go, you don't even have to worry about getting any drips on that expensive vintage-looking shit-your-parents-paid-for/popped collar polo shirt/anything from your personal "Affliction" collection.
The flour tortilla tastes fresh and lardy, like it was just rolled and grilled on the flat top moments before. It glistened in the glow of the street lamps and made my mouth water at first glance.
No joke, all of their meats are tender, juicy and full of complex flavors – and this isn't just the drunk hunger talking, this stuff is the real deal.
As I mentioned earlier, the burrito is wrapped tight and the tortilla's elasticity kept everything in order as I plowed through both. That's right, one of these monsters wasn't enough. I had two.
I'm hoping the crowds die down and that people stay in their own respective neighborhoods so I don't have to fight to get some of the best, most authentic burritos around.
4 comments:
Great review. Damn, that burrito looks good! You prefer a flour tortilla versus corn?
I go here all the time. Solid fare, and the best part is there's never a line. Or at least, not one with any more than one or two people at a time. But they must be doing well enough, since they've been there almost every Friday and Saturday night since last Fall. The lines in that spot tend to be at the Calle del Sabor truck next door, from which I once ordered the worst 'Cuban' sandwich of my life. I don't know what the attraction to that truck is for everybody, but I'm glad it enables me to slide right in to Mi Pueblito and get my food in under two minutes almost every time.
I wish they'd add occasional specials, but it's a truck so I can't complain. I once asked the guy who said he runs the truck down Washington Ave on weekdays if they'd ever have tripas at this location, and he told me he'd bring some up the following weekend. I was shocked, but I went back the next weekend nonetheless, and they didn't even show up. I've never seen the guy working the truck in this location again (I'm guessing it's the mother and her daughter, with the son recently joining as well), and I still wish I could get my tripas on this close and conveniently, but such is life I suppose.
Johnny Brenda's is pretty damn good these days. Its a shame you had a bad experience a while back.
Concur on JB's, but it's impossible to get a seat there anymore most nights. Or at least on weekends, when the trucks are out. I got a little too excited my last time there, a few months back, upon seeing fettuccine carbonara on the menu.
Immediately ordered it, and was let down when it turned out to be a cream-sauce concoction (NOT carbonara!), but it was a decent pasta dish, and better than the pasta on offer at the trio of Greek pizza shops on that same stretch of Girard. Probably not better than Franco's, though.
JB's burger is probably my second favorite in Fishtown, after Loco Pez. I still wish Charlie's in Folsom would move on up to East Kensington, though...
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