La Cabra Brewing

642 Lancaster Ave.
Berwyn, PA 19312
(610) 240-7908
Website

La Cabra has gotten some recent publicity, so I figured it was about time that I gave it a write up myself. I love the Berwyn Tavern and this place is literally across the street. Damn Berwyn, who would have thought you would have two of the best bars in the burbs?

The bar itself has an old industrial vibe inside, with high ceilings, complemented with brick and wood accents. Also the upstairs has all kinds of games like darts, Bimini Ring Toss and the recent addition of fooseball (:-O). I loved it at first sight. The beers are delicious and they are constantly unveiling new releases. I went from hoppy to malty and back, and was pleased with every choice. Not to mention the bar food.

The garlic truffle Parmesan wings were fantastic. Sous vide cooked and then fried to a perfect crispiness, they were some of my favorites I have had in a while. Seven wings for $9 is a bit spendy, but given the size and prep that went into them, I had no complaints.

Look at that rendered out skin, fried to a crackling crisp.

The micro greens made it so I was basically eating a salad, which was nice for those counting calories.

Another guilt-free snack was the frisee salad served with crispy pork belly, chipotle honey, goat cheese, jalapeño bacon and a citrus aioli. Not a typo, the pork belly comes with bacon lardons. The belly was sous vide until tender as well, and then crisped up, notice a trend? This was sweet, salty, crispy, fatty and the frisee really did help cut the heaviness.

Basically the healthiest thing I have eaten in 2017.

Finally, the brisket tacos. These are accompanied by potato plantain hash, cilantro, and mole BBQ. Well at least I think they are. I didn't get any hash or cilantro. I DID get a hell of a lot of brisket though. So no complaints. The brisket was tender, and the mole sauce was sweet and smokey. The tortillas were quite good, with a nice toast to them. Thick salty chips with some salsas were the perfect accompaniment.

Perhaps the most amazing part is the crowler. I am easily amused, to be sure, but the ability to get a 32oz can of beer from the tap sealed on the spot to take home is a godsend. Who the hell ever remembers a growler. I have at least a half dozen at home I neglect to bring with me, despite the fact that I visit some type of brewery or place that fills them at least once a week.

You might drive past La Cabra (the goat) without knowing it. But you would be doing your palate a disservice.

El Tio

680 Lancaster Avenue
Berwyn, PA 19312
(484) 329-7717
Website

Someone alerted me to El Tio recently, and I thought I might have found a contender for the reigning champion of the Mexican throne in the burbs But unfortunately, it fell a bit short.

I arrived for a Saturday lunch around noon, and they still had the door locked, though they had been open since eleven. The hostess/server was incredibly nice and accommodating, instructing me to sit wherever I wanted.

The menu featured the standard fare for meats. Carnitas are always a plus, and if you don't serve al pastor, then you are doing it wrong.

Some chips and salsa to start. The chips were well salted, though they were not exactly fresh. The salsa had a nice heat to it, despite looking somewhat mild.

Also, some queso, which I ordered after the salsa, because I didn't realize it was offered. The queso had great flavor, but was lukewarm. Almost cold. I like a little more warmth on my melted cheese sauces.

Next up was the entree course. A shredded chicken burrito, smothered in mole and a house platter "El Tio" with al pastor.

The burrito was well endowed, and the shredded chicken was well executed, however the mole was bit lackluster. I guess I am spoiled on the perfect complexity of El Limon, but this seemed a bit flat.

They did not shy away from stuffings.

A well proportioned burrito.

The al pastor had promise, but was pocketed with chewy cartilage and overly fatty cuts. I liked the smoky flavor, and the char the pork received. but having to spit out a bad piece more than once put a damper on my experience. Observe one very said piece below, front and center.

The shredded Queso Chihuahua was a big plus, and melted perfectly on the warm tortillas. The guacamole has a nice acidity, and the beans and rice were alright. Nothing to write home about.

Maybe I caught them after a bad batch from the Carnicería, but I really can't stand inedible bits in my meat. Especially al pastor.

Qdoba (of Conshohocken)

200 West Ridge Pike #108
Conshohocken, PA 19428
(484) 243-6118
Website

While it may not be my typical fare, I have some love for fast food. In particular, new "fast casual" chains where they are serving actual food, and not the garbage you get at the Golden Arches. Qdoba is a weakness of mine, especially with all of the new spicy options. I get so tired of "hot" not actually being hot. They put the heat into some spicy queso dips, and it has improved my love of burrito-bar chains. Oh, and they invited me to come "roll my own" at a grand opening in Conshy which was a perfect fit for an April twentieth posting. See below for video.

The new interior is much sleeker than what I was used to. ¡Qué color! They're officially opening tomorrow and are having a DJ with some free foods tonight. If you can't make that, then click here to get a coupon for free chips and salsa tomorrow only.

I was brought some of the new quesos to sample. The spicy version was called "el Diablo" and it brought the heat. Plus, it was spicy cheese. So it was obviously a winner. The three cheese blend was a mixture of cheese thinned with tortilla soup. A good use of resources. It certainly had more complexity than the capsaicin version.

The next sample was "Mexican Gumbo" which was really just the burrito ingredients served over rice and tortilla soup. Still, it showed some creativity, and let you create the stew you want.

We were also treated to a handmade guac tutorial. where they took 87 (appx) avocados, and smashed them using a giant masher. It was pretty impressive for a burrito chain, Especially if you have ever had WAWA's guac, which tastes like citric acid mixed with unripe bananas.

The guacamole was good, could have used a bit more salt, but the acidity was there, and I was more than happy to eat well over my fair share.

Now for the moment of truth. Qdoba - behind the glass. I strapped on my gloves and showed my dinner mates how the rolling was done.

My personal trainer was very knowledgeable (as was all of the staff we encountered) and anxious to help.

I used almost everything on the line.

Including their bacon jalapeño queso. That's right, they have 3 different kinds and I put a bit of each on my pile. The bacon jalapeño is amazing.

See a video below if you want to waste a minute watching me roll a giant burrito and struggle to atone for my glutenous choices on the line.

Now that was just the roll, you can waste 6 more minutes of your life and watch me down the entire line if you want. CLICK HERE to do so.

My dining mates were convinced they rolled a better burrito. But I disagree.

Guess which one is mine?

So anyway, check out the new menu at Qboda, they have a whole bunch of new menu items, and possibly win a card for a free entree... Come back tomorrow and enter to win.

California Tortilla

200 Town Centre Dr #3
Glen Mills, PA 19342
(610) 358-5880
Website

Here we are again, traveling the Philadelphia suburbs, searching for delicious and reasonably priced food. I prefer the kind I can eat with my hands, as you already know, so in addition to sandwiches and hoagies, I'm always on the look out for a great burrito.

Can't have suburbs without strip malls. Or kids. I mean, I felt like I had just walked into a Chuck E Cheese's.

But I didn't let that get me. Too much. I had to look beyond the little people that were running into my legs so that I could start to enjoy what was coming next.

It's your usual build-a-burrito bar, but you don't get to walk down the strip and tell them item-by-item what to add. You have to tell them your fixin's order at the register, before you even get to see the fixin's, which isn't my favorite way to order a burrito. I need to really see what's offered before I tell them to just add everything. So I choked a little and got two of their "chef-inspired creations" that already has the insides chosen for you.

On the way to my seat, I spotted their 'wall of flame.' They've got seventy five (75!) different kinds of hot sauce up there at your disposal. It looks like more than that, but I'm not splitting hairs. I had to try at least a few while I waited for my number to be called.

I ordered their signature California Screamin' Burrito, with blackened chicken, rice, queso, fajita veggies, their house-made California Screamin’ hot sauce and salsa. When asked if I wanted to make it a combo, I couldn't say no to a side of chips and queso.

I'm pretty sure they use Velveeta here, which is a sign of true quality in any liquid cheese application. It wasn't bursting with salsa flavor, but it was better than your usual nacho cheese pump-action distributor. But I wasn't here for the sides.

Now, I realize that burritos do not photograph very well - they never do - but that doesn't mean I won't keep trying to capture their inner beauty. The chicken was tender, juicy and packed with blackened flavor and the screamin' hot sauce had a really nice chipotle heat to it. The burrito was very well made with a perfect distribution of ingredients throughout, every bite was made of equal parts. Better than Chipotle? Hell yes. Way better. And I love me some Chipotle.

Second up was the Korean BBQ Burrito and I chose to get the pork/carnitas on this one. Served with rice, fajita veggies, sweet and spicy Korean BBQ sauce, crisp slaw, Sriracha chili sauce and cilantro, this one was the sure-fire winner. I couldn't believe a place like this managed to get their Korean flavors so accurate. It was spot on with the hot and sweet, with the gochujang flavor mingling with the gingery garlic of the traditional BBQ sauce. Simply delicious. The fresh crunch of the cabbage slaw was a pleasing surprise in every bite.

All in all, California Tortilla does a really great job with the food. Not so much on the atmosphere, but who am I to judge? (minus one cheesesteak for Chuck E Cheese likeness.)