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.

La Peña Mexicana

609 W Cypress St
Kennett Square, PA 19348
(610) 925-2651
Facebook

Kennett Square is widely known (at least in this region) as the mushroom capital of the world. What is also well known (if you have spent any time there) is that some/most of the the labor that leads to that throne is done by migrant workers. Which leads to amazing food opportunities for visitors to the area. Mexican food is well represented in Kennett Square, but La Peña may just be my favorite.

The striped building is hard to miss, and located across from the Victory brewery down there.

Chips and guacamole to start is always a good bet, and they did not disappoint. The pico was fresh, tart, and crisp. The guac was creamy and went nicely with the fresh fried chips. The smokey chipotle sauce brought the fire, and was a great contrast to the other more tame varietals.

The carnitas burrito was calling my name, so I decided that would be my next order. It was brought out quite quickly, and came packed with tender, crispy pork that was braised until rendered out and then fried to add some crunch and texture, the way carnitas is supposed to be served.

The seasoning and tenderness on this pork was perfection. It came simply filled with rice, beans, pork, cilantro and onions. They gave a couple of sauce options as well. I opted for spicy. It did not disappoint.

Look at the perfect shreds of meat. No chewy fatty gristle to be found.

I also felt the need for a deep fried burrito – so chimichanga it was. This version I ordered with chicken and green sauce. Again it had rice, beans, cilantro, onion, but also had a cotija cheese topper and a sour cream drizzle. Jalapeno slices lined the top like stripes on a delicious flag.

It was a great presentation. And somehow I even managed to finish it.

Love me some beans and rice sides for the old mouth shovel.

The tender chicken was again very well stewed and packed with flavor. Peppy tomatillo sauce gave it some tang, and the cheese and crema added extra luxuriousness to this deep fried indulgence.

When you come here, expect an authentic experience – none of that bullshit Tex-Mex – and some fantastic Mexican food. And you will be back. 

Fiesta Maya

1178 Baltimore Pike
Springfield, PA 19064
(610) 604-9599
Website

Fiesta Maya recently opened in Springfield near Swarthmore. I had heard of the original in Exton, but never been there. It's a fast-casual type place that is also a BYOB. At least no one said anything when I brought in some Modelo's.

They have the line set up like their corporate competitors. Although there are some significant differences. Most importantly, instead of picking your items as you go, you have to order them from the register. This creates additional stress if you are ordering more than one item (or making any additions to standard offerings) as you have to remember everything from the somewhat extensive menu.

I much prefer the visual approach letting you pick your items based on sight. You are also charged for all "add-ons" over three. Which is a difficult transition to make from the "all-in" approach (minus guacamole) at the chain places.

The carnitas burrito and chicken al pastor nachos were calling me, and it was quite a bit of food.

The nachos were pretty good, with a healthy serving size, and loaded with toppings. I could have used some more meat, but that is almost always the case with me.

The carnitas burrito was also just good, notably the mayo chipotle dressing (as an add-on) gave it a nice smack of rich heat. The rice was well seasoned, the shredded meat was tender. It's too bad that burritos aren't more photogenic, in general...

I liked the salsa served on the side of the chips quite a bit, and the burrito with chips and salsa alone was a very good deal at about $9. Just have your order memorized, and watch out for those "add-ons".

Besito

Suburban Square
105 Coulter Ave.
Ardmore, PA 19003
(484) 417-6825

Besito (little kiss) is a new entrant to the high-end Mexican scene in the burbs. They have a number of other restaurant locations, and invited me to come check out their soft opening last week. It is located in Ardmore, and the attention to detail is extremely nice.

The interior is slick, with modern Southwest flair (which reflects their menu), and nicely appointed decorations.

I was told to start with margaritas, so I had to oblige. They were great drinks, though possibly a bit of the old velvet hammer, as I could barely taste the tequila. The salsa was fire roasted tomato, and had a touch of heat.

First up was the table side guac. I really don't care if it's gimmicky, I love watching it be prepared.

The server took into account the level of heat I wanted, and served it in the same stone mortar it was mixed in. The guacamole was great. Each order contains a whole avocado, and was well seasoned, creamy, and still had the chunks that let you know this was made with a ripe avocado.

The owner John Tunney stopped by and chatted while I stuffed my face. He also sent out some shrimp tacos, as they are always a crowd favorite. I can't argue, these were one of the tastiest things of the night.

Crispy shrimp, chipotle sour cream, and queso fresco, three of the things I like most about Mexican cuisine, came together for an explosion of flavors and textures. It was fresh, rich, and clean. I could eat approximately fifteen of these things.

Next up was the dinner course (I skipped any additional appetizers), and decided to try the enchiladas de mole poblano, the mixtos tacos, and a variety of sides.

The mole sauce was rich, thick, and delicious. It had a perfect consistency and was deep in the toasted flavor of poblanos. I really liked this iteration of the timeless (yet time consuming to make) Mexican dish.

The mixtos was basically queso fundido, topped with chorizo, chicken, and grilled skirt steak. It came with napoli (cactus) salad, and two sauces. The salad was fantastic. It was like a Mexican version of succotash, and was bursting with bright acidity. I was surprised with the flavor and how much I liked this salad. The queso was made with melted queso Chihuahua, and had so much flavor I could have  eaten this with a fork (and possibly did). The chicken and steak were good, the only thing I wasn't a huge fan of was the chorizo. It was more like a Mexican hot dog and less like the chorizo I traditionally see.

All together, this was a great dish, and the cheese was just fantastic. You will not be able to tell from these pictures, but it is incredibly dark in there. They even give you little Besito branded lights to see the menu. It's that dark. Probably a good thing if you were going on a date with someone who looked like me. Not so much if you are a fat guy trying to see what ELSE you are going to order.

A cheesy taco creation shown below.

The elotes de la calle was simple and fresh. It was roasted corn, some queso fresco, and some chili. I loved this take on the traditional street corn (which I make quite often at home), but I use mayo at home and wished they had too...

The beans were okay, nothing to write home about, but they came extra with the entree, so that is a nice touch. The rice was well cooked, and was studded with pepita seeds. It was almost like a pilaf, which was an interesting twist on standard white rice.

John the owner came by and asked if I tried the plantains. At this point, I was starting to hit the wall of gluttony, but I powered through when he had an order brought out. Fried sweet plantains, queso fresco, and crema. Simple, indulgent, and delicious. The cheese and cream balanced out the sweetness, and the caramelized edges had just enough crispiness.

At this point, I was really getting too full for comfort. That being said, the flan was supposed to be great. So I obviously had to indulge.

Sure enough, it was great. A light texture, with not overly sweet base, and some fresh whipped cream.

The meal ended with a to-go bag of hot churros, and a gift of two Mexican worry dolls. You put these under your pillow and they take your worry from you. Very cool little treat, and I was happy to only be worrying about waddling back to the car. Thank you Besito, I will be dreaming of that queso fundido until I make it back.