Guajillo, Wilson Boulevard in Rosslyn - Family-Owned Tex-Mex with Good Sauces

[Atlarge]

I've been to Guajillo at least 5 times in the last 3 years, and it's been hit or miss. Having grown up in Southern California and lived in Texas, I would say calling it Tex-Mex is a definite misnomer. You do have to give them credit for having some real Mexican dishes, not the cheese laden, over-sauced fare which is called Tex-Mex.

On the other hand, I would have a hard time saying most of their food really has the flavor of "Authentic." On one occasion, the ceviche came in way too spicy, like eating salsa with habanero peppers. And as others have observed, the chicken has been often a bit dry. I also find most of the time the food is slightly underseasoned.

Having said this, I would not rush back to Guajillo. In my experience, I have always wanted it to be good, as the menu reads nicely and offers up some very authentic sounding dishes. But the flavors just do not shine. Enough said for now

[Meaghan]

Having said this, I would not rush back to Guajillo. In my experience, I have always wanted it to be good, as the menu reads nicely and offers up some very authentic sounding dishes. But the flavors just do not shine. Enough said for now

If you're willing to broaden the genre a bit, Samantha's has some inspiring (and authentic) Mexican along side its Salvadoran. In fact, the menu calls itself 'Fine Mexican and Latin American Cuisine.' And there you have it.

[Atlarge]

Where would you rush back to?

That's a tough question-especially if I were limiting it to only Mexican. I have heard good things and bad things about Rosa Mexicano. Andale was pretty good for a while. Going up a bit in scale, I like Zengo, but it's hard to call it classic or authentic Mexican. But both times I have been, they've scored a 9 out of 10 for food. Any other ideas?

[RaisaB]

I went to Guajillo's last night after reading this thread, my husband was in the mood for ceviche. My daughter was incredulous that we were actually going through those doors and not going to Ray's! In hindsight she was right.

The chips and salsa I enjoyed, it had chipotle in it which was good. We ordered the Ceviche, Queso Fundido con Chorizo y los Maduros. The Ceviche was okay, but not worth ordering twice. It was a bit bland to our likings. The queso fundido was run of the mill. The maduros the same. Entrees were Carnitas, Shrimp and Beef fajitas. The Beef fajitas were so tough you couldn't cut through them with a knife, much less chew them. The shrimp were very bland also. The carnitas were okay but again not worth raving about since there was little taste to them.

On the other hand they make a good margarita and mojito. This place is mediocre at best. Rio Grande, chain that it may be, outshines it by a longshot. I don't know if they are possibly pandering to perceived American tastes, but it is not a place I would personally recommend to anyone.

[Joe H]

There are several who have eaten at Guajillo "whose opinions I trust" and have found it to be disappointing. Perhaps we've been fortunate but I haven't had this experience-yet. Still, reading back through this thread I've noted several who have pointed out the "hit or miss" experiences they've had including a couple who have noted that it is even more unpredictable lately.

I wonder if we've just been lucky or perhaps by sticking mostly to specials have found dinner that might have a reflected a bit more effort or focus. In any event I'm now beginning to wonder if our first negative experience is just around the corner...

[DanCole42]

Warmed myself up with a shot of Corazon on Saturday. That hits the spot, it does, on a cold wintumn night.

The salsa as always was the best in town, served steaming hot... if the tequila hit the spot, the salsa split the tequila's arrow in twain.

My companion was my best friend's fiancee. We get together the two of us every now and then to gossip about our now and future spouses. She got a margarita... I declined a sip as such a freezingly throat numbing drink would have been so OFF the spot that I'd be shooting backwards into the crowd.

Along with the salsa, we also received some kind of chilled herbed cheese dip. Gobble-up good.

We ordered the cazuela de queso con chorizo (melted cheese with homemade sausage), expecting a sort of Mexican fondue dish. We were crazy excited. What ended up being brought to our table, however, missed the mark entirely (to continue with my archery metaphors). I know "congeal" isn't a noun, but I'm making it one: what we got was a cold bowl of congeal. The cheese was melted into a gloppy, tough, chewy mess about the consistency (and taste) of rubber cement. It LOOKED like scrambled eggs. There were about three tiny bits of sausage mixed in, but they were impossible to taste as they were locked forever in a capsule of ex-cheese. We were given tortillas to fill with the cheese (which necessitated the use of a knife and three hands), but couldn't handle more than a few bites.

She got the chicken fajitas (not very adventurous, she) and lamented the abscence of cheese. I asked how she could even THINK of cheese after our lamentable appetizer.

I finally took the plunge and ordered the king of burritos. Hot damn that was a good burrito. The beef was perfectly cooked and flavorful... literally melting in my mouth along with the rice and sauce and such. I was only able to finish a third of it... the rest of my stomach being full of chips and still mad at me for the cazuela de queso. Hot damn that was a big burrito. Larger than the physical size of most people's stomachs by an order of several magnitudes.

Service, as usual, was relatively robotic. They took the order, brought the food, filled the water. Nothing special.

It's apparently a delicate menu to tread... but once you hit something right, you'll definetely feel like the greatest archer in all the land.

[TSE]

I finally took the plunge and ordered the king of burritos.

I'm sure it was awesome, but there's something about getting a burrito that's delivered to you while sitting down at a "real restaurant" that just seems wrong to me.

[wineitup]

Guajillo is one of the few bright spots within walking distance of Rosslyn for lunch. Have always had good food there no matter what I ordered.

[hillvalley]

Two words for the next time you wake up hung over: Fish Tacos!!!!!!

[youngfood]

Two words for the next time you wake up hung over: Fish Tacos!!!!!!

Mmmm - love fish tacos! Have never had them here, but have been looking (unsuccessfully) for somewhere around DC to get some good ones. What are Guajillo's like?

[jwhite]

The "Mole Mole Mole" was very good - three huge pieces of chicken breast, each covered/cooked with a different variety of mole sauce (verde, poblano and negro de Oaxaca). All three were delicious - the poblano may have been my favorite by a narrow margin. I was told it included such unexpected [eta - to me - i'm sure they are traditional to the recipe] ingredients as peanuts, mango, and sesame seeds. The dish was accompanied by a simple rice with mixed vegetables, marinated red onions, and a salsa/chutney of sorts that I believe consisted of beets, pineapple, and maybe a few other things rendered unidentifiable by the fine dice and the redness from the beets. I made 2 more meals out of the leftovers if that gives any idea of the portion size.

Things may have changed slightly. I received what was at best an entire chicken breast in three pieces with three different sauces. However, I can confirm that the wildly non traditional ingredient of sesame seeds was present. Note that I dined on Sunday so that issue may the reason I was served something that even Rio Grande could have bested.

[porcupine]

However, I can confirm that the wildly non traditional ingredient of sesame seeds was present.

Really? Diana Kennedy includes sesame seeds in her recipe for mole poblano de guajolote in The Cuisines of Mexico, and mentions earlier in the book that they're used in some sauces and in baking. Not intending to start a flame war here, just genuinely interested in your knowledge of Mexican cuisine (my favorite).

[zoramargolis]

Really? Diana Kennedy includes sesame seeds in her recipe for mole poblano de guajolote in The Cuisines of Mexico, and mentions earlier in the book that they're used in some sauces and in baking. Not intending to start a flame war here, just genuinely interested in your knowledge of Mexican cuisine (my favorite).

Sesame seeds are very widely used in Oaxacan cuisine. They are ground into moles and also served sprinkled on top of anything served with mole negro, like tamales, enchiladas and tacos.

[jwhite]

Really? Diana Kennedy includes sesame seeds in her recipe for mole poblano de guajolote in The Cuisines of Mexico, and mentions earlier in the book that they're used in some sauces and in baking. Not intending to start a flame war here, just genuinely interested in your knowledge of Mexican cuisine (my favorite).

I was being facetious. Sorry if that did not convey.

[JimRice]

Biscuit Girl and I hit Guajillo for dinner a couple of weeks ago. I meant to post something here, but Biscuit Girl got something up on her blog quicker.

Biscuit Girl's Blog Item on Guajillo

Now, a question. Am I the only one who loves the carne asada there at Guajillo as much as I love the steaks at Ray's next door? It is awesome, tasty, reasonably tender, and with the grilled green onions and jalapeno, as spicy as you want it to be. Also, they have an excellent assortment of top-shelf tequilas. The sangria, while good, had too much liquor in it for my taste.

[Biscuit Girl]

The sangria, while good, had too much liquor in it for my taste.

Not me! *hic*

[DanCole42]

Traffic kept me from Ray's. Goat cheese quesadillas and roast duck with habanero reminded me why this is some of the best Mexican in the city: it seems like every dish here has a euphonic crunch to it - from the duck skin to the pleasant tortillas. I had my first churro, too (definitely a top five DC dessert).

[JAC13]

We had dinner at Guajillo on Wed. night- my chicken w/mole sauce was great as usual and the chocolate flan is one of the best desserts I have had an a longgg time anywhere in the city!!!

[Dave Pressley]

First trip to Guajillo last night. One of the best shrimp ceviches I'd had in a long time arrived first--extremely bright and acidic with tons of fresh lime, red onion and tomato. This ceviche isn't trying to be anything special, as I'm sure the whole thing had maybe 5 or 6 ingredients, but that's why it was sooo good and memorable. We also had the fried plantains, the fish tacos and the steak azteca, which were all fantastic, the best of which was the steak with a generous portion of flavorful rice and a small salad of crisp radishes, fresh greens, roasted beets and pickled red onions.

The trip was made special by our service. Marvin mixed up a fresh lemonade for my daughter and when he found out I wasn't afraid of hot sauce, he brought me some of the scotch bonnet salsa to try and a little more to take home. This stuff had a SEARING heat to it and had me sweating at the table, but it wasn't absent of good, charred tomatoey flavor. Great stuff! We'll be back frequently.

[JLK]

I dined with a coworker at Guajillo last night. I wanted RTS, but was denied so I walked into Guajillo, feeling a little guilty. This restaurant definitely isn't just a consolation prize or the RTS waiting area. I wish the decor were a bit fresher (the seats at tables...not so comfy, not so new) and that the server who helped us were every so slightly more charming, but food ranged from fine to seriously delicious. My margarita (rocks, salt) was served in a pint glass and packed a punch.

We shared queso con chorizo, along with chips and salsa. Emptied all of the dishes and bowls. Knowing that I'd have a heavy appetizer, I ordered the tamale appetizer while my coworker had an appetizer sampler plate. The tamales were fine, but I regretted not getting the carnitas when I tasted the bit on my friend's sampler plate.

I REALLY wanted the churros for dessert which were noted on the especialidades del casa part of the menu and asked for some. "No churros!" was the reply and I didn't feel like flan so I went home and to bed without dessert. Somewhere my trainer was doing the Happy Dance.

With three margaritas total (only one was mine; did I mention they're strong??), the shared queso and our two larger appetizers, the bill before tip was around $52/54, aka quite a deal.

[StephenB]

Pho 75 was closed for Ox Year, and we were a bit early for Hell Burger, so we bumbled into Guajillo for lunch today. We were glad we did. The tortilla soup was filling and comforting for a snowy day, with chicken, vegetables and dumplings. For dessert, I had the chocolate flan and she, abstemiously, the vanilla. If everyplace in Washington shut down except that tiny mall, we could eat quite well forever.

[DanCole42]

Still the best Mexican in the city.

It's never easy to pull me away from quesadillas or tacos or anything with their superbly charred tortillas, but the with the $17 Carnitas I felt pretty okay with my decision. All the tenderness and moistness of a good classical European braised beef short rib, yet with the dynamic Summer flavors of pork and Mexico. I'd hoped for some lime juice and avocado to bring some acid and cream to the table, but really taken with the pickled onions I was doing just fine.

It was served with a side of some of that diseased corn (the name of which is escaping me), cleverly wrapped in a tortilla so as to hide from Westerners the fact that it looks exactly like what it is: diseased corn.

Plus my wife got the $9 quesadillas, so I got my fix.

[FunnyJohn]

It was served with a side of some of that diseased corn (the name of which is escaping me), cleverly wrapped in a tortilla so as to hide from Westerners the fact that it looks exactly like what it is: diseased corn.

huitlacoche:

[DanCole42]

huitlacoche:

Yup. That's it. Apparently the English is Corn Smut. Do with that what you will.

[FunnyJohn]

Yup. That's it. Apparently the English is Corn Smut. Do with that what you will.

Better than Corn Porn

[zoramargolis]

Yup. That's it. Apparently the English is Corn Smut. Do with that what you will.

"However, in Mexico corn smut is called huitlacoche (IPA: [wit͡ɬakot͡ɕe], sometimes spelled cuitlacoche), a Nahuatl word reportedly meaning raven's excrement. It is considered a delicacy, even being preserved and sold for a higher price than corn. For culinary use, the galls are harvested while still immature — fully mature galls are dry and almost entirely spore-filled. The immature galls, gathered two to three weeks after an ear of corn is infected, still retain moisture and, when cooked, have a flavor described as mushroom-like, sweet, savory, woody, and earthy. Flavor compounds include sotolon and vanillin, as well as the sugar glucose."

Having never tasted raven's poop, I cannot compare them. However, huitlacoche is also referred to as "the truffles of the Aztecs." A few years ago, Moie Crawford of New Morning Farm had some and sold it to me for the same price she was selling her regular ears of corn, with a look of "Who would want to buy THAT?" on her face. We both came out of the encounter feeling that we had gotten a great deal. I did explain my interest, and they brought some for me a few more times. And was it ever good! There hasn't been any for the past few years, but when they see me, the New Morning crew still says: "Here comes the Smut Lady!"

[zoramargolis]

Still the best Mexican in the city.

I was there last night, too, Dan. Late, about 9 p.m. And I did enjoy my masitas de puerco. But I'm afraid I don't agree with your ranking. I think Oyamel is much better than Guajillo. Oyamel's spicing is more complex and subtle. They make tortillas from fresh masa--Guajillo's are freshly made, but from masa harina. I hated the "dry black beans" that came with my pork last night, and they brought me some refried beans instead, that tasted like they'd come out of a can. Oyamel's mole is much better than Guajillo's: Jonathan had chicken enchiladas with mole, which tasted primarily of cinnamon.

[DannyNoonan]

My wife and I have been regulars at Guajillo for years. We appreciate it both for what it is and what it is not:

It is:

Locally owned, friendly establishment with uncomplicated, unpretentious food and friendly service

It is not:

A chain, serving generic, mass-produced slop in a cheesy South of the Border-type atmosphere

Guajillo doesn't strive to be a fine dining establishment and thus doesn't achieve such heights. It does serve good drinks (sangria, margaritas, & cold Pacifico) and simply prepared Mexican staples (excellent salsa, good tortillas). I have ordered the fish tacos there probably fifty times and can rarely complain. The cabbage and fish are crisp, the crema is flavorful - all they need is a spritz of lime. Nothing complicated but really good.

Guajillo deserves better than to be considered a lounge for Hell Burger (I feel badly that it is seen as such). I'll continue to eat there and hope more people will do the same.

[Dave Pressley]

My wife and I have been regulars at Guajillo for years. We appreciate it both for what it is and what it is not:

It is:

Locally owned, friendly establishment with uncomplicated, unpretentious food and friendly service

It is not:

A chain, serving generic, mass-produced slop in a cheesy South of the Border-type atmosphere

Guajillo doesn't strive to be a fine dining establishment and thus doesn't achieve such heights. It does serve good drinks (sangria, margaritas, & cold Pacifico) and simply prepared Mexican staples (excellent salsa, good tortillas). I have ordered the fish tacos there probably fifty times and can rarely complain. The cabbage and fish are crisp, the crema is flavorful - all they need is a spritz of lime. Nothing complicated but really good.

Guajillo deserves better than to be considered a lounge for Hell Burger (I feel badly that it is seen as such). I'll continue to eat there and hope more people will do the same.

Couldn't agree with you more. I went for the first time about a year ago and really appreciated the simple cooking here (and I've been back many times since.) Those who haven't been should go!

[goodeats]

2 notes: 1. It was pretty packed tonight at around 6:30pm and I think, only 3 tables were empty by the time we left at around 7:45pm; and 2. The salsa here is not kid-friendly. I had forgotten - it has a great kick. Wish I had a camera to capture gebaby's priceless expression upon inhaling and then quickly spitting out the salsa-dipped chip. I also wished I had a camera to capture gebaby putting a little salt and pepper on each tortilla chip after to substitute as the "salsa." Priceless. Btw, only 1 other baby (around 6mos?) was in the establishment. The majority of the crowd made me feel a bit too old.

PS. I don't know if this is a new sign or not, but upon walking in this time, I noticed an 8.5"x11" sign taped to the door stating "Mexican Restaurant" with two chili peppers on each side. Found it interesting on what prompted the sign.

[DannyNoonan]

Ate at Guajillo again last night:

1. fish tacos - fantastic.

2. salsa - packed with smoky flavor and good amount of heat

3. guacamole - creamy & flavorful with lime and jalapeno

4. service - friendly & attentive

Incidentally, it did seem a bit more crowded at our usual time on a Saturday so maybe more people are wising up to Guajillo being good food.

[DonRocks]

I wasn't that hungry tonight, but I was craving Tex-Mex and hadn't been to Guajillo in awhile now. I walked in, took a seat at the bar, ordered a Negra Modelo, noticed this on the menu, and was overcome by curiosity:

New:::New::::New::::NEW
Rollo challenges you to take on "El Cachudo"
the biggest, baddest and hottest burro in la Casa
Filled with four types of meat, rice, beans, cheese and yummy voo-doo sauce
You finish it it's on us. That simple.

How big is it?

It's the biggest burrito I've ever seen in my life BY FAR.

Big enough so you say "Oh my GOD!" when you first see it.
Big enough so people stare when you're eating it.
Big enough so they give it to you for free if you finish it.

I won't say it's impossible, but picture a virgin having sex with John Holmes.

Cheers,
Rocks.

[dcs]

I wasn't that hungry tonight, but I was craving Tex-Mex and hadn't been to Guajillo in awhile now. I walked in, took a seat at the bar, ordered a Negra Modelo, noticed this on the menu, and was overcome by curiosity:

How big is it?

It's the biggest burrito I've ever seen in my life BY FAR.

Big enough so you say "Oh my GOD!" when you first see it.

Big enough so people stare when you're eating it.

Big enough so they give it to you for free if you finish it.

I won't say it's impossible, but picture a virgin having sex with John Holmes.

Cheers,

Rocks.

I believe that is the Fire Hydrant King of Wilson Boulevard.

[stickmoon]

It's the biggest burrito I've ever seen in my life BY FAR.

Don, say hi next time

Evilkim and I were sitting right behind you, at the table along the wall. That thing was HUGE!

[anza]

i'm a huge fan of the carne asada here. very tasty and a great value -- it can easily satisfy two if you preface with chips and salsa

can anyone deconstruct their hot sauce? smoky/charred flavor and absurdly hot! most curious about the almost creamy texture though -- i love it.

[Rovers2000]

A few friends and I were heading to Hell Burger on Saturday evening and ended up giving Guajillo a try. Upon sitting down I noticed the "eat it all and its free!" remark regarding the burrito so I took the plunge...

All I can say is that I actually laughed when it was dropped infront of me: 1. This might be one of the better deals around...at 15 dollars, I would say its the size of roughly 3.5-4 Chipotle burritos. 2. After some discussion with our waiter (who was great) apparently only 6 have actually finished it in the restaurant. Suprisingly the burrito (the 1/4 I ate there) was actually very good. While the hot sauce was supposed to be very spicy, I didn't think it that bad (although I love all things spicy). I got a kick out of the fact that since my leftovers were too big for a styrofoam container, they essentially give you a large foil pan to take the remains home.

Mine ended up providing an extra 3 meals...

[mdt]

A few friends and I were heading to Hell Burger on Saturday evening and ended up giving Guajillo a try. Upon sitting down I noticed the "eat it all and its free!" remark regarding the burrito so I took the plunge...

All I can say is that I actually laughed when it was dropped infront of me: 1. This might be one of the better deals around...at 15 dollars, I would say its the size of roughly 3.5-4 Chipotle burritos. 2. After some discussion with our waiter (who was great) apparently only 6 have actually finished it in the restaurant.

Maybe they are trying to get on Man vs. Food

[agm]

I know a guy out in California who regularly eats at some place (I can't recall the name) that serves 5lb burritos. He finishes them easily. He comes to this area occasionally, so maybe I'll send him to Guajillo next time he's in town.

Is there a time limit on the "eat it all and it's free!" offer?

[Rovers2000]

Is there a time limit on the "eat it all and it's free!" offer?

I asked and there is not.

And regarding the man vs. food...right before christmas there was a big run of all the episodes on the travel channel and there actually was one where he ate this giant burrito (I think at a Nascar themed place oddly enough). The burrito at Guajillo I would say is equal size to the one shown in that episode.

[mdt]

I know a guy out in California who regularly eats at some place (I can't recall the name) that serves 5lb burritos. He finishes them easily. He comes to this area occasionally, so maybe I'll send him to Guajillo next time he's in town.

Is there a time limit on the "eat it all and it's free!" offer?

Probably here. No surprise that Man vs. Food has been there.

[agm]

Probably here. No surprise that Man vs. Food has been there.

No, I just checked and it's a place called Hermanas Cafe (no web site) in Hilmar, CA, an hour or two east of San Jose. There's a video online of him eating an 8.5lb burrito there.

[Ericandblueboy]

I guess this is an admission that I watch Man vs. Food. Adam Richman did go to Iguana in San Jose but that was not the Man vs. Food challenge for the episode.

Iguana’s Burritozilla

Adam stops in to attack the Burritozilla -- a monster 17-inch burrito weighing in at 5 pounds.

Address: 330 South 3rd Street, Suite A, San Jose, CA 95112

SmokeEaters

Adam braves the Hellfire Challenge -- a dozen wings drenched in a sauce so lethal, it isn’t even on the menu.

Address: 2565 The Alameda, Santa Clara, CA 95050

[Joe H]

I guess this is an admission that I watch Man vs. Food. Adam Richman did go to Iguana in San Jose but that was not the Man vs. Food challenge for the episode.

Fifteen or so years ago I ran into the "USA Today Chimichanga" at El Charro in Tucson. http://www.elcharrocafe.com/menus/elc_dinnermenu_2009.pdf It was a little bit bigger than a fireplace log and remarkably good despite being eight or so inches thick in the middle. I ate about a third of it.

I'm certain that Guajillo is trying to capitalize on Man vs. Food-a lot of places are. But I believe that El Charro was the first to do something like this and I doubt that many (burrito/enchilada or chimichanga) will taste as good as their's did.

[DonRocks]

A few friends and I were heading to Hell Burger on Saturday evening and ended up giving Guajillo a try. Upon sitting down I noticed the "eat it all and its free!" remark regarding the burrito so I took the plunge...

All I can say is that I actually laughed when it was dropped infront of me: 1. This might be one of the better deals around...at 15 dollars, I would say its the size of roughly 3.5-4 Chipotle burritos. 2. After some discussion with our waiter (who was great) apparently only 6 have actually finished it in the restaurant. Suprisingly the burrito (the 1/4 I ate there) was actually very good. While the hot sauce was supposed to be very spicy, I didn't think it that bad (although I love all things spicy). I got a kick out of the fact that since my leftovers were too big for a styrofoam container, they essentially give you a large foil pan to take the remains home.

Mine ended up providing an extra 3 meals...

A bit more on that burrito:

I purposely didn't include a photo, or specific descriptors, because I wanted to leave a bit of intrigue in my original posting. But now that the size has been quantified, I'll add that I put my forearm on the table, right in front of (and parallel to) the burrito, and it was the length of the distance between my elbow and the end of my clenched fist, and it was almost the circumference of my clenched fist. It came with guacamole, pico de gallo, and sour cream on the same plate.

I ate nearly half of it, but I had it with a chip in each bite (I enjoy the c-r-u-n-c-h of tortilla chips with my burritos), the condiments, and a beer. I told the bartender when I ordered that I wasn't planning on finishing, so I ate it leisurely and tried to enjoy it, knowing in advance that I was going to be taking some home (which I did, in a huge, rectangular, aluminum heating pan with an aluminum top).

I'm telling big eaters out there: Polishing this thing off is indeed doable; for me, it would take an hour of weightlifting, followed by some aerobic exercise, and arriving at the restaurant ravenous - and even then, it would just about kill me. I'm certain that when I was in my teens and twenties, I've eaten more than this at Thanksgiving dinner. Hell, I ate two-and-a-half large pizzas in college at a buffet (30 pieces!). I can also understand how the average person could look at this monster and think that it was humanly impossible.

It's fairly spicy, but the heat will not be the determining factor.

One piece of advice: Because I knew I was going to have leftovers, I neatly started at one end, and worked my way across - like the earwig in Night Gallery. However, they appear to ladle the four meats (chicken, pork, beef, lamb) in different sections of the burrito, and so last night I only got a taste of the chicken and pork - if you want to experience El Cachudo en todo, you need to dive right into the middle, and go on a hunt for the four different meats; serious contenders will probably go end-to-end.

Cheers,

Rocks.

[dcs]

I'm certain that Guajillo is trying to capitalize on Man vs. Food-a lot of places are.

I think that this item has been on the menu for many years, certainly prior to Man vs. Food. They used to call it the fire hydrant, or something like that. I do not recall the "eat it and it's free" offer, though. Maybe that's the nod to Adam Richman.

BTW, I think Guajillo is possibly the loudest restaurant to which I have ever been. Not sure why that is; must be something about the acoustics of the room.

[DonRocks]

I think that this item has been on the menu for many years, certainly prior to Man vs. Food. They used to call it the fire hydrant, or something like that. I do not recall the "eat it and it's free" offer, though. Maybe that's the nod to Adam Richman.

BTW, I think Guajillo is possibly the loudest restaurant to which I have ever been. Not sure why that is; must be something about the acoustics of the room.

It's a new item. In the past, their biggest burrito (or "burro," as they call them) was called El Burro Burron, and was billed as "The King of Wilson Boulevard." I've ordered it a couple of times, and could finish it without difficulty.

[dcs]

It's a new item. In the past, their biggest burrito (or "burro," as they call them) was called El Burro Burron, and was billed as "The King of Wilson Boulevard." I've ordered it a couple of times, and could finish it without difficulty.

I tried to figure out where I came up with that "fire hydrant" name, and look where Google led me. Ha! Just up-thread a few years.

That's the name of the burrito there. It's the size of a fire hydrant. I was going to say as big as a can of Scrubbing Bubbles, but it's really bigger.

[DannyNoonan]

It had been way too long since we had been back to Guajillo but having a second kid will do that. We went back Sat night and enjoyed our meals like we always have. The guacamole had the zip of jalapeno and lime with the crunch of red onion. One of the better guacamole offerings in the area. Their chips were quite tasty as well - salty, crunchy, but not greasy. The salsa had a nce amount of heat as well as the usual smoky tomato flavor that I have come to expect. My usual order - fish tacos - offered three nicely fried breaded fish filets, warm and soft flour tortillas, and crunchy cabbage. I usually throw in a spoonful of guacamole and find that provides the optimal combination of flavors and textures. I found the accompanying refried beans and rice a bit on the salty side, which was unusual, but otherwise a fine meal. My wife enjoyed her shrimp fajitas, as usual, as did my older daughter and her cheese quesadilla. Sangria to wash the whole thing down made it an enjoyable evening and made me remember why this place was in our regular rotation before.

[jwhite]

Stopped by for an early dinner. As mentioned upthread the chips, salsa, and guacamole were all very good. The salsa was probably a touch salty when taken in the admittedly large quantities I favor but that's a minor quibble. I don't recall it previously being on the menu but the taconaza was an easy pick. Five tacos: one each of pork, beef, chicken, lamb, and fish. All were good with the lamb being one of the best tacos I've eaten in recent memory. The beef (steak) was underseasoned and the worst of a very good bunch.

[SeanMike]

I got the same thing as jwhite - the taconazo. I'm glad he said lamb, that was the one I couldn't identify.

Only one I didn't like, really, was the fish. Just didn't hit it for me. The beef, I think, was the one that was too dry for my tastes, though lime and salsa helped. The rest were quite tasty.

Had a couple of tequilas while I was there - and had the great joy in watching someone try the habanero salsa for the first time, and have it kick their butt. I love it, and meant to order it, but put it off too long and was too full to eat it by that time.

I hadn't been there in almost 18 months (it was the last place I ate before going to Seoul in August of 2009, so yeah, almost exactly that long) but man, I love the friendly service there and the good food.