NOTING THE comfortable thrum of chatter behind the veil of sizzling meats and spices, I walked through the doorway and was greeted by multiple cheery hosts who led me to a well-lit booth on the left side of the spacious restaurant. Waiters and waitresses flitted around until one dropped two colorful menus on our table. The menu had as many options as you would expect from a booming business. Dotted with dozens of pictures, it is not an understatement when I say that I wanted to try a bit of everything.
For starters, the choriqueso — a superbly seasoned, creamy cheese dip topped with spicy chorizo — held its spot as the leader of the show. I dipped every fresh, hot chip into the choriqueso, alternating between it and the deliciously tangy salsa that appeared alongside it.
Before long, a steaming hot plate of birria tacos sat below my vision. My fingers were dripping with strikingly red consommé as I ate in a rhythm: open the taco, cover it in as much onion and cilantro as possible, hit it with a squeeze of lime, and dunk it in the steaming broth on the side. Each taco spilled over with strips of melt-in-your-mouth beef and gooey cheese. Nothing could break the connection between a girl and her taco at that moment.
Eventually, I broke contact with the birria tacos and decided to taste the taco salad fajita across from me. With its contents of perfectly seasoned chicken and steak, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, guacamole, and cheese sauce all inside a crispy flour tortilla, those bites of the taco salad were a fresh break from the steaming heat of the birria tacos.
Whether you’re a local resident or a traveler passing through, a visit to El Molcajete is an experience not to be missed. GN