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How do the self-billed “fresh Mexican grill” chains stack up? To find out, I sampled tacos (chicken, steak and/or fish), vegetarian burritos, rice, beans, chips, salsas and a wild card item at each of four popular outlets. Prices are about the same — each place will fill you up for under ten bucks — but taste and quality vary. While none can really boast authentic Mexican fare, their Baja-inspired, Southern Californian-influenced hybrid cuisine is justified in its popularity.
LA SALSA: (12408 Ventura Blvd. near Radford, Studio City, 818/760-0797; also Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Westwood). La Salsa is a place to get take out, as there’s minimal décor and not much seating. But the salsa bar begs you to dip the crunchy chips, offering a mild green salsa verde, fire-roasted chile, refreshing avocado, pico di gallo (diced tomato, onion and cilantro), and sweet, chunky mango. Chicken tacos are consistently good: grilled, diced skinless chicken breast is seasoned with lime, topped with shredded lettuce and rolled in soft corn tortillas. Forget the steak tacos, as the meat’s tough. Orange-tinted Mexican rice is decent, but pick whole black beans over blah refried pintos. The meal-in-itself vegetarian California burrito is stuffed with black beans, white rice, guacamole, melted cheese, and pico di gallo, wrapped in a flour tortilla that never gets gummy. The cheese quesadilla’s a winner too, with sour cream and creamy guacamole. POQUITO MAS: (2635 W. Olive, Burbank, 818/563-2252; also Studio City, Sunset Plaza, West LA, coming soon to Warner Bros.’ Commissary). A visit to Poquito’s popular Burbank outlet was surprisingly disappointing. Overcooked, rubbery, fishy-smelling fish in the fish tacos had clearly been sitting around. The meat in the steak taco was vaguely pot-roast-like and overly chewy. The chicken taco was better: skinless grilled white meat came in generous chunks. Refried beans and rice were bland. The veggie burrito was just okay: its filling included the aforementioned refried beans and decent guacamole. A “maschilada,” which I got with cheese filling, proved indistinguishable from an enchilada, and came in a too-thick corn tortilla doused in red sauce, topped with yet more cheese. Seating is packed at lunch and the parking lot’s tiny, so call ahead and pick up. BAJA FRESH: (10768 Venice Blvd., Culver City, 310/280-0644; also Burbank, Studio City, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, West L.A., Santa Monica, coming soon to Hollywood). This chain, with a light and airy branch near Sony, takes “fresh” seriously, bragging that they use no freezers, microwaves, can openers, lard, or MSG. Everything I ate was good, and some of it was excellent. Bite-sized, grilled white meat chicken is featured in the chicken taco and chicken ensalada, the latter served on romaine lettuce with sliced tomatoes, sprinkled cheese, and low fat but flavorful salsa verde dressing. This is one place I’d order steak tacos again: the beef’s good quality, nicely char-broiled. The grilled vegetarian burrito is terrific, stuffed with roasted red peppers, black beans, chilis, onions, cheese, sour cream, pico di gallo and salsa Baja (roasted chile). Pinto and black beans are served whole; pale orange rice offers a cooling contrast to hotter salsas. The salsa bar here offers the salsa Baja as well as salsa verde, one labeled spicy (it is), and pico di gallo; chips are crisp, not greasy. WAHOO’S FISH TACO: (11911 Wilshire Blvd., West LA, 310/445-5990; also Mid-Wilshire). Wahoo’s was started by three Chinese brothers who emigrated here from Brazil, became avid surfers on trips to Baja, and decided to recreate the food at home. Decor is surfer and skate-boarder themed; it’s a fun place to hang. Wahoo’s leads when it comes to its signature: the fish is excellent quality, char-grilled, white flaky ono (a.k.a. “wahoo”), served on corn tortillas, dressed with chopped cabbage and pico di gallo that has a kick. Tacos come with addictive Ahi rice (white rice deftly seasoned with flecks of parsley, not fish, despite the name), and your choice of beans. My pick: Cajun white beans, a spicy change of pace. The veggie burrito, with teriyaki-sautéed red peppers, black beans, and mushrooms, may not be very Mexican, but it’s plenty tasty. Don’t miss beer-batter fried, sweet Maui onion rings. Chips and salsa are standard-issue, but most other items are stellar. |
