Los Trigales is a new Mexican restaurant in town with an unimpressive building but very impressive food.
Los Trigales is located on Race Street in the same shopping strip as Daylight Donuts. If you are driving down Race Street and pass Mi Pueblito, you have gone too far and must journey backward to taste the food at this delightful establishment. Or just plug the address into your GPS: 1404 E. Race Ave.
The first glance of the building will cause questions about quality of the restaurant as a whole, but do not be deterred. Los Trigales just opened and needs some time to fully develop. There is now a sign out front, and menus laminated to bring peace of mind to the less adventurous eater.
When I first walked into the restaurant a very nice hostess and a lot of empty space in the still-developing front room greeted me. I was quickly led into the rest of the building with the two girls I was dining with, and we were shown to a small table on the side of a large orange room. The decor of the building was simple, and that never bothers me; why do you need a bunch of clutter just to enjoy your food anyway?
Upon seating we were given the menus, which we had heard on rumor were handwritten so, to find nicely color printed and laminated menus set before us was a pleasant surprise.Looking over the menu the first thing I noticed were the prices and how low they were; $1.25 for a taco, 75 cents for a side of beans and $10 for a full fajita plate. I thought I could handle that.
After scanning for a minute and asking the waitress for her opinion, I chose to the tacos because the ingredients listed were simple; one taco with a meat of your choice, cilantro, onion and Mexican salsa. Perfect. I ordered one pork taco, one chicken taco and one tamale, because they are my favorite. The meats were listed on the menu in Spanish, which to me speaks to the authenticity of the food.
Not long after I had ordered, my plate was brought out and the portions were a good size. I knew it would fill me but not make me want to explode.
The tacos had a rich flavor that was super fresh. They were delicious with corn tortillas, meat with fresh cilantro and onions made for the perfect combination, and a green sauce was added on the side for a little kick. The tamale was full of flavor, but not too spicy, and the corn shell was not too thick or too thin, which can be a problem. It was topped, not smothered, in a red sauce that tasted strongly of chili powder.
The water in my cup never ran dry for long, relief to those who may have spice problems, and there was dessert. Dessert consisted of sweet breads that are brought in everyday. Although I would recommend waiting until the bread is fresh for a sweet fix.
I have to say I eat a lot of Mexican food and Los Trigales is one of the best I have had, mainly because of its simple use of fresh ingredients, minimal sauce and good combinations. I highly recommend Los Trigales.
