Benito's

10/25/09

Authentic Mexican

by iamscary at Citysearch

Husband and I went to Benito's for lunch one (late) afternoon. It was probably around 4 p.m., so the place was empty. We were greeted warmly by a gentleman who took our drink order and the waitress who took our food order was very polite. Warm corn tortillas and pico de gallo were immediately brought to the table. I saw chips and salsa listed on the menu and seeing as how they weren't automatically brought to the table like most Mexican restaurants, I ordered them, but I'm not sure if that's the norm. Both the pico and the salsa were blazing hot! I can usually withstand a good bit of heat, but these were quite spicy. They could have dialed back the heat just a bit, but both the pico and salsa were very good. Next came a small bowl of what I assume was tortilla soup. It was a thin, mild tomato soup. Nothing outstanding about it, but it was decent with the warm tortillas. I ordered the taco combo, which included a shredded beef, ground beef and "Mexican style" soft taco. Somehow I received 2 shredded beef tacos rather than a ground beef one, but as soon as I ate one of them, I didn't mind at all! The "Mexican style" taco was what I would describe as Mexican beef stew wrapped in a flour tortilla. Shredded beef with tomatoes and chunks of potato with a little of the jus or gravy to keep it moist. The other two tacos were topped with a spicy tomatillo salsa and fresh cilantro. The beef was very tender and juicy. I would guess they braise the meat, lending a wonderful flavor. The rice and beans were pretty standard. I can't comment on my husband's entree, as he ate everything before I could try it! Overall, good food that seems close to authentic Mexican. I plan to go back and try the mole.

• Pros: Good service, good food