Mexican Food in Bend

We keep it Real here at Le Smoosh. We're so in the realness it hurts. We have nothing but mundane mind-numbing everyday shit to talk about here ... you can't get any more salt-of-the-earth than that.



I was commenting to a friend the other day that I liked Baja Fresh ... and this friend is knowledgeable about Mexican food ... and she was surprised at my choice. She wanted to talk about the Taco Stand and Rico's Tacos and so on.

Look ... Baja Fresh is a chain, yes. And it's nice and clean and well lit, yes. But honestly, it's the third best Mexican food in town behind La Rosa, Hola', and perhaps El Burrito. Notably, it's managed and staffed by 100% real Mexicans. And most of the clientele seems to be brown as well.

Don't talk to me about Taco Stand, Super Burrito, T. Jalapenos or Rigobertos ... they're all super cheap nasty NASTY joints. Perhaps Taco Stand achieves first world status, but they're simply tortillas from a bag and beans from a can, nothing added. Listen ... carne asada means GRILLED MEAT. Not fried meat. Not fried chunks of super low budget meat. Anyplace that serves fried meat and calls it carne asada is just a total joke. Those places have zero pride. None. Their salsas are totally out of a can. Baja Fresh uses no cans, no freezers, no microwaves.

Don't talk to me about Longboard Louie's ... give me a break. No way. Teenagers making food is all that is. I'd rather eat at Parilla and that's saying something. That place has no concept of the details.

El Caporal and all the other family Mexican places in town besides La Rosa and perhaps Hola ... total shite. Edible, but they better be for the price. Totally overpriced considering that 90% of the menu consists of: choice of meat, choice of tortilla, fried or not fried, choice of sauce, and standard sides (rice beans guac, sc, etc). And none of it ever tastes *good* ... it's all just ... decent.

Rico's Tacos might be the real deal taco truck experience, but I guarantee u they cut every corner imaginable. Perhaps they make authentic decent taco truck food, but they're still using the cheapest possible ingredients.

Hola is #1 ... La Rosa is #2 ... and Baja Fresh is clearly #3 ... depending on whether or not u like El Burrito.

Here's what Baja Fresh does right: good salsa bar that includes a few salsas (including a fire roasted black poblano salsa) and peppers and fresh cilantro ... good meats that are GRILLED ... several kinds of tacos and burritos ... the perfect prep on tortillas (flat top with some oil, always perfectly warm and soft) ... decent salads and sides and chips and soups and it's CHEAP and their fountain machine actually works correctly.

Lets face it ... a lot of times it comes down to the salsa (that's where El Burrito falls short). La Rosa would be less of a restaurant if it weren't for their excellent chipotle salsa and always perfectly fresh chips. And meats. Baja Fresh's chicken is all white meat grilled nicely ... tender ... yummy. Their Baja fish taco is pretty decent. Even their tortilla soup isn't bad and you're in and out of there in 20 minutes for $5-7 with considerably better food than most of the other places in town.

Now ... I dislike corporate chains as much as the next guy ... but ... this joint is getting it right and you know, that's also important, isn't it? I mean, I'd rather have quality fresh grilled chicken rather than fried mystery cuts. Your aversion for corporate chains shouldn't result in you eating crap. It should be about the food, not just about being down with the little guy, right? I mean, long live the little guy but it's really whether he or she can make a decent taco.

This while I sit here eating a Totino's pizza. It's great being a Gemini! :)