Today we went to a little place we've been trying to go to for a long time!!
Hello, again. My dad and I, and sometimes my mom comes along too, have been going out on the town to find some of the best not so popular cheap eats, mostly family-owned, restaurants that we can find. We go out almost every day, finding some new little place, or big place, to tell you about and review the food and prices.
Many times me my dad and I would see a tiny building with people eating outside, though we were never quite sure if it was a restaurant or a house, and every time we’d pass by it was coming home from already having lunch, so we never stopped. But then one day we saw signs pop up, so we knew it was some sort of restaurant, and definitely wanted to try it! However, every time we left to go visit them it was around 2 or 3, since that’s when we have lunch, and they would either be closed, out of food for the day, or closing. Today we came back, once again at around 3. The woman was about to close, and she only had milanesa left, but seeing how many times we came and how enthused we were to try it, she decided she’d stay open a little bit longer just for us. The little place is called Taqueria Los Compadres, and is located on Av. Puerto Las Peñas 576 in Ramblases; and the longitude latitude location is 20.629265580073337, -105.20837306574276.
The owner of this restaurant, Nataly, started off by only serving comida corrida out of her house, and she only offered take-out. She’s a single mother of four, with children aged 3, 8, 10, and 13. She began serving food to be able to take care of her kiddos, but people really liked her food, and she liked serving and making it, so two months ago she decided to open up a restaurant, where people can come in and sit down. In the morning, everyday except Thursday, at 8 am, she opens up for comida corrida, which costs $75 pesos, and breakfasts starting as cheap as $35 pesos and going up to $55 pesos, until 3 in the afternoon. Then, she goes home a few blocks away and spends some time doing “mom” things, or taking a quick nap if at all possible, and a few hours later she goes back to the restaurant. From 7 pm-12:30 pm she opens up and serves tacos, quesadillas, volcans, and Mexican snacks, such as enchiladas, sopes, tostadas, and gorditas. And if her kids aren’t in school, they’re there with her, and are more than happy to help. Especially the 8-year-old, since she’s always so bouncy and happy looking, probably excited to be a big enough girl to be helping out her mom.
Like I said before, Nataly was almost closing, and she only had milanesa left, but we didn’t mind at all. Actually it was super delicious, and the plate was gorgeous! The milanesa was very juicy, and not dry, yet the crust was very crisp and crunchy. Also, it was perfectly seasoned, and even though normally I add a bit of salt and pepper to my milanesa, I didn’t need to add any here! Also, it didn’t only have a good amount of salt and pepper, but it had other spices as well, and was really delicious. The beans were really good too, and the cheese was obviously a good quality cotija. The rice was also full of flavor, and perfectly cooked. The salad on the side was really pretty, with an avocado that was delicately curved when sliced, which is just one more detail that she made sure was perfect. I mean, if you were cooking for yourself or family at home, would you put in the extra effort to make everything look so nice?
After we had lunch, my dad decided he wanted to come back in the evening, to taste her tacos. And, we did! I got two asada, or steak, tacos, and I put guacamole and a spicy green sauce on them. The tortilla was handmade and had a strong corn flavor, which I think anyone can appreciate, and the steak was grilled to perfection and had a great beefy flavor ! It was quite tender, and had plenty of fat, which means it was also juicy and had lots of flavor!
Now, back to lunch, the first thing my dad noticed was how pretty she made the plate, since most comida corrida places just plop out spoonfulls of beans and rice next to your tacos, yet these plates were arranged with care and wiped at the edges, so it was very clean. Also, when my dad tasted the chicken he was quite surprised at how fresh the oil was, and how you could taste it wasn’t stale. And the chicken, event though it was crunchy, was still tender, because she obviously knows how to properly cook. Again, this shows her passion for food and for her family.
Both my dad and my mom got three asada tacos each, and they both thought that they were really good! Sometimes carne asada has more of a dry or roast beef flavor, yet these had real, juicy, thick steak flavor. My mom says the strong beefy flavor reminds her of Black Angus steak. My dad really liked the steak too, and agrees that it had great flavor, but he really loves his sauces and salsas, and she had a good variety of them. In one of them, which had roasted tomatoes, he could very clearly taste the roasted-ness.
Los Compadres, like I said, is very small, and there are only a couple tables, so most of her orders are to go. Though, if you get a chance to come there and sit, I totally recommend it. It’s nice to be able to be there and see the family working together. And the little girl, who’s super bubbly, will run around delivering food within a couple blocks, or going to the store across the street for anything her mom needs, her little pony tail bouncing along with her. My dad was also playing peekaboo with the youngest boy, as he was running around and hiding behind doors. In the end, Los Compadres is a really good family place with really good food, and it’s also fun to see the family working happily together!!
Los Compadres' Phone Number & WhatsApp: 322 294 5339
If you enjoyed this article, and would like to recommend a place that you know about, then please let me know. Or, if you are an owner yourself of a place that you would like to see written about, contact me.
And to see the rest of my food reviews go to the Dining Out section here in Vallarta Bay Times.