By Tony Cheong
When it comes to Mexican food, I don't want to be pandered to.
Give me a dish just like you'd get at a popular place in Mexico City, or a friend's house in Jalisco, or even from a clean vendor in Tijuana.
And that's just what we got at Sabroso! Mexican Grill in Garden Grove.
In order to stay objective, I never check out the Yelp reviews of a restaurant before I review it (I will, however, ask locals their opinions). But sometimes I do check out Yelp after I've eaten, to read what locals think, mostly.
By Tony Cheong
When it comes to Mexican food, I don't want to be pandered to.
Give me a dish just like you'd get at a popular place in Mexico City, or a friend's house in Jalisco, or even from a clean vendor in Tijuana.
And that's just what we got at Sabroso! Mexican Grill in Garden Grove.
In order to stay objective, I never check out the Yelp reviews of a restaurant before I review it (I will, however, ask locals their opinions). But sometimes I do check out Yelp after I've eaten, to read what locals think, mostly.
So this one jumped out at me after arriving home from Sabroso! with a bloated belly and sitting at the computer: " I had the carne asada plate with beans and Mexican rice. Also had a victoria michelada. I'm 100 percent Mexican and this place is really authentic, so if you're in the mood for some AUTHENTIC Mexican food, this is the place for you!"
That was written by a guy who goes by Jesus G. I thought: I couldn't have said it better myself.
Of course, I couldn't have said it at all. I'm not 100 percent Mexican. In fact, I'm zero percent Mexican.
But I can give my opinion anyway, so here goes.
We ordered the popular carne asada plate, a carnitas taco and a vegetarian burrito.
The carne asada plate — a build-your-own-taco dish with everything you need for the building — comes with a side of rice and beans.
When it comes to such a dish, let's face it: quality lettuce, tomato, guacamole and sour cream aren't hard to find. My question is this: How's the beef? That's what makes or breaks a carne asada plate.
Answer: It's obvious that Sabroso! buys top-notch steak — no moving parts for this signature dish — and grills and seasons the meat to near-perfection. I know many folks like to buy, bag and eat later, but I'll tell you what Mexicans tell me: it's best to eat the carne asada right off the grill.
The plate also comes with cactus and onion.
The carnitas soft-shell taco was top notch. One suggestion for Sabroso!: make it bigger. Had it been so, I'd have ordered another for $2.95.
My friend raved about the veggie burrito. The sauce, she said, had hints of hickory and citrus. The burrito is huge (nearly a foot long) and lard free.
Lastly, I have to give a shout-out to the salsa into which we dipped warm chips. It's delicious!
Back to Yelp. The company recently named its top 100 eateries in the country. A handful from Orange County made the list, and only one was Mexican-style: Sabroso!
