Las Delicias January 22, 2012

Las Delicias is a family owned and run mexican restaurant in East Memphis.  It’s great food, relaxed atmosphere, smiling faces are trying very hard to win that spot of “Favorite Mexican Restaurant” in my heart.

 

I have been to Las Delicias a handful of times, and I have never had a bad experience.  It has become my go-to mexican joint in town.  First, they have the absolute best guacamole in the city.  It is made fresh to order for everyone.  Unlike most places where it is a solid green goop, their guacamole is chunks of fresh avocado, tomato, onion, and cilantro.  They serve it with their chips, which are hands down the best tortilla chips in the city.  Thick, crispy, buttery, flaky, and always hot, they can never disappoint.  If this does not convince you, many local groceries and stores, like Miss Cordelias, have started selling their chips and guac.  That means something, right?

 

They also have killer margaritas.  I do not know what they put in their standard margarita to make it better than most, but they do something for sure.  I could suck down 8 of these, if you let me (please don’t).  If you are not incredibly hungry, I highly suggest stopping by here at least for a margarita and some guacamole as a snack.

 

This time, Scott and I stopped in for a full-on dinner.  We got chips and salsa to start, as is typical with every mexican restaurant.  The chips were “delicias”, as always.  The salsa is sweet with a hint of kick.

 

 

Then we, of course, ordered guacamole.  Scott got a margarita, which he let me sip on a little.

 

 

 

For his dinner, Scott ordered the Fajitas Alambre, which is “Grilled steak, green pepper, onion, bacon and cheese with 7 small corn tortillas”.  They were full of flavor, and I love that the tortillas are small enough to fit in the palm of your hand.  It makes them easier to load up, and overall, you get a better filling-to-tortilla ratio.

 

I ordered a pork tamale, chicken tamale, rice, and beans.  I knew I was not going to be able to eat it all, but I was anxious to have leftovers for lunch the next day.  Las Delicias has awesome tamales, and I order at least one every time I go.  They have a thick layer of masa, which is always very moist.  The beans are typical refried beans, but they have freshly grated cheese on top.  The rice is very fancy is display and very moist in texture.  It is also full of flavor.

 

 

 

 

Overall, Las Delicias is a guaranteed great meal.  I have never had anything I did not like.  The chips, guacamole, and margaritas are enough to make a consistent customer.  All of the extra yumminess is just a bonus.  Another bonus? The incredibly cheap prices.  You can dine on a budget with no sweat.  If you have never been there, you need to go. Right now.  Seriously, they do not close until 9pm, so you have plenty of time.

 

Las Delicias does not have any official website or social media pages.  However, you can find reviews at Yelp, Urbanspoon, and Trip Advisor.  You can find their menu on Marks Menus.  To prove me right even more, you can find more awesome write-ups from I Love Memphis, Dining With Monkeys, and The Memphis Flyer.

 

 

Central BBQ October 17, 2011

As a Memphian, I have had my share of amazing and also terrible barbecue.  Whenever I am not in the mood to try something different and all I want is to go somewhere I know the ‘cue is going to be solid and always good, I head down the street to Central BBQ. Central is a local staple in Memphis, and the consensus seems to be all positive. Obviously, there are many rivals in Memphis for the best barbecue, and everyone has their favorite. However, Central BBQ seems to be at the top of most Memphians’ lists.

My favorite barbecue meals are a pulled pork sandwich and barbecue nachos. Any place that can tackle these two items is a gold medal winner in my heart. Central BBQ has the best of both of these.

This particular time I was at Central, I met my friend Amber for a lunch date to celebrate her upcoming birthday. We got there a bit after the lunch rush, and the place seemed very peaceful. Central BBQ is not a hole-in-the-wall joint, but it does have your relaxed, casual atmosphere down pat. It’s like going to eat at Grandma’s.

Amber ordered the pulled pork plate with beans and macaroni and cheese. She claims that Central BBQ has the mac-n-cheese that you just cannot master at home. You know, the thick, creamy, rich kind. She let me try them, and yes she was definitely right. This mac-n-cheese was great.

I ordered a similar meal this time I was there.  I got the pulled pork plate with beans and greens.

I was a bit curious to try something different this time, so I also ordered the tamales. They had obviously just started serving them, as I noted by the signs around the store. With my love for tamales, I know I had to try them.

Overall, our pulled pork plates were amazingly delicious. The pork was juicy and tender, so much that I barely had to chew. You know you have the good melt-in-your-mouth barbecue when you barely have to use your teeth.

The tamales, on the other hand, were not my favorite. They were pretty dry and fell completely apart when I opened them. I was left with a dry, clumpy mess.

Central BBQ is still on the top of my list for BBQ joints in Memphis. Stick to what they do best and leave the rest for the others.

For more information about Central BBQ, visit their website (where you can also order online and have it shipped to you!). You can also check out their Facebook page, Yelp, or Urbanspoon.

Boscos Squared April 28, 2011

When making a mental list of everything I wanted to say about Boscos, I eventually had to stop myself knowing that no reader wants to read a novel on why Boscos is so great. Let me first start off by saying that I was raised around Boscos. It is possibly my parents’ favorite place to eat and grab a beer in town. My cousin was the brewmaster for years, before opening up his own amazing restaurant in East Tennessee. My aunt and uncle named their dog Bosco. My dad is friends with Any Feinstone. Boscos is a part of my family.

Trying to be completely unbaised toward Boscos is very hard for me, yet at the same time I hold a very high expectation for them. They have never let me down.

It’s pretty safe to say that I Love Boscos. Did I mention we are getting a keg of Ghost River beer for my graduation party? I feel this is a present enough.

This particular time I was at Boscos, it was a stormy night. Scott and I, along with friends Laura and Casey, camped out for a while to await the passing of the storms. We all ordered beer, as Boscos has some of the best brews in town. I highly recommend the Midtown Brown, for all of you brown ale lovers.

We then proceeded to order a ridiculous amount of food. Casey and Laura ordered a Spinach and Artichoke Dip as an appetizer. Scott and I got fried calamari and the Chesapeake Pizza. This pizza is one of my favorite things on the menu.

Casey and Laura then split the Pollo Diablo Pizza. Scott got the Seared Ahi Tuna Salad. I got the Black Bean and Goat Cheese Tamale, my other favorite menu item.

I also highly recommend the Fried Artichoke Hearts and Parmesan Garlic Fries. These fries are not on the menu, but they can make them. VERY worth it!

I don’t know what Boscos does to their food to make it so delicious, but they have a secret way of blending spices and flavor like no one else. This menu has become my comfort food.

Four short days later, I found myself back at Boscos after a show at Minglewood Hall. Erin was craving their pizza, and I never say no to this place. She got the Chesapeake, and I ordered the Wood Oven Shrimp. This light appetizer, cooked in a skillet with butter, could not have been any better.

To find out more about Boscos, visit their website or Facebook page. You can also find more reviews on Yelp, Urbanspoon, and Google Maps.

Pancho’s February 19, 2011

Pancho’s is a staple in Memphis. Most Memphians have memories of eating here. I remember growing up and going to Pancho’s with my mom. We would rave over their special sauce they put on the food. We always had a container of the cheese dip in our house, as they sell it in all of the local Kroger grocery stores. My mom has memories of growing up with a friend, whose mom worked for Pancho’s and kept the house stocked with container-upon-container of dip. This was obviously the cool house to hang out at.

What is in Pancho’s cheese dip that makes it so good? I do not know the exact recipe, but I would love to dig deeper and find it! There must be some secret, addictive ingredient. I have watched my boyfriend polish off an entire container in one sitting.

Pancho’s has a couple of locations in Memphis, but I recently went to the one on South Perkins, close to American Way. The location on Summer is a sit-down restaurant, where they bring each table a bowl of cheese dip after being seated(!!). The South Perkins location is more fast food. They have tables, but it is counter service and has a drive through.

They have every dish you could hope for at a Mexican restaurant. I ordered one chicken taco, one tamale, and a small cheese dip (of course). I am a bit of a tamale snob, so I can say that I have had better tamales. However, the taco was excellent, and the cheese dip was as well (obviously). When you eat here, the thought of it being fast food does not even cross your mind, and this is coming from a girl who avoids fast food at every possible turn. Not to mention, my lunch only cost me $4.03. Lunch for under five bucks? Yeah, I’ll take it.

When you need a quick, cheap lunch or a snack fix, I highly suggest trying this place out.

This man has lived in Memphis for 10 years, but had never tried Pancho’s. His shocked coworker brought him to Pancho’s for the first time while I was there, and he share’s his opinion below.

For more information, you can check out Pancho’s website or Google Map page, and if you don’t trust solely my opinion, you can check out more reviews at Urbanspoon or YellowPages.