Wow, I’ve been out of the Unilocaling loop! I feel like I’ve let the lost and hungry down. Blah blah blah… Anyways, you have to try this place! It’s nothing fancy, in fact there is nothing from outward appearance that would cause you to want to stop at this place. It’s in a non-de-script strip mall in Chula Vista off of Main Street. You walk into a no frills place, random chairs and tables spread out in a large room. But the FOOD!!! The BF had the Birria de Chivo. Goat meat in a red marinade juice. They bring out the hot tortillas, cilantro, chopped onions, lemon slices, and a little side of frijoles de joya. The chips and two salsas are also provided. I had the gordita with cheese and carne asada. WOW! It was the size of the plate. Don’t let the picture fool ya. I think this place is definitely worthy of a trip to Chula Juana. Throw on a t-shirt, shorts and flip flops and call it an adventure. I believe they serve beer but I don’t know what other alcoholic beverages. Oh yeah, just don’t do it on a Tuesday. They are closed.
Albert W.
Place rating: 5 San Jose, CA
Following the footsteps of great hunters before his time, our hero embarked on a hunt for authentic Mexican food in Chula Vista beyond the banal domain of the fish taco or a plate of carne asada fries. Parking in a near empty strip mall lot, our hero’s navigator whipped out his trusty iPhone to search for suitable hunting grounds. «Hey how about this place we’re parked right in front of?» asked our hero, pointing at the obvious Mexican restaurant before them covered in Spanish names of dishes. «I dunno man, it’s not even Unilocaled. What if it’s horrible?» his navigator wondered. It was questionable why there were no customers inside. Being an adventurous culinary explorer, our hero decided it was his duty to risk swine flu and sup where no Unilocaler had supped before. Walking inside, he was greeted by the cashier working behind the tiki bar. A visual scan around the restaurant showed a karaōke stage in the corner with a poster advertising their 7 – 8PM happy hour. Chairs were mismatched with the tables, a giant swordfish adorned the wall before the restroom, and all the signs were in Spanish. Even the sign in the restroom was in Spanish: The server/cashier greeted our hero in Spanish, and gave him a menu written in… you guessed it… Spanish. This is clearly a Mexican restaurant that doesn’t give a hoot whether gringos like their food or their menu. Bewildered by the language barrier and all the different options never seen before on the menu, our hero decided on the restaurant’s signature birria de chivo and his friend ordered a carne asada gordita. Complimentary chips and two types of salsa were served while he was waiting for his order: Preceding the meal, sides of fresh cut onions, cilantro and limes were brought out. Then the birria hit the table. Seriously, that meat was more epic than a Cypress Hill concert at the crucification of J. Christ. Sopped in its own juices and spread out over a plate, the goat meat was flaky and dripping with flavor: Combined with a fresh corn tortilla, onions, beans, cilantro, and salsa, our hero made a perfect birria taco: Furthermore, the gordita was nearly as perfect as Scarlett Johansson’s face on Megan Fox’s body with Heidi Klum’s legs and Angelina Jolie’s… uhhh… heart. The gordita was encased in a crispy exterior with a gooey meat-filled interior that left strings of cheese in its wake when a fork full of carne asada was pulled away: As our hero paid his bill, he left them a nice tip for the fantastic food. The cashier tried to give him change back and seemed surprised when she was told to keep the change. It’s such a shame they aren’t tipped well here because the food is amazing and the service is great as well. PROS: — Mouth watering birria. — They don’t really seem busy at all, so the service is always attentive. — They have both cheap food(e.g. a gordita for $ 6) and better food(such as the birria for $ 11) for those with various dining budgets. Overall it’s stellar food for the price. CONS: — You better know some Spanish, padre.