Unload the burro!
Authentic, tasty southern fare available downtown

ACAJUTLA
11302 - 107 Ave.
426 - 1308

When I got back from my travels south of the Rio Grande, I made the mistake of trying to cook my family a good, authentic Mexican meal. Half a cow, many onions and $25 worth of limes later, I had produced a... fair approximation of the food that had sustained me through six months of desert livin’.

Had I known, I could have just taken ’em all to Acajutla, a bright little gem in a rather dreary section of downtown Edmonton. Nestled amidst low-rise apartment buildings and gas stations, its Mexican/Salvadoran menu is a beacon for hungry Latinos and their gastronomically blessed friends.

Fortunately, everyone’s a friend.

Hungry patrons are greeted by warm pink walls and happily busy waitresses. Once seated, we had the opportunity to enjoy the illustrated menu, the dishes succulently displayed for those who scratch their heads over the differences between chorizo and beef tacos, tamales and chile rellenos. Those with attention deficit issues can also imagine wild adventures amidst the Aztec pyramids and beach paradises pictured on the back while fighting the temptation to play with the decorative sombreros and ponchos that festoon the walls.

My companion and I decided to sate our pre-hibernation ravenings with Tamal ($1.75), Plantains with Sour Cream ($3.75), Chicken Escabeche ($9.25), Taco de Chorizo ($5.95) and Ceviche ($4.95). Our slightly distracted waitress took time out of her bussing to convince us to try a couple of the restaurant’s more unusual beverages, Horchata and Tamarindo ($1.85 each). While we are told that the sweet, nut-based Horchata is popular, we find its initial tastiness ruined by an aftertaste of – charred baked goods? Cigarette smoke? Whatever the case, the Tamarindo is a better bet, a sugary drink with a slightly puckering aftertaste that reminds me of the tamarind candies I used buy in bulk for my hyperactive Grade Three students.

Just as we started to speculate on the edibility of the potted cactus, our food began to arrive. First on the table was the marinated Chicken Escabeche, tender and tasty with onion and oregano – and the occasional weepingly hot hit of jalapeno. Although the tortilla accompaniment promised by the menu failed to appear, the side was a flavorful surprise: "These are refried beans?" exclaimed my companion, digging in for another forkful. "I thought I didn’t like those!"

Next up are the plantains, fried a delightful golden-brown and served with a generous dollop of sour cream, followed by taco chips and a ceviche too much like cocktail sauce for my liking. The tamal – ordered largely on the assumption that anything cooked in a banana leaf must be good – is no disappointment: thick and heavy like a really good dumpling, suffused with chicken and spices.

The final hit of the evening are the tacos. Filled with chorizo, a salty Mexican sausage, the three soft-shelled corn tortillas are perfectly hand-sized and served with fresh onion and cilantro. The first bite transports me back to fine meals enjoyed at dusty roadside stands and tourist havens. The last one fills me to surfeit. It’s good to know that I won’t have to buy a plane ticket to enjoy my next really good Mexican meal.