I tend to favor pork, chicken or veggie tacos over red meat. But on Tuesday, my friend Ruth and I were ambling about town, and she had a craving for steak.
Ruth knows a thing or two about food, and I don’t want to deny her cravings, ever. So we stopped at Las Costillas, a taco joint on Pachuca and Juan Escutia that she’d been wanting to try.
It was a comfy, neighborhoody spot, with maybe five small tables, a cook and a waitress who was peeling vegetables for that afternoon’s menu. (The menu comprised three tacos, soup, rice and a drink for about 60 pesos.)
We ordered rib tacos to start and an order of black beans. Ruth also got some soup, which the cook graciously served even though it wasn’t supposed to be offered until after 1 p.m.
The tacos — which arrived in about four minutes — were smoky and flavorful, and Ruth said they weren’t greasy like so many tacos de costilla are. They also came with a bone, in case you wanted to gnaw on that for a bit.
After that, we ordered cecina de res tacos with grilled spring onion bulbs. Cecina is a salty, cured, thinly sliced cut of meat, and it was juicy and glistening and just gorgeous. The grilled onions were the perfect extra touch. Do you see those burnt bits? Yum.
Las Costillas also had quesadillas with mushrooms and cheese, made with pita bread instead of corn tortillas; and tacos with poblano, bacon, cheese and onion. (Getting those next time. Can you imagine all the gooey goodness contained in there?)
I didn’t see nopal on the menu, but the cook threw several paddles on the comal while we were there.
There was also a mirror tacked high up against the ceiling, so you could watch TV even if your back was to it. Very nice customer-service touch.
Lastly, they have a Lenten menu, so there’s no reason you can’t go on Fridays. Next time I’m in the area, I’ll definitely be back. Only downside is that they offer sodas only — no aguas frescas.
INFO
Las Costillas
At the corner of Juan Escutia and Pachuca, in the Condesa neighborhood of Mexico City
Open daily except for Sunday; I believe hours are 10 a.m. to midnight
Prices: Around 30 pesos for an order of three tacos
Menu D’Cuaresma is genius! In Wisconsin a “Lenten” menu meant fried shrimp, fried haddock, and/or fried cod. This looks much better.
Mexican Lenten foods were an unexpected delight when I first encountered them in the Pátzcuaro mercado.
http://tinyurl.com/ylx4c67
I just changed the title to its present form, because I now think the previous title, “Comida de la Vigilia” was incorrect.
Saludos,
Don Cuevas
PS: Some months’ ago, in Colonia Roma Norte, we ate at an unconsciously retro restaurant, “Las Costillas de Fuentes”. It’s up one flight of stairs in a mirror-shiny building on the corner of C/ Durango and C/ Frontera. It was cheap and tasty enough, although the rib steak could hardly be cut much thinner. Somehow, it reminded me of an inexpensive, family operated steakhouse in Springfield, MO, back about 1971. Neither did tacos, I think.
man i LOVE authentic mexican food! can’t find this here unless you make it yourself pretty much. or go deep into oak cliff – maybe…
I think deep OC is a good option! There were several authentic-looking places on Jefferson when I lived near there a few years ago… or maybe further south? You gotta ask around! 🙂
Nopales — my favourite!!! I wish they were so easy to get here too!!!