Summed up as: Gritty local place with plain-average quality food.
Was out all day on the coast with nothing but a coffee, water, and vitamins for go energy, I was ravenous for anything that would be was thrown in front of me. Likely with a stellar review afterward. Driving back home I spied El Gran Amigo Taqueria one again. I've consider it before and now was the time on this wonderful Friday night around 9 PM.
I pulled into the front of the place and was met with mud and pooled water. If you are going here after some rain pull into the back. The front will stay muddy for days on the moderate to cool California coast. A quick walk to the back confirmed the read is paved. The front is still wild west style comfortable for coastal riding. The rule here seems to be Sunday shoes, park in back, Sneakers and boots, park in front.
When I walked I immediately noticed horses were not the only things comfortable here. Just about anyone would be. It's typical shack-style decor with a nod to surfing in the area. That includes the lack of table cleaning. Every table was dirty when I walked in. That includes the the three tables people per sitting ate. Lots of left over crumbs to feed the squirrels along with the humans. Some nice latin music playing also set the mood.
Since it was my first time here I opted for a standby of Super Burrito with Carne Asada meat and extra toasting of the tortilla. If you have never had a toasted tortilla for the burrito you are missing out. In any case the El Gran Amigo Taqueria Super Burrito is:
Flour Tortilla, meat (choice), rice, beans, sour cream guacamole, cheese.
Overall the burrito was,,, average. Plenty of meat. But fairly tasteless meat as far as carne asada style goes. It was tender to the bite and good quality. No problem with the amounts of the other ingredients. Plenty of cheese and rice and guacamole. The salsa was more potent that other place around here. Ask me a couple of years ago and I would have passed on t he salsa. But now I find the spiciness of the salsa served here to fit nicely with the burrito.The tortilla toasting was perfect! The staff also provided limes wedges when I went back and asked them for some.
About the lime wedges and other things normally seen in the front of a Taqueria there is nothing but the pickled items. The rest is behind the counter. Good because of the greater likelihood they would be kept clean and fresh.
The chips and salsa provided was below average. More specifically, the chips.
On the food front I rate the overall value provided by El Gran Amigo Taqueria to be just slightly below average. You can find the same quality for less money elsewhere. And you can find greater quality for the same price elsewhere as well. But for the people of Moss Beach I would say it's probably acceptable since it's a local place. And truth be told, I have had worse food at high priced places on the coast. In case you are wondering the price for the Super Burrito is $10.50 before tax.
Remember what I said about the music setting the mood. At least it did for the people working here because no one every came to clean up anything during my visit. Not for the table people were sitting at. Not for any of the empty tables either. At this point I count the extra layer of "stuff" on the table as sticky-shellacy kind of protection from the elements. The deteriorating and nearly unreadable menu on the wall echoes the condition of the tables, and really, the rest of the place. The experience is same as you will find at most Taqueria shacks similar to El Gran Amigo Taqueria. You live with it because the table grit and the rest because (not in spite of) it is part of the "gritty" nature of the visit experience to a coastal taco shack,
In the end my ravenous hunger did not result in raving review. But so far El Gran Amigo Taqueria somewhat solid place for plain food fit to give your body energy. I'll probably be back at least one more time to check out a plate experience before putting a more final judgment out a about El Gran Amigo Taqueria in Moss Beach.
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