El Molcajete — Restaurant in Meridian

Found out about this new place on Tiktok and was very excited to go check it out.Told my friend about it and we made plans to go check it out on Thursday for lunch.We both were hyped up go taste some new Mexican homestyle food here in Meridian Idaho. when we got there parking was easy and when we got inside the restaurant we were seated very quickly and that's when things went down from there Obviously a new place so was to expect some confusion and maybe some delay in some service but this was way past that. The me and you did have a variety of different dishes to try according to their advertising. it is home style Mexican food but that's where it stopped. After going over the menu for a few minutes, I decided to try their nachos. Everyone knows nachos is a staple in a Mexican restaurant and if that is not good then nothing on the menu will pass that. So I was expecting some really good nachos one of my favorite dishes but to my surprise it was not even close. I've had bad nachos from a sports bar before, but these nachos were absolutely terrible. there was no real cheese. everything was soaked in fake cheese sauce. the chips were soggy. the jalapenos were from a can and the food was cold within a couple minutes. no one came and asked us how our food was. my buddy got some street tacos and he said those were not very good either The meat was cold and the rice was cold as well. We were both really shocked and no one came by to ask us how the food was or anything. just the waiter came back once to refill our drinks and give us our check. The waiter did not come back for over 10 minutes and never asked us or said thanks for coming by or anything. I was at least hoping that a manager would come by so we could talk to him for a minute and give some suggestions in her opinion on her experience but that never happens so we left. we had to get back to work. One of the worst experiences I have ever had at a Mexican restaurant. so the chances of me coming back...

VERDICT: Go here. It's a masterclass in the traditional flavors and stands head-and-shoulders above Americanized interpretations.

FOOD: I have not had true carne asada in the States until now. There's something in the flavor and cooking style of traditional carne asada that I haven't found here until now. It took me back to a time I had almost forgotten, eating traditionally cooked carne asada in Nuevo Laredo cooked by a family I had just met. I suspect it's well-brined and marinated (no dry seasonings), moderate heat cooked on a solid surface (griddle or pan to prevent juice loss) that's largely seasoned by beef tallow from the beef they cook. There's not a hint of burnt seasoning or any notes of oil at smoke point-- just a robust beef flavor with salt and hints of onion(?), garlic(?). It was cooked to perfection and completely swoon-worthy. Their combinations of flavors add extra dimension to their already impressively prepared foods. The pulled pork was colored by the pickled red onions, offering a bright note in the deeper flavors, leaving it complex and utterly delectable. The rice, too, was more complex than the Mexican rices I've had here as well. It didn't just have detectable notes of tomato, but onion and other flavors in a perfectly prepared. The beans were traditional as well, likely made smooth by lard (pork fats).

SERVICE: My food was served piping hot, and our drinks never ran dry. Our server was knowledgeable, kind, and prompt.

ATMOSPHERE: I liked the laid-back atmosphere and the decor. I appreciate the balance between traditional and modern, which delivers a pleasant backdrop to...

Originally from the Bay Area of California, since moving up here the family has been trying to find quality Mexican food, honestly this is so far the best Mexican food I’ve had here, I’ve tried over 15 different restaurants so far. I did come in around 8pm on a Saturday for take out. Parking is iffy since it’s in the old biscuit/hogs store front. Ordered asada tacos, pork tacos, asada super burrito, and Camerones Al Diabla

Good: food was delicious like I said before it’s best I’ve had in ADA/canyon county. Hostess was very welcoming answered all questions I had, and the gentleman who gave me my food explained what was in what bag, how sauces where dispersed in the food. Amazing rice, seems simple but it’s a big deal for my family.

Bad: because I ordered take out I didn’t check my food as I trusted the restaurant but I was missing my corn tortillas for my shrimp dish. I was also missing my spicy diabla sauce for my shrimp dish aswell. Even though I was missing my tortillas/sauce it was still flavorful it just ended up being shrimp and vegis. My super burrito was also missing sour cream and pico de gallo.

Weird: the meat options are scarce, I’m a big pastor and chorizo kinda guy but there was no option for it. I thought it was strange for a Mexican restaurant to not offer it.

This place is somewhere I’ll definitely be coming back to even though my order was iffy, if I was to sit down I bet I wouldn’t have any...