A Taste of Guadalajara in Laguna Woods??

 Tacos De Birria Estilo Guadalajara 

23802 Avenida De Carlota

Laguna Hills, CA 92653

We pulled up to St. George's Episcopal Church in Laguna Hills on a Sunday afternoon around 2pm. Were we here for a service, wedding, or baptism? Nope, we were here for another glorious event, birria tacos. Yes, birria tacos have become the "it" food trend of the past year or so, and they have become so popular that they have even made it down to South OC at a church that sits right across the street from the senior citizen-laden Laguna Woods. 

Tacos De Birria, or as the cool kids call it, TB, started serving their food in the church's parking lot but has now taken over the kitchen of their event center. Ordering is done at the register, and there's a covered patio with about six tables to wait for your meal. There are also a couple of tables to the left of the register, with umbrellas to keep you safe from the elements. 

For those late to the birria party, here's a little blurb to help you understand what birria is. Birria originated in the Mexican state of Jalisco. It's a stew traditionally made with goat, especially in Mexico, but in the US, it is commonly made with beef, known as birria de res. The meat is marinated in various ingredients and then spiced before being cooked in broth. At TB it comes as a taco, quesadilla, burrito, and torta form. Of course, they also have other protein options, but birria is the main attraction. 

Last month, they opened a second location in nearby Aliso Viejo. They are located near the intersection of Pacific Park and Aliso Viejo Parkway, behind the El Pollo Loco and right next door to Porky's Pizza. I have not heard that they are shutting down this church location yet but be advised that if they do, there's another option to get your birria fix. Speaking of which, let's check out what we had on this visit. 

This afternoon we had birria in three different forms, starting with this Birria Quesadilla ($14). The shredded beef is melded perfectly with plenty of cheese and sandwiched by the orange-hued tortilla. The meat is reminiscent of finely chopped short rib, which is very tender and flavorful. Each bite was delicious and made even better when we dipped it in Consome ($4) for an extra burst of flavor. Be aware that this is a very filling quesadilla, and it might be wise to split it with someone. 

The Qusae Birria Taco ($4.60) is just like the quesadilla but on a smaller scale which is better for lighter eaters. The tortilla is layered with melty cheese and then topped with a generous amount of birria, onions, and cilantro. I thought the filling would fall out, but the meat adhered to the cheese and stayed there even as I dunked it into the consome. The tortillas are helped by being doubled up. These are delicious tacos. 

When I first saw Birria Ramen ($11) on a menu, I thought it was just some novelty food that people would order to pander for likes on Instagram. However, after my first bite of this, I changed my tune. It was delicious, hearty, and perfect for the chilly afternoon we visited TB. When adding the provided chili oil, you will feel warm and cozy almost instantly after the first spoonful. The chili oil is a bit spicy, so add a little and then go from there. 

The only item I got that did not feature birria was this Carne Asada Burrito ($10). I had high hopes for this burrito because it contained rice, beans, a good amount of cheese, pico, chili oil, and some guacamole. The tortilla appeared crisped on the flattop, which I appreciate. It was just missing something. The beef inside fell flat. Maybe it was because the birria had been so good, and I had subconsciously compared them. It was a letdown. 

Even with the lackluster burrito, I left TB very satisfied with our visit. After my first bite of their birria, I knew my long drives to Santa Ana would be curtailed significantly. When my hunger for birria intensifies, I only need to drive ten minutes to get my cravings squashed. South OC used to be a restaurant wasteland with too many chains and mediocre spots dotting the landscape, but those days appear to be behind us, thanks to restaurants like Tacos De Birria Estilio Guadalajara. Whether you are a birria veteran, novice, or have never even tried it, try this spot. I'm sure you'll enjoy it. 

Out of five mariachi bands (because Guadalajara is known for birria and is a hotbed of mariachi music), five being best to zero being worst, Tacos De Birria Estilio Guadalajara gets 3.5 mariachi bands. 

For more information about Tacos de Birria Estilo Guadalajara, check out their Yelp page: https://www.yelp.com/biz/tacos-de-birria-estilo-guadalajara-laguna-hills 

Our Beef Wellington Quest Brings Us to Yucaipa

 Hickory Ranch

32971 Yucaipa Blvd. 

Yucaipa, CA 92399

My mom told me she wanted beef wellington for her birthday. I scoured almost every restaurant menu in OC but came up empty. Some restaurants have it as a special during the holidays, but my mom's birthday is in early December, and I needed to make sure it was available for her big day. So I decided to broaden my beef wellington search to all of Southern California. 

I hit pay dirt. It's available at Hell's Kitchen at Harrah's Rincon, but they were not accepting any reservations for three months. I also found beef wellington on the menu of the Cat and Fiddle Pub and Restaurant in Hollywood, so I quickly made a reservation. With about a week to go, my mom messaged me about another place she had heard about having this English steak dish. I quickly pivoted and made a reservation for Hickory Ranch in Yucaipa. 

Hickory Ranch started out as A Bit of Country in 1988. It was owned and operated by Fred and Matoula Dallas. Ten years later, they decided to retire and turned over the reigns of this restaurant to their daughter and son-in-law, Helen and Mark Haro. After a remodel, Hickory Ranch opened its doors in 1998. Since then, they have amassed a solid four-star rating on Yelp with close to 600 reviews. 

Not knowing how long it would take to drive out to Yucaipa on a Saturday evening, I made reservations at 6pm. With the lighter-than-expected traffic, we arrived about 45 minutes early for our reservation time. This rather large restaurant was filled to the gills with people. We finally were sat about twenty minutes later in a large comfy booth in the center of the restaurant. This ambiance was reminiscent of a Cask and Cleaver if you remember that place from back in the day. A little dated decor, a dark interior, and a down-home feel to the place. A far cry from the modern steakhouses of the present, like Mastro's, Capital Grill, and Morton's. 

Their menu at Hickory Ranch is way more varied than any of the steakhouses mentioned previously. First, there are plenty of appetizers, then the menu is divided into salads, seafood, chicken, steaks, prime rib, pasta dishes, burgers, sandwiches, and of course, my mom's holy grail beef wellington. Prices for most entrees hover around the $20 price point, while beef options average about $10 to $15 more. So let's see how my mom enjoyed her birthday dinner. 

Every meal at Hickory Ranch starts off with some Dinner Rolls. These were pretty good. They were served warm and with some softened butter. The tops were nicely browned, while the insides were fluffy and light. Suitable for a free roll to start things off. 

Not content with just rolls, we also went with two appetizers, the first of which was the Onion Blossom ($9). Fans of the discontinued Awesome Blossom from Chili's will want to try this version. The onion is battered and deep fried, then served with ranch dressing for dipping. I liked the first bites, but then it became too much with all the greasiness. No matter where I have this, Outback Steakhouse, Crimson Coward, or at the local county fair, I always tire of it after the first five mouthfuls. It is best to have this with a large group who will help you eat it all. We left about one-third of this uneaten. 

As if we needed more carbs with the rolls served to open our meal at Hickory Ranch, we also selected the Half Garlic Bread ($4) as a starter. The bread was okay, but I expected a lot more in the way of garlic. So, again, not awful, but it is nothing worth ordering again. 

Let's start with what has brought us to Yucaipa, the Beef Wellington ($38). For those who don't watch Hell's Kitchen or don't know what beef wellington entails, it's a tenderloin steak coated in a mixture of mushrooms, thyme, and shallots cooked in butter and then wrapped in puff pastry and baked. At Hickory Ranch, it's served with red-skinned garlic mashed potatoes and vegetables. My mom seemed pretty happy with her birthday dinner, even though she only ate half of the wellington and did not touch her sides. She is a pretty dainty eater, though. Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to try her main dish, but from where I was sitting, it looked that the tenderloin was cooked to an excellent medium and that it satisfied her enough that she took the other half of the wellington home for lunch the next day. 

Lobster in Yucaipa? Even though it is over 50 miles from the ocean, my dad decided to get the Lobster ($72) at Hickory Ranch. It helped him decide on getting this most expensive item on the menu by knowing I was paying for the dinner. He's lucky I love him so much. It also helped take some of the sting out of spending so much for what I assume was frozen lobster that he ate everything on his plate and seemed to enjoy it. It's also not every day that you see lobster paired with coleslaw, mashed potatoes, and gravy, but my dad has some unique tastes. Glad I could make him and my mom happy with their meals. 

Katie selected the 8 Ounce Filet Mignon ($35) as her entree. She got this steak served medium well, which is her preferred, but the wrong way to eat steak. She will never learn. She did add parmesan-peppercorn compound butter to the top for an extra $2. She was surprised at how tender this filet was, and t was full of flavor with it being bacon wrapped and adding the compound butter. She felt the mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts ($2 upcharge) were average. 

I'm very predictable when it comes to steak. I almost always order a Ribeye Steak ($38), which I consider the best steak to judge a steak restaurant on. The ribeye at Hickory Ranch is 14 ounces, and I also chose to get the smokey blue cheese compound butter added to the top of this for an additional $2. This steak was acceptable but did not wow me. It was cooked to medium rather than medium rare, but the compound butter helped a bit. The butter needed a bit more blue cheese to provide a flavor boost. I went with the garlic mashed potatoes and a Caesar salad for my sides, hoping to get the salad before the meal. It came out after I had eaten half of my steak, though. It was not a very good Caesar. The dressing was way too tangy and overpowered each forkful. 

Hickory Ranch served its purpose this evening, providing my mom with her first time having beef wellington while also keeping us from battling LA traffic on the way to Hollywood. Other than making my parents happy, the food here was just average. The meats were okay and just a few notches above what you'd expect from Black Angus. The sides were unremarkable, but our server was friendly and personable during our visit. Most importantly, my mom left the restaurant happy with the other half of her beef wellington. 

Out of five thunderbirds (because the mascot for nearby Yucaipa Hgh School is the thunderbirds), five being best to zero being worst, Hickory Rach gets 2.5 thunderbirds. 

For more information about Hickory Ranch, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.hickoryranch.com/