Vallarta Express

Yelpers beware. Food may not appear as tasty as reviews promise. 

I know food reviews are primarily personal opinions about how a particular dish or restaurant appeals to a person's individual tastes. Apparently, my taste differs significantly from those of reviewers online.  

I frequent the web site Yelp.com quite often. It is one of the easiest places to get info quickly about a restaurant or place in town- phone numbers, web site, hours, and reviews all in one place. 

Sometimes the reviews are spot on and other times flat out wrong. Unfortunately for me, this week is was more the latter than the former. 

I sat behind my keyboard with all the intentions of finding the best mexican take-out according to the world wide web. What I found was Vallarta Express, an authentic mexican eatery with a 24 hour operation schedule and a bunch of menu items that I wanted to try. The consensus on Yelp was that the carne asada fries were a must try. Granted, it is not a typical dish, but perhaps Vallarta Express knew something that I didn't. 

Vallarta Express is located in Clairemont, a suburb of San Diego. It is in a shopping centers that is anchored by a Target, Home Depot and Ralph's grocery store. Literally, within two block of Vallarta Express, are many other mexican eateries dotted along the street. Vallarta stood out because of its long line of cars backing up in to the main road. 

The food came out quick. I ordered two shredded beef enchiladas, a chile relleno and  taking a cue from yelpers, the carne asada fries. 

The enchiladas had good flavor and were seasoned well, but the texture of the corn tortilla wasn't exactly like anything I've ever had before. And that is not a good thing. 

The chile relleno was a strike out from the beginning. Super soggy exterior batter, not-so-fresh pepper and practically no cheese in the stuffing set the stage for a let down from the get go. 

The only moderately appealing dish, low and behold, was the yelper's suggestion of carne asada fries. Possibly the most american dish on the menu, the dish's foundation of super delicious fries were cooked to a crisp with mexican toppings loaded on top. Guacamole, sour cream, carne asada, tomatos and cheese made the dish difficult to eat, but I powered through the mess to get the flavor. 

While I don't see myself going back to Vallarta Express in the near future, the experience did teach me take online reviews with a grain of salt. 

RATING