se rancho markets (tabasco's)

The place:

Tabasco's (website)

What we hoped for:

A unique experience

What we had:

Molcajete.  What's molcajete?  It's gooey happiness.  Steak, chicken, shrimp, cactus, leeks, queso fresca, and some cheese and tomatillo salsa melted together, served in a molcajete pot (hence the name), that is shaped like a pig if you're lucky. Served with rice, beans, and homemade corn or flour tortillas.

The pros:

It's awesome.  And gooey.  And it's an experience.  If you're like us, the Latino Mall was a new experience, but between the molcajete, the friendly folks, the fresh juice and ice cream and neighboring places, it's really a good time.

The cons:

They're closed on memorial day apparently.  That cut deep.

What to get:

Molcajete.  Don't mess around with anything else.  We've had other stuff there and it's good, but much like MC Hammer's number one hit, it can't touch this. This is what you want.  When they bring you a menu, throw it in their face and say "I don't need this!"  Also, the ice cream store next door has great pistachio, lime, and strawberry cream ice cream.

Rating (1-5 mo mos, 1 being the worst, 5 being the best)

Price: 5 mo mos.  $20 bucks will feed 4 people!  Easily!  This is hands down the best price/value food combination out.

Atmosphere: 3.5 mo mos when you eat at the market part of it. 4 mo mos now that it's moved into Tabasco's restaurant inside the mall.  The mall is really fun, but the restaurants themselves are pretty normal places.

Food: 4.5 mo mos.  Like Lone Star Taqueria, this is in the exclusive "slc shawsome spots" club.

Will we go back?

Yes.  Often.  Even though we haven't learned Spanish yet, we can still say "uno Molcajete por favor," and they can laugh at us and bring food.  It's a nice arrangement.