Why: Taqueria El Antojo, a restaurant founded in Tacoma by Jalisco, Mexico-native Abel Brambila, recently opened in Vancouver. This is the taqueria’s fifth restaurant. It focuses on fresh and affordable food for the whole family, and menu items include traditional Mexican food and a full breakfast menu on the weekends that includes some classic American dishes.
What I tried: I had huevos rancheros, which was prepared in the most traditional way: a simple combination of eggs and salsa sprinkled with cheese on corn tortillas. I arrived before the morning batch of rice was ready, so I substituted hash browns for the accompanying rice. It also came with refried beans. The salsa reminded me of a jar variety found at the grocery store, but I was hoping for a homemade salsa. The refried beans are not vegetarian — though I am not a vegetarian, I prefer lard-free beans over those that contain lard, especially as they cool. The hash browns were cooked to an appetizing golden crisp on the top and bottom. They also were generously buttered and salted with seasoned salt. Unfortunately, the salt was not evenly distributed, resulting in some bites being extremely salty.
I also had a stack of pancakes. They were light and fluffy with a scant amount of butter on top. The syrup, dispensed from a squeeze bottle, was a corn-syrup-based product that was very sweet and hinted of maple flavor.
To drink, I had mango juice. My first choice was orange juice, but it was not available at the time of my visit. Mango is one of five juices that are made in-house. The mango juice was a refreshing, flavorful substitute for orange juice.
Menu highlights beyond what I tried: Breakfast burritos are served on weekdays, and classic breakfast choices are available on the weekends. Breakfast items include top sirloin steak with eggs, toast and hash browns; chilaquiles; omelettes; and pancakes. The Enchiflau — a chicken flauta topped with tomatoes and Mexican cream and served alongside an enchilada, beans, guacamole and sour cream– sounded tasty, as did the enchiladas chipotle. Tortas, sopitos, mulitas, and gorditas are also on the menu.
Atmosphere: The taqueria consists of a large open area with booths around the perimeter. Granite-topped tables with chairs provide more seating. Large windows wrap around the dining area, allowing a lot of natural light into the restaurant. Ceiling can lights and pendant lights provide additional lighting. After placing an order at the counter, food is delivered to the table.
Other observations: I arrived around 10 a.m. for breakfast and found the music at a festive volume.
The restaurant is tidy and uniquely different than other Mexican restaurants in Clark County. The service was very friendly and polite, and the food arrived at the table piping hot.
Drive-thru service and catering are available.
Cost: Daily lunch specials are $5.99. Daily dinner specials are $7.99. Menudo is $6.99. Mexican and American classic breakfasts are $6.99. Eight tacos and two drinks costs $10. Seafood, chicken and pork entrees range from $8.99 to $12.50. Burrito, taco, antojitos, and enchilada dishes cost $3.30 to $10.23. Beef fajitas are $11.99. Salads are $8.47. Kids meals are $5.20. Dessert options are $4.06 and $4.40.
Hours: 9 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday; 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday; and 8 a.m. to midnight Sunday. The full breakfast menu is available 8 to 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Where: 2505 E. Fourth Plain Blvd., Vancouver.
Contact: 360-529-5555 or www.taqueriaelantojo.com. Taqueria El Antojo also is on Facebook.
Health score: Taqueria El Antojo has received a pre-opening inspection, for which a score is not available, and is scheduled for a routine inspection in the near future. Zero is a perfect score, and Clark County Public Health closes restaurants with a score of 100 or higher. For information, call 360-397-8428.
