California's Taco Shop (National City) Tostilocos!

You have somehow found your way to mmm-yoso!!!, the food blog.  Kirk and ed (from Yuma) don't have a post for today, but Cathy does.

Hi.  Since January, friends have been casually telling me about where they like to eat and what I should try if I go there.  Usually these places are either close to where they live or close to where they work and a number of those places are taco shops. I seem to have accumulated a plethora of Taco Shop posts, all of which have really good food.  Here is one. 

Located in a nondescript strip mall on Highland Avenue in National City, the signage for California's Taco Shop should catch your eye. 

The interior is neat and clean and has seven tables. The menu is a bit more than standard (there is a clearer photo coming up).  After we ordered, I was more interested in the pinball machine over there to the right.

Yes, it's a World Cup (Copa Mundial) machine, made in Spain and very fun to play.

There are even some cool prizes you can win if you get a high score. We played two games while our order was being prepared.  

Two Del Mar enchiladas ($4.34) from the a la carte part of the menu. These were excellent. You can see one of the very large fresh shrimp on the top right. The green sauce is exceptional.

The plain quesedilla ($2.40) is GIGANTIC and filled with a lot of cheese. The house made hot sauce is unusually good. 

Here is a bit of a better photo of the menu.  The description on the sign of ingredients for Tostilocos is pretty accurate, except on this day there was no jicama in the mix.

Tostilocos has been a Tijuana street food for about about ten years now. Sometimes called a fruit-nut-nacho-lard salad, Tostilocos is a meal you can eat with a fork while walking, since it is self contained. Chips, garnished and sauced...loco.  Open a bag of some sort of 'base' (you can see the choices of Churritos®, Ruffles®, Takis® and Dulces(an extruded masa snack in the shape of a wheel with spokes) in addition to the  'traditional' unlisted Tostitos®. 

By 'traditional', I mean salsa verde Tostitos®, the flavor sold only in Mexico, not the USA. The bag is cut open and the ingredients added.  

From the sign above- Cueritos are pickled pork skin (usually sold in kilo size jars; there is no fat and the flavor has a bit of vinegar, the consistency is soft chewy, like gummy candies-it's those strips of white that look like onion on the left side of the bag in photo below)-Pepino is a fruit that is a cross between cucumber and melon -Chacahuate are peanuts coated in a soy powder (you can buy them at Mexican markets) -chaca-chaca is tamarind candy pieces -Chamoy is a liquid condiment-it is salty, sweet, sour and spiced with chiles and also chile and lime juice are added to the ingredient mix.

The first bite might be startling- all the flavors hit all of your taste buds at once.  Then the textures of crunchy chips, gummy cueritos, soft tamarind candy, pepino/cucumber soft crunch and peanuts are amazing and awakening. The second and further bites are pleasant and cause cravings for the unusal combination of flavors. It's an amazing snack-and really, a meal.  I do like the version here.

If you look at the sign next to the Tostilocos description- it indicates that Sinaloa Style pozole, sopes, tacos and tostadas are only available after 6 pm Friday to Sunday.  That's another post. This is a great taco shop that is far from common.

 

California's Taco Shop 51 N. Highland Avenue National City 91950 (619)263-3000

 

Comments

[Dennis]

Omg, the car license plate sign it too adorable! Looks like a nice place for a bite. Must check out. Thanks for sharing as always Cathy!

[caninecologne]

Sounds like a good snack to me (tostilocos)! my daughter loves the basic version (no cueritos and pepino).

[ed (from Yuma)]

Another amazing find. Good write up. Tostilocos and Copa Mundial pinball - what a combo!

[Janfrederick]

Sounds like it would be a hit at the fair.

[cathy]

Yes, very cool signage, Dennis. You can't miss it. The food is exceptional.
I've never even tried Tostilocos with Takis, even though I always say I will, cc. The 'basic' version is just perfect to me...I don't want to know it can be different.
Thanks, ed. I do have a habit of stopping at all the various machines.
It *will* be very good at the Fair, Jan! Rose's Food (on the Avenue) is listed as New this year- Tostilocos, menudo and potato taquitos. Here's a list of other 'new' foods: http://www.sdfair.com/index.php?fuseaction=whatsnew.new_rides_food I'll have a post up soon.