Birrieria Don Rafa (Chula Vista)

Thanks for stopping at mmm-yoso!!!, a food blog.  Kirk and Ed(from Yuma) aren't blogging today: work, holidays, weather...you know. Cathy has some time, so she is blogging.

This weather has been wreaking havoc with The Mister's sinuses for about five days now and combined with the chilly mornings, we both were in search of some sort of comfort food.  I was driving on Broadway in Chula Vista, across from the mall around H and I Street and this signage caught my eye.

 

I drove around the block so we could park without walking too far. For some reason, the name  "Don Rafa" sounded familiar, but the more fun and familiar word to me was "Birrieria".  Stew: comfort, warmth and flavor.  After I was home, I found this post, written by Kirk in 2009. It seems we had similar experiences at the same business in different locations on the same street almost five years apart.

 The interior is bright, neat and clean.  Very little English is spoken. There's no need.

There are several signs on the walls, as well as at the bottom of this complete menu, reminding you that the salsa is very spicy.  No medium, no mild, the salsa is what it is.  I like that.  The choices of beef (res) or goat (chivo) made the small menu slightly complicated.

As we placed our order, the condiments were brought out (containers of oregano and salt are on every table).  That's the spicy salsa...it is, and it complimented the meal as did the other variables.

 

The Mister was immediately drawn to the pozole on the menu. He was asked if he wanted a small or large order and he ordered the small ($6.50)-the menu prices are for large. Then he had to decide if he wanted goat or beef...

A very generous serving of birria de chivo pozole (and yes, there were bones, as per the other warning on the bottom of the menu) including skin and tendon and, of course, hominy.  This was excellent, a bit smokey in flavor, and good stewed goat and served with fresh made then fried corn tortillas.

A cheese quesadilla on corn tortilla($2.25).  The fresh made then grilled corn tortilla had a sweetness and filled with a good amount of soft stringy  (Oaxacan) cheese. Bites of this plain, simple item was a perfect accompaniment with the other food we ordered.

I also ordered a birria de chivo taco ($1.65) with everything- beans, onion and cilantro. It was served on a single, smaller sized tortilla and the gamey flavor of stewed goat combined with the other items was just a perfect balance.

I wanted to try the beef birria also and the ahogada style (sauce covered) sounded good ($6).  This was basically a beef birria filled quesadilla (but a much larger size corn tortilla than the other quesadilla ordered), (again, fresh made) covered with consume and beans.  Lots of cheese in the tortilla, lots of tender stewed beef and the sauce just made this just a perfect mix of flavors and the serving size was very generous. 

Glad we stopped here; we left feeling full and warm and clear headed...just what we needed.

Birrieria Don Rafa 560 Broadway Chula Vista 91911 (619) 934-5135

Comments

[Ed (from Yuma)]

Good looking food. Posole de chivo - gotta love that!!

[caninecologne]

So glad you got to check them out. I've always wondered about that place. There is another Don Rafa's on Highland and 24th too. A nice hot bowl of pozole would be good right about now (raining and cold outside!).

[Cathy]

Pozole is just good anyhow and with goat, well...pretty much a perfect meal (like mom would make with leftovers) especially in this weather, Ed. Everything was so fresh (the corn tortillas, just made, had that sweetness).
I was on Highland this morning, cc, and saw it! Now I have a little map in my head of good and great places. Talk about cold and rain- it might as well be snow; I had to turn the lights on inside the house at 3 pm! Ended up at the Taco Shop next to the library for some Caldo de Res for lunch.

[nhbilly]

You had me at the menu. It is what it is!

[Cathy]

Restaurants with short menus do all of it well, Bill.

[Yoana]

The food is great, but the service sucks!!!