Guacamole Mexican Grill

Mexican food in the Lower Mainland can be a bit hit and miss.  After all, it isn't the hotbed of that particular cuisine in general.  Yes, it has a hard time comparing to food in Mexico, San Diego, L.A. and even in Washington State for all that matters.  But that is all irrelevant since we are talking about the GVRD.  So when I got an invite from Craig to try out Guacamole Mexican Grill, I was intrigued, especially since it replaced one of my past favourites in Taqueria Jalisco in Whalley.

So the picture you see of the restaurant is actually not its location anymore.  They have now moved to 10671A King George Blvd to a bigger and more accessible spot.  Before we got to our food, we were presented with some complimentary house-made Tortilla Chips with freshly mixed guacamole.  Predictably, these chips were fresh and crunchy.  Not greasy and very light in density.  As for the guac, it was bright featuring fresh and ripe avocados mixed with tomato and onions.  Good start to the meal.

Up next, we had something that is completely a thing these days - Birria Tacos.  If you haven't had them before, I highly recommend that you do.  These tacos were stuffed with slow-cooked beef, then soaked in the fat at the top of the stew and deep fried.  This is served with stewing liquid on the side as a dip. I thought these were on point with tender fall-apart beef that was soaked with a multitude of flavours.  The tortilla shells were crunchy and full of impact form the fat.

So I'm sure you probably either had or have seen a Torta before but the problem with Vancouver is that it was probably not very good.  Well, the one here reminded me of the ones I've had in the Mission District in San Francisco.  Sandwiched within crusty French bread, we chose al pastor to go with mayo, avocado, tomatoes, onions and cheese.  Beyond the excellent bread, the pork was so tender and full of flavour and a hint of heat from the spices and a touch of sweetness from the pineapple.

Onto a larger dish, we had the Mar y Teirra, which is essentially surf and turf consisting of marinated grilled steak and seasoned prawns with rice, refried beans, salad and guacamole.  Since this was a thin steak, it was predictably prepared medium.  No problemo since it was still tender and had a good char.  As for the prawns, they were perfectly cooked being meaty with a snap texture.  They were flavourful and sweet.

We also tried the Burrito Banado with rice, beans, cheese and carnitas topped with green salsa and sour cream.  This was absolutely massive and completely stuffed with meat.  Hence, it ate well with tender and moist slow-cooked pork.  Beyond that, the best part of the burrito was the green salsa as it was bright and super flavourful.  It really brought the burrito to life and actually made it less heavy.

Not that it would be my first choice from all the items on the menu at Guacamole Mexican Grill, but we ended up trying the Nacho Deluxe with beef, beans, cheese, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, jalapeños and crema.  Turns out that I shouldn't be so judgemental because it was actually quite good.  Well, the housemade tortilla chips made for a good base and since the beef was as good as the other shredded beef dishes we had, then we had something that was delicious.

For dessert, we had the classic Churros with dulce de leche.  These were pretty solid being fried until crispy and light in the middle.  This was a nice finish to a good meal.  Before they moved locations, I would've classified Guacamole Mexican Grill as a hidden gem.  I guess it can still be a gem, but it isn't hidden anymore since it is right on King George Highway.  If you are in the are, I suggest you give it a try for some freshly-made Mexican served in big portions at reasonable prices.

*All food was complimentary*

The Good:

- Solid eats

- Good portions

- Reasonable prices

The Bad:

- I was going to say the location, but since they moved, I'm not sure anymore