We’ve been searching for some solid Mexican inspired food and our friends keep recommending this place to us every time we see them and talk about food. Honestly, Moe’s doesn’t quite cut it and I’m excited for some good recommendations that aren’t all the way in Ithaca or Syracuse.
LOCATION: 2 E. MAIN ST. DRYDEN, NY
Not a terribly far drive and we pass this restaurant every time we drive to Ithaca so it felt like it was about time to give it a shot. We weren’t actually planning a trip to Ithaca so this was our destination but due to everything going on, we opted for take out so I gave them a call.
I was pretty excited looking at their menu and checking their facebook page. I noticed that they sometimes have tamales, which I LOVE, but couldn’t find it on their main menu so I didn’t order it this time but there was much regret about this situation. Caleb ended up going to pick up our food and he even mentioned he say tamales on the counter for sale and almost got me some. Missed out twice in one day.. next time!!
I usually get 3 tacos for myself and knew from looking at then menu I wanted to try their Baja California (fish) Taco which has freshly battered fish, cabbage, citrus chili aioli, and pico de gallo. I planned on getting a street taco and asked the girl on the phone what she recommended but she ended up telling me to get the Baja California Taco with shrimp so I did that instead. I’ll get meat tacos next time.
I also knew right away that I wanted to try the Crispy Potato Taco with smashed potatoes, cabbage, crema, and pico de gallo (not pictured). I am nothing if not a potato lover so I have to give it a try.
The tacos’ weren’t bad at all. I was more fond of the fish taco and it wasn’t fishy and the proportions were great. The slaw was fresh and everything was balanced well. The potato taco was a little bit of a let down and was a little too soggy and not as satisfying. The shrimp wasn’t really memorable either.
We also decided to order 5 Chicken Taquitos to share which came with sour cream and salsa. These taquitos were huge. Honestly, I’ve only ever had taquitos out of a box from the frozen section of the grocery store so thats a different thing to compare it to. The chicken was seasoned well inside and had a slight kick which was really nice but it’s made with a flour tortilla and I’m a bigger fan of corn tortillas across the board. Because they were filled so much the ratio of meat to tortilla was a little unbalanced for me but more meat for your money is not a bad thing and they were tasty in the end.
Overall, I’m excited to order from them again. The portions were good for the price and the food was great. When the bar is to be better than Moe’s, it’s not that hard to impress me but that’s the deal out here in Cortland and I’m not afraid to admit it. I think the real test will be the tamales. Hopefully, next time!