Ok, ok. So, I know that Paul and I JUST ate at Mi Pueblo last week. And, honestly, we already had this outing with our friends, Kristi and Steve, planned, but, we did it anyway. So, let's just move past that and get to the important thing here, the food!
Kristi loved Nina's in Augusta. And, they had closed down for quite some time. Recently, she saw that they had re-opened, and she wanted to scope it out to see if it was the same delicious food (food which she said was the best Mexican food you can get around here). So, we went. And, the realtor's sign saying "reduced" right in front made us a little nervous to enter. But the "open" signs were light, and we entered, cautiously.
Immediately, when you walk in, you can smell all the delicious flavors of the kitchen. There weren't many people in the dining room at that time, but I get the sense that they do a lot of carryout business. So, we grabbed a table, and started examining the menu. And, again like our Mi Pueblo experience, this menu was different. You could tell it wasn't some template some pulled out. Heart and soul went into this menu. And, they have a lot of authentic dishes including the option to get CACTUS (which Paul did, and LOVED) with your meal.
Oh, wait, need to talk about the chips and salsa, because you can't talk about a Mexican restaurant without talking about chips and salsa. These chips and salsa were, in a word, AMAZING! The salsa was fantastic. Not runny/watery, had chunks of real vegetables in it. And, there was a great citrus twist to it that made it hard to stop eating. The chips were hearty. Well seasoned, not too salty. Very crispy. Really a GREAT start to the meal.
Then, came our food, rather quickly I will add. As listed above, I had #25 the combination plate with a chicken tamale, a cheese enchilada, and a chicken taco with a soft corn shell. I attacked the taco first, and it was outstanding. The chicken was juicy, had great flavor, and, well, yum. I wished that there were more tacos on my plate at that moment. The tamale was good. Very tender. A little low on the flavor side, but the collection of sauces that were available jazzed it up a bit. And, the enchilada, which I ordered with red sauce, was great. I like that they use a combination of white Mexican cheese and what they call "yellow cheese", which looked like cheddar. There is something about those two cheeses coming together that is fantastic. Now, I was hungry when we got there, but I tell you what, that food was incredible, and gone in a hurry.
This place is kind of "hole in the wall" but, so often, that is the mark of true food genius. We will be going back to Nina's Taqueria, even though it is a bit of a drive, and have some more delicious, authentic, Mexican food. Mi Pueblo is close, and good, but Nina's blows Mi Pueblo out of the water.
https://iloveninas.com/Home_Page.html
five golden forks out of five.
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