Editorial Review
Ceviche Taqueria (San Mateo, CA)
Score: 7 / 10 Reviewed by: Chris
Ceviche Taqueria is a newcomer to the busy stretch of San Mateo's B street. Can they do something different and unique to stand out among so many good places?
The place looks small as you walk in, but there is a sizable eating area in the back past the grill. It's a bright, clean, welcoming atmosphere here.
As the name suggests, they specialize in seafood. Lobster, shrimp, salmon, halibut are among the choices. These cost significantly more than the standard chicken and pork burritos. If you find steak too ordinary, you can even order a filet mignon burrito.
I had wanted to try the lobster and steak burrito, but as chance would have it, they were out of lobster. My friend and i decided on two burritos- a salmon and a filet mignon. The salmon was very good, and left no doubt that it was the star ingredient. Every bite produce a good strong salmon flavor. The guac was well distributed and the cheese was nice and melty throughout. The filet mignon was good, but not so good to justify it's increased cost ($4 more) over the regular steak.
On my next trip to the Bay Area, i finally got to try the Lobster burrito. When it came together, it was really good. But sadly they were stingy on the quantity of lobster; it had half as much as it really needed. Worse, the lobster burrito is twice as much as a regular one. So much potential, but let down by limited ingredient and excessive price.
Each burrito had a few problems though. The salmon burrito did not have sour cream included; it came in a plastic cup. The salmon also did not include beans. While the salmon was solidly built, the mignon had stability issues and effectively collapsed with about one-third remaining. The mignon did have beans, but they were white, not pinto.
Before the burritos, we had some complementary chips. The chips themselves were fine. In the back, the impressive-looking salsa bar was full of fresh ingredients, but they were bland. The spicy salsa had very little kick, and the verde had next to no tomatillo flavor. It was disappointing.
Two burritos and a bottle of jarritos cost $25- a hefty fee for lunch.
Overall, Ceviche produces a decent burrito with only a few flaws. But to get to their truly unique flavors, you've got to pay through the nose. I don't think it's worth that price on a consistent basis. Still, a solid offering from the newcomer. If they bring those prices into line and add a few spices, they'll have something truly good as well as unique.
–Chris
posted 7/20/2009 1:53 PM, updated on 4/22/2010 6:35 AM
