Rough Weekend? How To Find A Friday Night Groove At Torero's

We park in the Renton Shopping Center parking lot, east of Fred Meyer. A neon sign flashes beside Torero's entrance, a faux terracotta roof hangs above booths where families are served sizzling cast-iron skillets, scenting the air with grilled meat and onions. Warm tortilla chips, spicy salsa, and an addictive bowl of refried beans sate the appetite before placing an order. A fish bowl-sized margarita arrives, along with a cerveza. The week suddenly becomes the weekend.

Even though not truly authentic, there's something about the Mexican-American dining experience that has always spelled the weekend to me. My hometown hosted far more Italians than Mexicans. The restaurant my family often hit on the weekend was "Mike's Pizza & Adobe” and I remember my father's Friday night request for a Dos Esquis; my mother ordered a diet Coke. There was something about Mike's that always made me happy, from the sparkly sombreros to the rainbow-colored woven blankets on the wall.

This was the American dream of exoticized cuisine, yet it still fell in the category of comfort food. It was something we looked forward to all week, the smell of frying onions, chips and salsa, the rare time when our family got along culinarily at the table.

Despite these fond memories, I typically shun Gringo-afied, cheese laden “faux-mexi” fare; however, Torero's, you changed my mind. You also enlightened me to the deliciousness of Jaliscan cuisine when cooked with care.

Torero’s founders Ted and Maria Rodriguez have a romantic story. They met on a bus ride, west of Mexico City. A case of love at first sight: Ted talked to Maria every chance he got, eventually courting her at family gatherings, and wooing her from below her window.  Really.
It worked.

Why do so many Mexican American restaurants feature food from Jalisco? The major Mexican migration north began in the 20s when the U.S. had a shortage of laborers, and Mexico was recovering from a 10-year revolution, with rampant unemployment. Answer: Central Jalisco was heavily recruited.

Ted and Maria came from Cuatla, Jalisco, which was also the home of the founders of Azteca and Taqueria Guayamas. Enough with the background, let's get to the food!

Being Friday night, I wanted to kick it off with a large margarita ($8.25) while El Esposo ordered a pint of Modelo cerveza ($4.25). While not so sure the mix was made in house, it was happily not day-glow lime green, nor sickly sweet.

Chicken lovers rejoice; there is large section on the menu devoted to Pollo Regional de Jalisco. Mi Esposo chose the Pollo Asado ($13.95) grilled, butterflied boneless chicken breast marinated in citrus juice and achiote, served with an avocado filled with cabbage salad, plus rice, beans, grilled mushrooms, and your choice of house-made flour or corn tortillas. The chicken was incredibly tender, flavorful, and dare I say ‘healthy.’

I chose the Asada con Camarones ($17.50), grilled steak with butterflied shrimp. Don't flinch at the price tag... This massive platter lasted me three meals. I've never been asked before at a Mexican restaurant how I would like my meat cooked, and when I said medium, they honored my wishes. The beef has honest-to-God char-broiled flavor, the shrimp came in their own little carriage with smoky grilled mushrooms. The rice is heads-and-shoulders over most Mexican restaurant arroz, and the cabbage slaw is a perky addition that packs a little heat.

You can also buy their flaky and fluffy in-house flour tortillas to go if you're cooking Mexican at home, or to supplement all those leftovers. We were fighting over the last ones in our to-go boxes...

Torero's
Renton Shopping Center

431-B Rainier Ave. So.

Renton, WA 98055
(425) 228-6180