Rosa's La Villa

Rosa's La Villa, 766 Broadway Ave, Seaside, CA 93955

Date: 29 Oct 11
Meal: Lunch
Cost (Value):  $$ (3)
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Good: Rosa's is a family-owned and operated joint that calls itself a "Jalisco-style" taqueria.  The salsas were tasty with  good flavor, and the chips tasted homemade (although they were obviously not, since I saw the bags they came out of).  They serve menudo on the weekends, and have daily specials, including chile verde and chicken mole. All the tortillas were homemade and tasted fresh; the corn was especially tasty.  They served tortilla soup, complete with queso fresco, which is always a nice touch.  The carne asada steak was grilled to be a little “harder” than tender or stewed beef, but that is not necessarily a bad thing, as it had that real grilled flavor.  The tamales, cheese enchilada, and chicken enchilada were all good.  The carne asada burrito was tasty and a good size, but not unique or otherwise remarkable.  But the pork... Ah, the pork! The pork was all done Al Pastor-style, sweet and savory, and caramelized on the grill; by far the best part of the food.

Bad:  There was not a lot of parking. They seemed a little stingy with the chips and salsa (which is part of the appeal of a good Mexican restaurant). When I asked for their salsa mas picante, they brought out a tasty (if small) serving of tomatillo sauce, but it was still not very spicy.  The interior did not have much atmosphere, but if what you're after is the food, this is of minor concern.  Lastly, the tortilla soup was a little bland, but even that is offset by the fact that it tasted fresh and contained a wide variety of ingredients.


Overall: