Limón y Sal does mouth-watering Mexican in the East End

Sometimes all it takes is the advice of a friend.

Our pal Fred turned us on to a new-ish Mexican place out in the east end, and it paid off. It’s easy to be wary of places that have that sort of generic, Americanized food – if there’s a Speedy Gonzalez combo on the menu, it’s probably one of those places.

No Speedy for Limón y Sol Mexican Kitchen, though, even though there are combo options. (In case you’re wondering, that’s Spanish for “Lime and Salt.” Yes, this places also has tequila.) You can get some basics like grilled nachos, quesadillas and the like, but the menu reaches in may directions. If a first try is any indication, you’re not going to walk out of the place disappointed or hungry.

We stuck with street tacos, two lengua and one carnitas, at a reasonable $3.25 apiece. For 10 bucks, I expected a solid experience. What I got were three tacos that were almost impossibly stuffed with ingredients. As in, just one carnitas taco at Limón y Sal could almost make a lunch. Ridiculous.

And the meat was perfectly cooked, tender and well-seasoned. The carnitas are simmered in mojo de ajo and beer, and to use a cliché, they were absolutely mouth-watering. Fred also insisted we check out the refried beans. I mean, it’s refried beans, right? But it was clear they were fresh-made in-house.

Next time around, it will be tough getting away from the tacos, but other dishes we’ll be keeping an eye on are house specials like Molcajete Azteca, a blend of meats, peppers and beans served in a stone bowl, as well as the Piña Rellena, a pineapple shell filled with shrimp, steak, grilled chicken and topped with queso. There’s also a carnitas dinner that looks as huge as it looks amazing.