I was starting to feel for Kennyz, our visit to San Matias had all the signs of the second-visit-with-expectant-friends-that-fails-to-live-up-to-the-first-solo-meal. Service seemed only distantly interested in us, the pastor spit was turned off ("oh yeah, we run it all the time," we were told... except RIGHT NOW), a furtive, unconvincing "yes" came in response to the question whether sopes and gorditas were made by hand.
Then the food came and pleasantly surprised us all. Not city-class, perhaps, but certainly at least pick-this-one-over-the-five-closest-in-any-direction good, which makes it the only other one in this thread so far, besides Taqueria San Juanito, that I'd make any effort to return to. Both sope and gordita were freshly made and arrived steaming hot. Steak was decent, but chorizo, the tender tongue, and the spicy cochinita were better yet, and the chorizo, for which I had no great expectations at all, was really nice with a shot of the chipotle mayo, a pleasant and unexpected addition on the plate. And as for not caring, we soon saw that the fellow in charge had actually run out and bought bottled water and fresh limes just for us (well, and the customers who would follow us) after we placed our order.
* * *
I mentioned at lunch another place I checked out recently in the area, actually on Montrose. The sign seemed to hold out some hope that there might actually be charcoal-grilled chicken in the area (closer than
Taqueria Ricardo):
Silly me for believing the word "Charcoal" in foot-tall letters. The chicken was rotisserie cooked, most likely, certainly no closer to a flame than the Luckies in the chef's pocket. It wasn't bad, but there was nothing exceptional about it in a neighborhood where, as noted on other occasions, chicken places are sprouting like purslane, and the interior managed the odd feat of seeming both nightclubbishly dark at 6 pm and stranger's-living-room awkward. There were no other customers the entire time we were there, though there seemed to be a raft of family members watching TV in a back room. The real business here seems to be catering, and the restaurant feels like it.
Sabroso Grill
3816 W. Montrose
Tel: (773) 961-8531
http://www.sabrosocatering.com