HOuRS: SunDAy THROuGH THuRSDAy 11:00 AM – 8:30 PM • FRIDAy-SATuRDAy 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM My family and I visited Los Cerros Mexican Grill for dinner a couple of weeks prior to my meeting with the owners for the Restaurant Review. upon arrival, we were promptly greeted by our server, Mary, and were offered drinks and chips and salsa to enjoy while we reviewed the menu. The offerings include standard Mexican fare, including various platters served with rice and beans, and other Mexican favorites served “a la carte”—burritos, tacos, quesadillas, nachos, chile rellenos, and taco salad. Meat choices include grilled or shredded chicken, carnitas, ground beef, al Pastor, and chile verde. beef is available for an upcharge of fifty cents. Extras available include house-made guacamole or bean dip, sour cream, avocado, and shrimp. We ordered a side of house made guacamole to enjoy with our chips, and three different combo platters, including the Chile Relleno and Chicken Enchilada; the two Enchilada plate; and the beef Enchilada and Tamale. The food was delivered to our table quickly, with the main courses arranged artfully in the center of the oval platters, accompanied by refried beans on one side and rice on the other side. The portions were generous, filling the entire space on the platters. When our orders were taken, we were not given a choice of beans but later learned that Los Cerros offers black beans and pinto beans in addition to refried beans. The refried beans were not as thick as I’m used to, but were but were tasty and had plenty of cheese on top. The rice was plentiful and very moist and had a good flavor, especially when topped with salsa. The chicken enchiladas were made with large chunks of seasoned shredded chicken, and the beef enchilada was made with ground beef. The tamale was filled with flavorful shredded pork encased in a moist cornmeal wrap. The guacamole had a wonderful, mildly spicy flavor, with chunks of fresh avocado. Sides of guacamole are available CHIPS AnD GuACAMOLE in three sizes—2, 4 or 8 ounces. We ordered the smallest portion, and the generous serving was more than ample for the three of us. The chile relleno did not seem to have any breading on the outside of the chile, which was a first for me. The flavor was good, but it was unusual to have the relleno served this way. Los Cerros offers a variety of soft drinks, as well as three types of Aguas Frescas-Horchata, Jamaica, and Tamarind. They also offer Mexican bottled drinks, and three flavors of smoothies, including Strawberry, Pina Colada, and Mango. They recently procured their liquor license, and now also offer an assortment of bottled beers as well as traditional, strawberry and mango margaritas. When my family visited, we ordered Horchata and Jamaica, which were served over ice in generously sized goblets. On my subsequent visit, Eduardo made a blended margarita for me and one on the rocks for my guest. Again, the drinks were generously sized, and the quality and flavor was excellent. Eduardo informed us that they make their own fresh sweet and sour to use in the margaritas which enhances the flavor. Los Cerros, which means “the hills”, was originally opened by Eduardo’s brother in 1989. After only a couple of years, Eduardo and Gaby assumed ownership and have run the business for 25 years. Many of their employees have also been with them for years, which allows them to deliver consistent quality to their customers. Eduardo and Gaby are residents of Hercules and have three children—Eduardo, Jr. (25), Rebecca (21), and Julianna (13). The food served at Los Cerros Mexican Grill is made from only the freshest and highest quality ingredients. All of their sauces and salsas, as well as the flour tortillas and guacamole are made fresh in-house daily. The corn chips are also made fresh throughout the day using 100% bACk: bERTO, EDuARDO, GAby, JuLIAnnA FROnT: MARGARITA, CHuy, AnD MARy
Contra Costa Marketplace - May 2016
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