The 2023 I.E food tour hits the road and this time we are dining at El Cerrito Mexican Restaurant Grill and Cantina located in Rancho Cucamonga.
Rancho Cucamonga is a scenic city located along historic Route 66, just south of the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and Angeles National Forest in San Bernardino County.
The Restaurant
The El Cerrito Grill and Cantina is family owned and serves traditional Mexican dishes featuring home-made tortillas, guacamole made table-side, and a full bar.
Specialty items include, Molcajete Tarasco, Fajitas, Tampiquena, Carne Asada, Milanesa, Steak Picado, Carnitas, Chile Verde, Chile Colorado, Birria, and Pollo en Mole.
There are also soup and salad options including Caldo el Cerrito 7 Mares, a seafood soup with shelled shrimp, baby octopus, shelled mussels, crab legs, quartered diced white firm fish, a simmered in tomato lemon fish broth.
The Experience
We dined on a Saturday evening for dinner and upon entering the establishment I was a little disappointed that the furniture and floor didn’t look exactly shiny and new.
We were seated quickly and as we walked to our booth, I could see the tabletops were worn and some of the booth benches had rips in them. In fact, the booth we were seated in, the cushion on one of the benches had a large tear in it.
The Food
We sampled cheese enchiladas, enchiladas de mole, rice & beans with a chicken taco, chips and salsa, and the table-side guacamole.
The enchiladas were delicious, full and flavorful as well as the rice and beans were seasoned just right. The chicken taco was wet, and the shell fell apart after the second bite. It wasn’t as flavorful as I had expected so trying to scoop up its contents and continue eating it wasn’t warranted. The salsa was good and the chips were alright (not warm).
The guacamole made at the table was a nice fresh touch. I was able to customize with light jalapeno and extra cilantro. Unfortunately, the person making it squeezed way too much lime in it and ruined it. Could not eat it.
I will say that some of the dishes I saw others eating looked really good. The fajitas and seafood dishes I saw were plated beautifully.
Impression and EATER score
EATER scale -
- EATABLE- How does it taste?
- APPEARANCE- Does it look appetizing?
- TEXTURE- Is it cooked how requested or as expected?
- EXECUTION-Did the dish (meal) come together? Does the dish showcase creative development? Degree of difficulty etc.?
- RECOMMEND
I give El Cerrito a rating of 8/10 on the EATER scale. Overall, the flavors of the main dishes were spot on. I would recommend others try it out. For those who know and want an authentic Mexican menu outside of enchiladas and tacos will have plenty to choose from.
There is also a dessert menu and the fried ice cream looks delicious although I was too full to try it. Next time! The full bar is a plus and service was good.
Of note the family owned El Cerrito has two locations in Rancho Cucamonga. The one reviewed here is located at 7201 Archibald Ave.
The I.E Soul Food Tour with Lashaun Turner, spotlights Restaurants that specialize in Southern Soul Food. I also share local dining experiences encompassing all types of cuisine. Please reach out if you would like a visit to your establishment. Twitter/IG @MsLashaunTurner
Check out more local restaurant experiences:
Kountry Folks Restaurant, Riverside
Dickey's Barbeque| Dhat Creole Grill | Felix's BBQ with Soul |Sharon’s Creole Kitchen |Old Market Grill | Flaming Grill | Smokey Canyon BBQ | Pieology
Corky's Kitchen & Bakery| Texas Roadhouse | Hotlanta Wings and Things | Sunday Dinners Soul Food
| Slap Yo Momma BBQ |AJ's Fish Market |HoBo's BBQ | Gram's Mission BBQ | Urban Craft Eatery |
Comments / 5