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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 27, 2015)
EL MARIACHI LOCO Gearhart restaurant boasts a huge menu — The Mouth found the Trio Loco’s chicken to be thin and dry, the beef to be underwhelming, and the buttery shrimp and mushrooms to be the highlight of the dish. that serves up the short end of the stick Y You could count all the restaurants in Gearhart RQ\RXU¿QJHUVDQGVWLOOKDYHDIHZWRVSDUH7KDW WZRRIWKHHDWHULHVLQWKLVVPDOOSRROVHUYH0H[ LFDQIRRGKDYHVLPLODUQDPHVDQGFDQEHVHHQ IURPWKHRWKHU¶VSDUNLQJORWLVQRWRQO\RGGEXW FRQIXVLQJ6REHDUZLWKPH (O0DULDFKLZDVRULJLQDOO\RQWKHHDVWVLGHRI 86+LJKZD\7KDWHDWHU\LVQRZNQRZQDV (O7ULR/RFRUHFKULVWHQHGDIWHUDFKDQJHLQRZQ HUVKLS7KHQHZ(O0DULDFKL/RFRUHVLGHVRQWKH ZHVWFRUQHURI+LJKZD\DQG3DFL¿F:D\7KH PRYHV,¶PWROGKDYHWRGRZLWKSHUVRQDOUHODWLRQ VKLSV GLVVROYLQJ DORQJVLGH EXVLQHVV SDUWQHUVKLSV ,W¶VDOVRZRUWKQRWLQJWKDWWZRVPDOOHU(O0DULDFKL /RFR VDWHOOLWHV LQ &DQQRQ %HDFK DQG 0DQ]DQLWD KDYH EHHQ IROGHG XS LQ WKH UHRUJDQL]DWLRQ %XW ,¶POHVVLQWHUHVWHGLQRZQHU¶VSHUVRQDOOLYHVWKDQ ZKDWWKH\SXWRQWKHWDEOH$QGWRWKDWHQG,PXVW VD\(O0DULDFKL/RFROHIWPHUDWKHUÀDW ,FDQDOVRVD\WKDWWKHPHQX²ZKLFKDVHUY HU WROG PH ZDV UHYDPSHG IRU WKH QHZ ORFDWLRQ ² LV D PRQVWURVLW\ /HDYLQJ RXW GULQNV DSSHWL]HUV GHVVHUWV DQG VLGH GLVKHV , FRXQWHG RYHU GLIIHUHQW HQWUpHV 7KDW¶V WRR PDQ\ %HVLGHV GLOXWLQJ D FKHI¶V DWWHQWLRQ VXFK LQXQGDWLRQ LV FXP EHUVRPHIRUFXVWRPHUVDQG QHHGOHVVO\ VR DV PDQ\ RI WKH GLVKHV IHDWXUH VLPLODU ÀDYRUV IURP GRYHWDLOLQJ LQJUHGLHQWV , ¿QG P\VHOI ZRQGHULQJ'RHV(O0DULD FKL/RFRKDYHPRUHLQJUHGLHQWVLQWKHNLWFKHQRU LWHPVRQWKHPHQX" $ORQJ ZLWK RXU FRPSOLPHQWDU\ FKLSV DQG ZDWHUHGGRZQ VDOVD ² DOPRVW ZKROO\ ZLWKRXW FKXQNV RI WRPDWR RU RQLRQ ² P\ FRPSDQLRQ DQG,EHJDQZLWKGULQNV6KHKDGWKH0DUJDULWD DQG,WKH7LMXDQD6XQULVH0DGH E\ WKH VHUYHU UDWKHU WKDQ D GHGLFDWHG EDUWHQGHU WKHFRFNWDLOVZHUHVXJDU\DQGEDVLF7KH6XQULVH ZLWKWHTXLODDQGRUDQJHMXLFHZDVUHPLQLVFHQWRI D &UHDPVLFOH 7KH PDUJDULWD ZLWK RIIWKHVKHOI PL[ZDVV\UXS\DQGRYHUO\VZHHW 'LQQHUDUULYHGSURPSWO\DQGZDVVRPHWKLQJ WRVHH0\7ULR/RFRFDPHRQDSODWH WKHVL]HRIDSODWWHUVHHPLQJO\FRQWDLQLQJDOLWWOH ELWRIHYHU\WKLQJFKLFNHQVWHDNDQGVKULPS0\ FRPSDQLRQ¶VIDMLWDVDUULYHGRQDVNLOOHWVL]]OLQJ DQGEHOORZLQJSOXPHVRIKRWVWHDP8QIRUWXQDWH O\ (O 0DULDFKL /RFR¶V SUHVHQWDWLRQ HFOLSVHG LWV SUHSDUDWLRQ Unfortunately, El Mariachi Loco’s presentation eclipsed its preparation. 14 | August 27, 2015 | coastweekend.com 7KHFKLFNHQZDVSDUWLFXODUO\GLVDSSRLQWLQJDV WKHEUHDVWZDVVOLFHGODWHUDOO\PDNLQJWZRVHSDUDWH SDSHUWKLQVWHDNVWKDWVKRXOG¶YHEHHQRQH7KHFXW ZDVGXPEIRXQGLQJO\WKLQDERXWDTXDUWHULQFKDQG LWOHIWWKHPHDWWRXJKDQGGU\2QHFDQRQO\LPDJLQH (O0DULDFKL¶VPRWLYHIRUFXWWLQJLVHLWKHUWRFUHDWHD YLVXDOLOOXVLRQRUWRVWUHWFKVNLPS\SURGXFW(LWKHU ZD\,IHOWOLNH,ZDVJHWWLQJWKHVKRUW²RUVKRXOG ,VD\WKH³WKLQ´²HQGRIWKHVWLFN 7KH EHHI ZDV VOLFHG VLPLODUO\ WKRXJK LW FDQ DWOHDVWEHVDLGWKDWFDUQHDVDGDLVRIWHQSUHSDUHG VLPLODUO\6WLOOLWZDVGU\XQGHUVSLFHGDQGXQ GHUZKHOPLQJ7KHVXUISRUWLRQWKDWURXQGHGRXW WKHGLVK²VKULPSZLWKPXVKURRPVRQLRQVDQG JDUOLFIDUVXUSDVVHGWKHWXUI6HUYHGLQDERDWWKH RQLRQKHDY\PHODQJHZDVVDXWpHGLQEXWWHU7KH RQLRQV ZHUH OLJKWO\ FDUDPHOL]HG DQG WKH GLFHG JDUOLFWXUQHGFULVS\7KHVKULPSZDVWKHKLJKOLJKW IRUP\FRPSDQLRQDVZHOOZKRZDVDVSX]]OHG RYHUWKHIDMLWDVDV,ZDVWKHWKLQFKLFNHQEUHDVW ,QVKRUWWKH&KLFNHQ)DMLWDVZHUHVZLP PLQJLQZKDWWDVWHGDQDZIXOORWOLNHFKHDSEDUEHFXH VDXFH7KRXJKWKHUHZDVQRPHQWLRQRIDQ\VDXFH RQWKHPHQXWKHFKLFNHQRQLRQVDQGSHSSHUVZHUH A hard-shell taco at El Mariachi Loco resembled fast food, while chicken enchiladas were tastier. Spanish rice made for a bland side, and the black beans were soupy. 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El Mariachi Loco PRICE: $$ – Entrées hover between $11 and $20 Rating: SERVICE: Sweet, smiling, mild and unobtrusive 3350 U.S. Highway 101 N., Gearhart 503-739-7091 VEGETARIAN / VEGAN OPTIONS: A few vegetarian choices, a few more potentially with substitutions DRINKS: Soda, coff ee, beer, wine and cocktails KEY TO RATINGS poor below average good & worth returning excellent outstanding, the best in the Columbia-Pacific region