Was (key word), really excited to finally try Jorge's!
For years now several of my surfer bros have been raving about the exquisite and highly coveted chicken soup here, how crowded it gets during lunch time, and the scores of people waiting to get their share of this place.
When an appointment ran late last Friday I finally had my chance. I walked into Jorge's after the lunch time rush dissipated at 2:16 pm (2/5/2016, receipt #0152, register 1, cashier- E. B.) and was surprised to see the place empty. "Score!" I thought, since I was always warned how busy this place can be and ordered the following for me and my assistant "to go"-
1 Large Mex (chicken) soup w/flour tortillas
3 Fish Tacos
1 California Burrito
1 Carnitas Taco Salad Deluxe
The service was efficient, not overly friendly/welcoming, and I was stoked that our order was ready for take-out in less than 8 minutes!
So, whatchathink Richard?
1. Chicken Soup- Jorge's forgot to include the flour tortillas that were supposed to come with the order. OK, so it's not a biggie but annoying nonetheless. I was surprised to see that ALL of the condiments (onions, cilantro, avocado, rice, pepper, etc) were already thrown into the take-out container with the soup, not placed in a separate side containers, so you can adjust the seasonings yourself, like many other restaurants will do. The soup itself was good, very salty, yet flavorful. That said, Rudy's, Pollos Maria, La Especial, and Nacho's also make a brilliant, if not better homemade Mexican Chicken Soup. 3 Yelp Stars.
2. Fish Tacos- I liked the fresh cabbage and greens (another key word) that topped the tacos. The fish was perfectly cut, almost too perfect, probably frozen, and the oil it was cooked with made the batter taste slightly bitter and a dark, caramelized brown color. My assistant stopped me after I ate the first taco and pointed out that the other 2 tortillas that wrapped the remaining tacos had fuzzy green growths on them, aka, MOLD! (see my pics) Really Jorge's?!?!?! I mean, it's not like corn tortillas are expensive and there's NO WAY that a fresh corn tortilla would spoil in under a day!!!
ZERO Yelp Stars.
3. California Burrito- YUM! The carne asada was tender, chunky, and had a delicious texture. The potatoes had a tasty firmness to them and the sauce was delicately seasoned. This is a much better C.B. than El Cotixan down the street or Rudy's up the road. As a matter of fact, it's one of the BEST California Burritos I've tasted in the area! 5 Yelp Stars.
4. Carnitas Taco Salad Deluxe- I loved the super tasty Carnitas. In all fairness, Taco Salads are a difficult "to-go" item since the shell doesn't travel well. That said, there was also about a quarter inch of liquid in the bottom of the "to-go" container. I'm not sure if it was from the carnitas or the condensation, but it seriously left a puddle in my car. 1 Yelp Star.
What can I say? I had super high hopes for Jorge's. The MOLDY corn tortillas on the fish tacos was inexcusable but they do have an amazing California Burrito. The soup is good, but not the best I've tasted. I can take or leave the rest. The idea of having been served rotten food is the true deal breaker and I sincerely hope this was an isolated incident.
An overall 2 Yelp Stars for Jorge's Encinitas. read more