La Tienda : because you really feel like a burrito after picking up that hooker

2204 Southwest 13th Street

2 thumbs up.

La Tienda is one of many restaurants south of Archer Rd on 13th St that exist a mere crack rock's throw from some savory women of the night. But hey, you gotta eat, right? Sandwiched between the charred remains of Traders South, the former gentlemens club that burned down (read: WAS burned down) and the somehow out of business Waffle House, La Tienda is actually a very clean and inviting restaurant/Mexican store. You can buy yourself some home-cooked authentic Mexican dishes, fresh crossed the border Mexican goods, and even some Mexican music (my favorite was an album entitled "Esta es mi gallo" or "This is my cock," which my brother actually bought - much worse than you could ever imagine).

The menu looked somewhat familiar, and as I was told the same folks run Las Margaritas (unconfirmed), it made sense. I ordered a roasted veggie and bean burrito, some guac and chips and salsa. First off, the salsa was great and the chips fresh. The guac had more of a green mayonnaise consistency and wasn't really my thing.

The burrito was tasty, but as a lunch companion described it, very lardy. The beans were super heavy and dense. I felt like I had eaten a lead brick for the rest of the day.

I've always said I don't like sit down Mexican, but La Tienda offers counter service. This caused me to realize that I just don't like what us American's traditionally know as Mexican. Tex-Mex always seems to be a lighter, fresher choice, but maybe that's just me. To be honest, the place was very clean and welcoming, the portions large and reasonably priced (everything was around 5 bucks), and a pretty decent diamond in the rough of south 13th st.

Another old adage of mine is that I don't need any more burrito joints in this town, we've got that covered.

Bottom line, check it out for yourself. It certainly wasn't the worst place in the world. As somewhat of a health food nut, it certainly didn't please me in that regard. Otherwise, though, there was nothing really to complain about.