Growing up, and for many, many years into adulthood, I never liked guacamole. I did not understand why anyone would eat green glup, a term frequently used by my grandmother.

Then, while vacationing with friends, we went to a restaurant that made guacamole table side. Instead of being pureed mush devoid of any discernible veggies, it was, you know, fresh, chunky, flavorful — all the things that make food good. It was life-changing. 

I’m not exactly a guacamole fiend now, but I do enjoy a good, fresh guac. 

Passing the first test

Recently, a friend made a social media post about Arcos, which replaced the final Bandidos at 7510 Winchester Road. 

He was raving about the black beans available as an option instead of the customary refried beans served on the side. 

While doing my own research of the restaurant that opened last spring, the first thing I saw when I looked up the menu was table side guacamole — sign me up!

So, the universal first test of a typical Mexican restaurant is the chips and salsa, right? It sets the tone. 

Arcos was up to the challenge. Their salsa was flavorful and chunky without too much heat. The chips were light and crispy without being too salty or greasy, and they did their job quite capably — they scooped salsa and guacamole without breaking off. 

The guacamole was made right at our table, where you can customize the ingredients that accompany the avocados, such as lime, garlic, onions, tomato, jalapeños, and cilantro. We took it all, going easy on the jalapeños, but it turned out that I could have handled more.

On to the entrees

On my initial trip, I opted for the wet burrito, which was packed full of food, with both chicken and beef — what the what? — plus rice and beans, topped with cheese sauce and red sauce. It was quite tasty; zingy, and the two sauces became a creamy blanket. It was also gigantic (and arrived with a knife sticking straight out!) and had a pico salad on the side. 

My boyfriend ordered Enchiladas Bandera, an assortment of three enchiladas: ground beef, chicken, and shredded beef, covered with red, green, and cheese sauce. It was served with rice and beans and pico salad. He swapped out the standard refried beans for the previously mentioned black beans, which made it a more interesting plate of food, as did the tangy sauce married to the shredded chicken filling. 

A change in plans a few weeks later left us with an unscheduled evening and no desire to cook, so we made a return trip to Arcos. 

Obviously, we started with the table-side guac again, and this time we went full strength on the jalapeños with no regrets; it was not too much heat for this lightweight. 

On both visits the portions were generous, and of course, delightfully fresh. Generally across the board we found the portions at Arcos to be abundant, especially in relation to their reasonable prices. 

On this trip, I had the fajita quesadilla with a choice of chicken or beef (I had chicken), filled with cheese, bell peppers, and onions, served with rice, beans, and pico salad. 

Overall, I wish the quesadilla had been a little browner and crispier. I also found the proportion of green bell peppers in relation to all the other components to be a little overwhelming; I wish I had had more red peppers and onions. But it was a cold night, and my dinner was “warm and smushy,” which has always been my standard for comfort food, and it was definitely satisfying. The leftovers also made for a good lunch a few days later. 

My boyfriend had the Molcajete Arcos, aka the Arcos Famous Lava Rock Bowl, which was grilled chicken, steak, and shrimp cooked with bell peppers, mushrooms, and onions, topped with Arcos golden tomato sauce and shredded cheese. It was essentially a sizzling cauldron loaded with food and smothered with sauce. Oh, and it came with a side plate full of beans, rice, pico salad, and tortillas. 

If you can’t decide what you want and prefer to have a little (or a lot) of everything, here’s your chance! Some assembly required. And even after he ate and ate, he had a whole meal left over to take home with him. 

Most of what we ate was fairly standard Mexican restaurant fare, found on the menus at every one of these neighborhood joints. It wasn’t elevated food, but it was very well-executed, and I imagine it’s food I’ll be eating and enjoying again.