The Silver Spring Penguin

Put on your party sombreros and cerveza goggles, people. Monday is the fifth of May — Cinco de Mayo, for those in the know. But which fiesta should one hit?

Silver Spring’s got plenty of options in that department, some better than others. Here’s a run down of Mexican-American restaurants reviewed thus far by The Penguin:

Mi Rancho
8701 Ramsey Ave, Silver Spring, (301) 588-4872
Originally reviewed Aug 9, 2007

This cantina on Silver Spring’s original restaurant row rates high on the cheese index, from its silly Speedy Gonzales interior, to the Home Depot lawn furniture on its patio. The food is also chock full o’ cheese, but it’s good enough to prompt lactose intolerant diners to ignore the bloating and flatulence and say carpe queso — seize the cheese!

The spinach quesadilla ($7) is light and crisp but not crunchy. Inside, a mild cheese lends its ooey gooey character to the slightly bitter spinach stuffing, which plays well against the cheese. The dish comes with lush, fresh guacamole; a simple prep of diced tomatoes and onions (pico de gallo); sliced jalapeno peppers; and cool sour cream. It’s good eats if you can handle the dairy.

There’s also the plato Maria combination platter, which offers everything: a moist chicken enchilada drizzled with overly sweet tomato sauce; a dense and hearty pork tamale; a flour tortilla-wrapped bundle of tantalizing grilled chicken (or beef); one breaded and fried mild poblano pepper stuffed with cheese, topped with sweet tomato sauce and — yes, more freakin’ cheese; fluffy tomato-infused rice; and finally, a side of savory pinto beans. The combo could feed an entire barrio for $14.

Penguin readers say they go muy loco for Mi Rancho’s margaritas.

Tijuana’s Mexican Cafe
8221 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, (301) 562-9336
Originally reviewed May 2, 2007

True to its namesake, this Georgia Avenue dive is cheesy and cheap, yet it manages to dish decent food. Those with a big appetite (or a good buzz) can start with a massive mound of nachos smothered in ooey, gooey cheese and warm, lumpy pinto beans ($6). Add to that a dollop of guacamole, a swirl of cool sour cream, and fresh pico de gallo (diced tomatoes, onion and cilantro), and DAMN! That’s good eats.

During lunch, the restaurant’s combo number three ($7) kicks out a fried cornmeal cake (pupusa) stuffed with moist pulled pork, one dense chicken tamale, and a soft taco stuffed with savory sliced beef, diced tomatoes and bits of kickin’ jalapeno pepper. Combo number two ($7) hits with a soft, moist chicken taco and an unfortunate, overbreaded, deep-fried poblano pepper suffocated in tomato sauce and melted cheese. (Only two of Tijuana’s five lunch combos come with the stuffed poblano.)

All combos are served with a side of beautifully lumpy pinto beans topped with melted cheese, a scoop of soft, tomato-accented rice and jalapeno-spiked pico de gallo.

El Aguila
8649 16th St, Silver Spring, (301) 588-9063
Originally reviewed Jun 27, 2007

El Aguila’s mundane seafood can leave diners wondering whether it was prepared at another restaurant — the neighboring Cameron’s Seafood, to be exact.

The camarones rellenos ($15) kicks out four tough, flavorless grilled shrimp stuffed with mushy crabmeat and a strong celery accent (read: Old Bay), a near-raw branch of broccoli and carrot sticks, and bland white rice. The only thing that breathes life into this meal is a dense, cumin-flavored cream sauce served on the side. Pour it on liberally to taste anything.

On the rebound, El Aguila’s tacos de carnitas ($12) arrive at the table as a plate of beef chunks stewed in sweet tomato sauce with green bell peppers, slathered on corn tortillas and topped with a sliver of creamy, fresh avocado. The tacos are served with slightly smokey pinto beans and tomato-accented rice. It’s actually pretty good, despite its wide departure from what’s advertised on the menu.

Austin Grill
919 Ellsworth Dr, Silver Spring, (240) 247-8969
Originally reviewed Apr 16, 2008

Ellsworth’s Tex-Mex joint tastes a million miles from the Border. Still, Penguin readers praise the place for showcasing local musical acts.

The carnitas tacos ($10 for two) are warm but limp tortillas stuffed with dry, painfully bland cubes of roasted pork. It’s a similar story with the chorizo, egg and cheese tacos ($10 for two). Dull, possibly powdered eggs and boring cheese mute what little smoky flavor the slivers of sausage may have to add.

At least the place bores vegetarians equally with its grilled portabella sandwich ($10). A big, squishy mushroom cap and rubbery melted cheese languish on a toasted kaiser roll, and the only thing that saves it from complete mediocrity is a chipotle-accented mayonnaise (read: thousand island dressing) served on the side.

Samantha’s
631 University Blvd E, Silver Spring, (301) 445-7300
Originally reviewed Feb 13, 2008

Uninspiring food makes a schlep to this Long Branch favorite a futile trip. Samantha’s tacos al carbon platter ($12 at dinner) drops two soft flour tortillas topped with bland grilled chicken (or another animal of choice), plus a leaf pile of fresh cilantro. The tacos have so much herb that a diner wouldn’t know whether to eat them, or to roll ‘em up and smoke ‘em.

The stuffed shrimp platter ($18 at dinner) is another dull dish. Four fried shrimp arrive stuffed with a mound of crabmeat and topped with a boring beige sauce. While the crabmeat is nicely crabby, the shrimp is tough and barely discernible beneath everything else. Add to that an uninspired clump of boiled rice, plus steamed carrots and broccoli served cold, and it’s an overpriced snooze.

All prices are accurate as of each review’s original publication date.

Images: (lead) One big mother-wad pinata in Mexico City, courtesy of Flickr user Ze Eduardo; (top) the plato Maria at Mi Rancho; (bottom) the bar at Austin Grill. Credit: J. Deseo/SSP.

Edited Apr 30, 2008, at 10:40 p.m.