My Trinity colleague Alexandra tipped me off to a great little Mexican joint called Taqueria El Aguila ("The Eagle"). It's a place that would be hard to discover without being referred, a tiny building in San Mateo on a part of El Camino Real that few would happen to pass by (and even if you did, you may not notice it). The taqueria is located a couple of blocks south of Hillsdale Boulevard and the Shopping Center, right across the street from Starbuck's. The restaurant's namesake eagle is depicted on the menu's rendition of the coat of arms of Mexico, an eagle perched on a cactus, grasping a serpent in its beak. My wife asked why the bird was eating a snake and I took the opportunity to make up an outlandish tale about Mexican wanderers seeing the majestic creature killing vermin while balancing on native vegetation as a fortuitous sign, and hence deciding to build Mexico City on that spot. My faulty rendition is something that I thought I remembered from 4th grade but in retrospect is probably some amalgamation of various stories and histories I've heard over the years.
The food at El Aguila is solid. Two things I particularly liked: First and foremost, the portions of meat on the tacos were good sized, much more generous than other taquerias I've tried; meat in every bite. Secondly, the salsa bar is both covered and refrigerated, which makes for a very fresh and clean collection of sauces and toppings. Plus there are free unlimited tortilla chips on top, kept toasty under the warming lamp. Cool salsa, warm chips -- El Aguila has the temperature thing nailed!
We tried tacos Carnitas (fried pork), Chile Verde (pork in green sauce), and Pollo en Salsa Roja (chicken in red sauce) -- and everything was tasty. I also tried a flauta, which as near as I can tell is Spanish for "taquito." Ally particularly recommends anything with prawns (which are offered in tacos, burritos, and fajitas, or individually as a side order). And no, snake is not on the menu!
Taqueria El Aguila
3733 S El Camino Real
San Mateo, CA 94403
(650) 571-7725
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