Ponce's

After an über saucy night at The Ken Club for Vinyl Radio, I got a call from my sister who was Christmas shopping in Mission Valley and wanted to have Ponce's. Ponce's is pretty much a guaranteed hangover cure, so I was in.

When Christy arrived, Sara joined us as we walked to Ponce's. I've lived in Kensington for 7 years now, and have been going to Ponce's since before they expanded and remodeled, back when most of the seating were swivel seats along an L-shaped low counter. I loved it then, but I love it now, too. They had to expand to meet the demands of their clientele. Now you can even buy Ponce's t-shirts.

We had another 2-for-1 coupon. Sara ordered the #6: a cheese enchilada, chile relleno, and beef taco with rice and beans. I ordered the #2: two cheese enchiladas, a ground beef taco, with rice and beans. My sister ordered 2 cheese enchiladas a la carte. And we threw in a small guacamole for good measure.

Before I continue, I have to really iterate that I love Ponce's. They are the stick to which I measure all other Mexican restaurants. Their enchilada sauce is hands down the best in town and doesn't have that bitter taste that some restaurants have. The beans have a kinda of roasted rich flavor to them. Not recommended for vegans, sorry. This is the real stuff. There are things that could use work- the rolled tacos, for example, are pretty average and you'd be better off just getting those at El Zarape. I really like the steak picada, but their corn tortillas aren't heavy maza torillas like you'd find at Old Town Mex or El Comál. Still, you stick with the combos, you can't go wrong.

We eat our chips and guacamole and it's become a science. Chip gets dipped in the guac, spoon on a few drops of the salsa, and throw on a dash of salt. Pure heaven and nobody can get mad about double dipping or mixing the stuff up.

The food arrives and you're already full just by looking at it, but you're gonna power through. Go for the taco first. The juicy meat will make that shell soggy in 8.6 seconds, so get it in your mouth. When you finish your taco, your beans are still sizzling from the oven conveyor belt the plates are put on as a final touch to melt all the cheese. (This is why they tell you the plates are hot, and they're not messing around) I worked my way through the taco, a couple bites of rice and beans, and one enchilada. I could feel the food coma coming on.

I get a "to go" box and am happy that I'll have breakfast for Sunday, since Ponce's is closed on Sundays. Flor, my friend who also happens to work there freaks out when we pay our bills. A couple weeks ago, she and her husband and a couple friends came over after the Ken Club closed for a few beers. As payback, she adjusted our bill. A lot. And that was in addition to the coupon. To say we scored is putting it lightly. Over the years, I've seen the prices slowly rise, but nothing is unreasonable on their menu, and the added things, like a full liquor license and all the remodeling, have to be covered. You still won't pay more than $10 for any combo, and you definitely won't leave hungry. With or without a coupon, Ponce's is always well worth the experience, and even worth the sometimes really long Friday and Saturday night wait.

Ponce's is located at 4050 Adams Avenue, across the street from Ken Cinema. Ponce's has a wind protected patio, and all orders can be made to go. Just make sure you remind them to give you extra salsa.

Richard Walker's

The benefit of 2 for 1 coupons is that you can try out places and if you like them, hopefully keep finding more coupons to go back to spots that you like. Last week, Dave and I ventured back to Richard Walker's for a second time to have breakfast on our lunch break.

Unfortunately, we aren't very adventurous. I rarely eat breakfast out because I'm a pretty good cook. I make my eggs exactly how I like them and I know if I'm cooking, I'm going to be satisfied. As with the last time Dave and I went to Richard Walker's, we both ordered the same thing- 2 eggs with sausage patties. He gets the toast, I get the hot cakes. The food is average, nothing special, but a nice variation from the other downtown fare. Plus, Dave loves breakfast.

Dave ordered a side of hash browns that the waitress never brought (and was not on our receipt). I ordered an orange juice and they automatically brought me the "large", which is maybe about 10 oz for $3.50. Despite the "fresh squeezed" claim, it tasted like it's from one of those fountains. Plus, for $3.50 I could have a whole Jamba Juice. Hell, at a lot of places, that would buy me a bloody mary.

The plates seem really large for the amount of food on the plate. I'd prefer the pancakes on the same plate just so it doesn't seem so sparse. After eating at Hash House a week before there could definitely be more food on the plate, but you don't really wanna go back for 5 hours of work in a food coma, either.

Richard Walker's makes big claims on their menus about their world famous food back east (at Bigford's), but to me, it's not really that hard to make good eggs and bacon. The waffles and German pancakes seem to be their specialty, but I'm not gonna be satisfied after one waffle and that's all you get for your order. I think Denny's is probably just as safe an option. But I guess with a coupon, Richard Walker's ain't half bad.

Richard Walker's is located at 520 Front Street, just south of Market.

Los Panchos de Charly, Downtown San Diego

There are magazines published by Community Magazine in San Diego that have coupons for several restaurants within the central San Diego region...Uptown, Downtown, and now some Coronado restaurants are featured.

The latest version of Uptown hardly has any good downtown restaurants that Dave, my lunch partner in crime, and I haven't tried but yesterday we thought we'd try Los Panchos de Charly on E Street between 4th and 5th Avenue, since it's just a few blocks away.

Most of the coupons are usually "Buy 2 beverages and one entreé, get the second entreé free". The coupon for Los Panchos was for $5 off when you buy 2 beverages and 2 entreés. We assumed this was because the restaurant might be related to the drive thru taco stands that have bargain but good Mexican food, so the prices would be such that giving a free entreé would be too deep a discount.

AHAHAHAHAHA.

Not. Even. Close.

I will accept responsibility that I didn't look at the menu posted outside the restaurant. We were seated, our drink order was taken, and we were presented with the menus. All "platillos" were $13 and up. For lunch! No wonder there was only one other person in the two story restaurant. We were eyeing the burritos which were in the $7-$10 range, and noticed the "add $2 and make it a combo with beans and rice". Dave had a carne asada burrito combo, I had a shredded beef chimichanga combo. The waiter asked the hostess if those qualified for the coupon and she told him yes.

We got our food and it was very average. I would pay these prices for Ponce's or Old Town Mex, but for tackyland in the center of the gaslamp, not so much. I'll credit the place that their salsa roja had a good zesty garlic bite to it, and the tomatillo had a nice kick. Their rice was perfect and the beans were better than you'd get at a taco shop, but not the best. My food was good, and Dave and I only made it halfway through our plates before we were full. Still, I could've had the same meal (or better) at Pokez, albeit with slower service, for less than half the price.

When 'la cuenta' arrived, there was no discount. The waiter apologized and said that the hostess said the manager instructed them that the coupon wasn't good for the combo. Now this is where I have a problem with semantics. The coupon said "entreé", we ordered "combos" and the restaurant was now contending that the coupon was only valid on "platillos".

I asked the hostess about it and then confronted her, that we were only going to pay the $20 for our meals, not the $25.36 on the receipt. I'm sorry, it's hard enough to justify a $10 lunch, and that's not even including the tip which we still intended on leaving. After asking for the manager and her reluctantly writing the number down (and claiming the discount would come from her wallet), she agreed to honor the coupon, we paid our $20 and handed the waiter his tip and were on our way, but absolutely certain that neither of us will ever step into Los Panchos de Charly again. I mean, unless someone else is buying, in which case, I just might say yes.

I also thought I would note that the busboy looked no older than 15 years old and at 12 noon on a Monday, I couldn't help but think he belonged in school, not sweeping floors in a huge restaurant that had as many employees as patrons. My recommendation to Los Panchos: Create an affordable lunch menu or don't even bother opening until happy hour. And my recommendation to you- walk a few extra blocks up to Pokez for your downtown Mexican food fix. Just call in your order 15 minutes ahead.