Often one of the goals in these Latin eating adventures is finding a new place, one totally off the map. Almost everyone knows the pleasure in discovery and how rare it is in today’s world. Well, we may not have found something totally unknown to everyone, but we definitely feel like we were off the map, so to speak. We found ourselves in the rough, but spirited eastside neighborhood called Payne Phalen in St. Paul, eating at Bymore Taqueria.
Both the neighborhood and the taqueria were big surprises to us. Heading up Payne Avenue from Phalen, there is a long strip of businesses in buildings with fascinating architecture and surely a lot of history. There also seems to be a diverse ethnic mix taking hold here. Whether you want chow mein, Thai food, or to eat at one of the 3-4 Latino establishments, they will most likely all be new and interesting. Heck, we never even knew this business district existed. Bymore Taqueria came to me quite by accident. You can search for any number of keywords on your favorite search engine and not come up with this place. As in the case of this modest eating establishment, it came to me when I was not even looking...that sounds like an invitation!
On the exterior, the place looks small, but enter into the skinny, antiquated building and the Taqueria is actually one of the most expansive we have been to. It was really very nice inside and we enjoyed the old tin ceilings that still grace the structure. We were also pleasantly surprised with the warm reception we received by the two folks working the counter, wearing chefs’ coats nonetheless. We felt welcomed and ready to eat.
Ahhhh....but the choices did not look easy....that is until we asked the gentleman taking our order for his recommendations. Sometimes it is hard to get someone to give their honest opinion and they often just tell us what is easy or popular. Not so here. He was quick to point out that the Alambres was his go-to item and that he eats the dish with regularity. He also recommended the corn quesadilla, with mushrooms, a first in our experience. We finished off the order with the special of the day, something called the Chuleta de res. He told us it was a steak and made a t-bone like motion, which was enough for us. Curiosity always makes for easy ordering.
Now, I know what you might be thinking if you have read our intro article about why we are doing this or are familiar with our other Latin restaurant reviews. We are supposed to order tacos and tamales. In our defense, they had no tamales on the menu and after all of those wonderful suggestions, we thought that we could break our rules just once. After all, this is our 25th review and we have been sooooooo good!
We sat taking in the newness of the neighborhood and taqueria and in no time the food came right out. The first thing we noticed were grilled jalapeno and a nice big piece of grilled cactus on our chuletas! Nice touch. The next thing, was the melting styrofoam from the food hot off the grill. Not so nice. For environmental reasons alone, real plates make such a huge difference, but in this case, it was just a simple culinary disappointment to be greeted with melting styrofoam.
Our first bites had us forgetting this unfortunate beginning, as the chuleta de res (pictured at top) was smoky, thin and tender and really such a rare treat for us. Steak at lunch? We just usually are not that fancy or decadent, but to get two large, thin t-bones with extras for $10 was not actually splurging, it just sort of felt like it, and for that reason alone, it was memorable. The meat was certainly good and well seasoned. The pepper and onion were both nice and the grilled cactus on top was outstanding. If the beans and rice had been a bit more flavorful, this would have been a top notch dish all around.
Alambres
The alambres were dynamite. This is quite the dish and my friend John was right when he stated that although delicious, alambres go best with a siesta. If you have not tried them, let me explain. First, the portion is almost always huge. I think ours must have had something like a dozen tortillas on the bottom. They are fried on the grill to make them nice and warm and greasy and then they are topped with meat of your choice, bacon, ham, peppers, onions and lots of cheese that have all been grilled and mixed up together. This dish totally maximizes flavor, calories and desire. After the experience, a strong cup of coffee or a nap are your best options. Needless to say, the version cooked up at Bymore Taqueria was outstanding. We had ours with chicken as per the chefs recommendation and it provided a nice contrast to the bacon and ham present in the dish. Plus, the grilled chicken simply had an outstanding flavor and was amazingly tender. I would definitely order this again, but only if I had someone to share it with.
Quesadilla de maiz con tripas y hongosFinally, the corn quesadilla was surveyed and then attacked. It was made with a hefty corn tortilla that was somewhere between a thick masa cake and your everyday tortilla. It was extremely tasty. Add to that the surprise of mushrooms and a breaded sort of tripe that was absolutely savory and delicious and you have yourself a winning meal and our favorite of this trip.
In summary, the place was definitely a good experience and left us wanting to know more, especially about the sopes (on homemade corn cakes) and one of our favorites, chilaquiles. The green salsa served with the food was very, very good, leading me to think that the enchiladas verdes might be outstanding. I would also order that quesadilla again, the same exact way, with tripas and mushrooms. Lastly, I would get...you guessed it, the tacos. It was funny how I found myself missing those staples of our eating adventures and it was no different here. I missed the sampling of different meats and the fresh presence of cilantro. Lesson learned. Perhaps as our "punishment" we will have to go back and order tacos. If we do, you know we will let you know what we liked.
There you have it! I hope that some of you might venture up and out of your normal neighborhoods and routines to give Bymore Taqueria a try. If you do, let us know what you eat and what you think. Also, let us know if you have been to Hilda’s, La Palapa or any other Latin eateries on the Eastside as it is affectionately called. As always, we wish you happy exploring and delicious eats!
Here are the Details:
Bymore Taqueria
870 Payne Ave N
St. Paul, Mn
651-774-7109
Prices:
Chuleta de Res $10
Corn quesadilla $5
Alambre $9
Tacos (3) $6.50
Huarache $5
Huevos rancheros $5.50
Chilaquiles con carne $8
Tortas $7.50
Enchiladas (3) $8
Sopes con carne $8
Surprise: The neighborhood, the suggestion of mushrooms, really the whole place with its unique take and big bright interior seemed like a surprise.
Payment: Cash or credit
Language: Pretty easy. No real problems. I liked the t-bone sign language.
Lawrence Black is a writer and editor at Simple, Good and Tasty. He can be reached at lawrence@simplegoodandtasty.com. Despite the heat of summer, he continues to eat large quantities of spicy things...and without beer (a true daredevil). Our last Latin Tongue review was: Pupuseria La Palmera.
