Comedor Guadalajara

 These past couple of weeks we have been gathering suggestions of restaurants to try.  One that was mentioned by a few people (shout out to Caroline, Omar and Mike to name just a few)  was Comedor Guadalajara in Central Phoenix.  This restaurant has been in business for over 40 years and for good reason.  We were told by our friends that the place can get busy so plan to arrive early.  So we pulled into the parking lot about 4:45 pm and made our way to the hostess stand. To our surprise the place was already 80% full but we still had a slight wait as they seated the couple before us.  We asked the waiter what type of sodas they serve and when he told us that it was Pepsi products we went with water for Patti and lemonade for me.  Shortly before our drinks arrived they sat a complimentary bowl of chips and salsa on the table.  Here's my advice to you for this restaurant.  WAIT for your drinks to arrive before you dive into the incredibly spicy salsa!  It did have a fresh tomato taste blended well with the red chili peppers.  The only reason I stopped eating the chips and salsa was to periodically attempt to quench the fire on my lips.  We ordered two appetizers.

The first one was Campechana, a Mexican seafood soup served cold.  It includes oysters, octopus, mussels, shrimp, squid, and scallops in a broth that has your choice of Clamato or lime juice.  We went with the lime.  It also includes vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, avocado, cilantro and of course jalapenos for a kick.  This is a cold seafood lovers dream.  The flavors of the seafood mix well with the fresh vegetables.  Even though the jalapenos added a kick, the large chunks of avocado were able to quickly soothe my mouth.  I was expecting the mussels to be tough, the squid to be chewy and the octopus to have the texture of an old worn tire.  This is not the case.  Each piece of seafood must have been cooked separately before being added to the dish because each bite was still tender.  And the old tire texture I was expecting turned out to be a tasty tentacle instead.  As the appetizers go, I was glad I chose the small order rather than the large.  I as nearly full before my entree arrived.
Patti decided to go with an authentic yet classic appetizer.  She ordered the "Quesadilla de Pollo Con Nopalitos"  which roughly translated means chicken, cactus and cheese between tortillas.  True to their roots, this restaurant appeared to use homemade, fresh tortillas that were grilled to a slight crisp on the outside and bursting with melted cheddar cheese, juicy chicken and slices of nopalitos (prickly pear cactus).  In addition there were red bell peppers and she suspects some jalapenos because of the spicy kick.  This quesadilla is so large that it needs to be shared.  And even after sharing it you will most likely be taking some home for left-overs.  At most chain restaurants when I order a quesadilla I am able to easily pick it up with my fingers because they are thin with little inside.  Here at Guadalajara's I recommend using a fork to help you get all the pieces to your mouth.


Patti couldn't decide what to get until she found a sampler of three soft tacos.  This allowed her to sample all three types of meat they typically offer in their entrees: steak, chicken or pork.  It comes with soft four mini tortillas, guacamole, pico de gallo, lettuce and tomato with a side of refried beans and rice.  Of the three types of meats, steak was the least favorite.  It was dry with no seasoning.  To make it more tasty I recommend you add the pico de gallo and guacamole liberally.  The chicken was definitely seasoned and grilled.  This was much better than the steak and could be eaten without any additional condiments if so desired.  The pork however was her favorite.  This was a deep fried pork loin and had the most flavor of all three.  Like so many things, deep fried always makes it taste better.  As it came out of the kitchen it was still juicy and she was willing to eat it all by itself.  The side of re-fried beans is a welcome soothing addition to any traditional Mexican meal as it will help tame the kick from jalapenos or chilis.  The rice at this restaurant, on the other hand, has more of a spicy kick than you would typically find at more Americanized places.

As you may well know by now, I enjoy being a bit more adventurous than an average restaurant goer.  So I decided to order off menu and get one of their specials of the day.  It was listed as "Molcajetes de camaron w/ Napales, chili rojo" but our server let us know that we could substitute carne asada for the shrimp (camaron).  Molcajete is a lava bowl similar to a mortar and pestle.  Inside the bowl is carne asada (aka grilled beef), nopalitos (aka prickly pear cactus), chili rojo ( aka red chili peppers), grilled scallions, mozzarella sticks all served in a red sauce.  This also included flour tortillas, pico de gallo, rice and beans.  I had an idea that it was going to be a spicy dish.  So I prepared myself as I dipped my fork to retrieve the various ingredients in the bowl.  As I popped it into my mouth, the temperature was warm but as I continued to chew the temperature started to rise.  That was when I realized it wasn't the temperature but rather the spice that was making me sweat.  The more I chewed the more my mouth was on fire.  Then I realized that I was not chewing on a piece of carne asada but rather a full red chili pepper.  I think it took at least a half a glass of lemonade to cool my mouth back to a five alarm fire.  Now that I know how to spot the red chilis, I was able to retrieve the cactus and beef to eat with the tortillas.  This was incredibly delicious.  As long as you don't continually chew on a red chili pepper,  the dish's spice doesn't overpower the rest of the flavors.  I barely made a dent in my Molcajete and feeling very full.  As I felt that I had made a pig of myself, I found the humor in the face of the pig that adorns the side of the bowl.

Before we came to the restaurant, we had looked at the menu and thought for sure we would be ordering the fried bananas for dessert.  However, when that time came, we were too full to even contemplate ordering dessert.  So tell me how it is if you get a chance to try it before I can get back here.

Comedor Guadalajara is definitely an authentic Mexican eatery.  You can tell by the atmosphere as well as the food.  If you have visitors from out of town looking for southwestern cuisine, this is a must for your to-do list.  Just remember to go early or be prepared to wait.  But it is worth the wait because if you haven't tried a Molcajete, you gotta try it now.