Hells Gibson What do you get when a Mexican-American ex-convict movie star from LA opens a taco joint in London (no this isn’t the start of a joke)? A booze heavy, casual dining spot that offers some authentic laid back Cali vibes, that’s what.
Danny Trejo is famous for his roles in films such as Machete and From Dusk Till Dawn if you don’t recognise the name, you’ll recognise him; a weathered, strong, moustache wielding face that has seen life. Danny opened a load of Trejos Tacos spots in his native LA, and just this year has opened across the pond, here in London. Well, Portobello Road to be precise, which is the first problem with this restaurant.
Trejos Tacos sits on busy Portobello Road, in amongst the market, surrounded by cafes, restaurants and bars, which sounds like an ideal location, but it ends up blending into its surroundings when it should do anything but.
On arrival, it’s nice; a clean, fresh interior with large spray-painted portraits of Danny himself alongside kissing Lucha libre. It feels like a day-time, quick bite lunch spot rather than somewhere you might spend an evening.
Starting off with guacamole and corn, we ordered one of each thinking we’d get a basket of tortilla chips, but what we actually got were two HUGE platters of tortillas with guac and corn on the side. The chips were fresh and authentic, but the portions were overwhelming and the corn was way too spicy with too much lime. We also opted for the cheesy bean dip, which ended up being huge too, but gladly so – it was creamy, rich and gorgeous.
On to the tacos, here you get one taco per order, which was a shame. For me, tacos are all about sharing, so two / three per portion should be standard. I went for one of each of the shrimp, pork and beef, which were pretty standard. There was a generous helping of pork, which was satisfying, and the beef, though quite tough, was well seasoned. The spicy shrimp tacos also had a nice level of spice and seasoning with a smooth vegan avocado crema as a great accompaniment.
We ended things with my all time favourite dessert, churros; they came out hot and big, just as I like them. However, four huge pipes of churro, with little to no cinnamon sugar and a small pot of chocolate sauce, were oily, undercooked and underwhelming.
But on to the best thing – the drinks! It seems Mr Trejo knows a thing or about alcohol and it shows in his booze offering. The margaritas were well balanced, strong and utterly delicious; even the frozen versions were spot on – it’s the drinks here that steal the show.
In all, this isn’t a bad spot for mexican food, if you happen to be in the area, craving a lot of tortilla chips, and some good drinks. But this LA import feels like it’s lacking a little Trejo charm.
Disclaimer, Hells attended as a guest of El Cenote. Frankie says she is da truthful person with her review.
Where
Trejos Tacos,299-301, Portobello Rd, London W10 5TD
