Posted on Mon, 02/25/2008 - 15:38 — by JulieJulz
I just went to that new restaurant that is where Applewood BBQ was. The service was outstanding. THe sauces were homemade. The food was incredible. I have not ate that good since visiting Frisco. I hope this restaurant sticks around. It is definitely one of my favorites now.
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1147
I had lunch there the other day and mentioned it on another thread. I hope more people will give it a try. They're not advertising and the location down at the end of the shopping center is a bit out of the way. The Viet Namese place near it is good too. I hope they both make it.
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 121
Does anyone know the name of this place? I was just wondering. I'll definitely check it out, but it is gonna have to be real good for me to quit being loyal to Las 3 Marias, great food and great service.
Joined: Sep 2006
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It's so good apparently nobody cares what it's called.
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cleanantioch,
Why does it have to be one or the other? If they're both good, give them both your business.
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 121
Stoney-
It must not be that good if nobody knows the name. As I said, I like the food and the service that I get at Las Tres. Unless it is BETTER then I will continue to go to Las Tres. I don't find it that unusual that I would continue to go to one Mexican restaurant all of the time. Kind of like pizza, if you like Aladino's then why would you go to Skip's or vice-versa? Sure if someone invites me to dinner at Skip's i would go, but if I'm doing the inviting, we're going to Aladino's. When it comes to food I believe that most people find a certain restaurant and frequent it much more than another. TSJ over any other chinese restaurant? I did not say that I wouldn't try it, I was just supporting MY favorite Mexican restaurant. Maybe they will have a certain item that I like, maybe not. Here's my thing, if I order chile verde and it's not as good as Las Tres, then I will probably never be back. Sure I'll try their sauces, bean dip, ect., but if the chile verde doesn't knock my socks off then so be it.
That's all.
PS: If their bean dip is good, it better be better then Mecca, because if I'm in the mood for bean dip, I'm getting on the freeway and driving to downtown Pittsburg. I have yet to find bean dip anywhere that compares to The Mecca.
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 2
I believe it's called Orale! Haven't been there yet. Not sure if I will. I tend to go to New Mecca in Pittsburg for Mexican food. And the Vietnamese place is called La Reve.
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 49
Orale is the name of the Mexican Grill/Restaurant and it is right across from the Gym at the Hillcrest/Deervalley shopping center. From what I hear the food is really tasty and they have big enough portions that you can have lunch and dinner all in one meal. Well maybe just lunch for some of the heavy eaters.
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1851
You're right B.J., it's called Orale! I used two translations, Babelfish and another one, and I got "ORALE" translated as "You pray him" or "Him pray." I'm not sure what the hell that means, but I just got back from there and I really enjoyed the food. I had the 2 item I think Stoney had, Pork Enchilada and Chile Relleno. I thought the enchilada was exceptional: great tasting enchilada sauce and size-wise, more like an all meat burrito. After that, I could barely eat the chile relleno which was good too. It was about $11 for the two item, but next time I'll just get the enchilada because like other's have said, the items are big.
Keep in mind I haven't tried Tres that Cleanantioch likes or the new one by WalMart (Cocina's?). The only places I've gone to are the ones by downtown, Celia's on 10th, Little Manuel's on A, and Three Amigos at Hillcrest and 18th. Mexican food really depends on whether people like the more authenic tasting food or the Americanized gringo tasting fare. Although you might catch me wearing a sobrero on occasion, I'm more of a baseball cap kind of guy, so the gringo food suits me just fine. I'm not sure exactly where Orale falls on the level of authenic scale, so maybe somebody else can comment on that for us? I liked it though and the ambiance is nice. Looks like a great place for a birthday party and nice guys running the place.
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 49
Thanks Bazooka for taste testing, I think that will be our dinner tonight. I have heard good things about that place. I am always looking for good mexican food in our area. I too just mostly drive out to New Mecca when I am in the mood for some good Bean Dip. I have not found one yet that has beat them. If someone knows of a place in Antioch that beats New Mecca, please share.
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According to Wikipidia and also some of my Spanish speaking friends at work, Orale has many meanings. Literally it means "pray to him" but it is more commonly used as a slang interjection meaning that something is impressive or simply as a greeting. It can also mean "hurry up" but according to my friends here, lately it is used as a slang expression meaning "right on, man". Cheech Marin used it that way in one of his films.
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 2
Hi,
There was an article in the recent Antioch Press discussing ORALE and they stated that ORALE translates to "OK".
I also did a quick google search and found the following:
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=orale
3. orale
Spanish word used among Mexicans meaning 'right on', 'hell yes', 'okay' and 'alright'; usually said enthusiastically.
There's going to be tons of free beer at the quincenera, want to go?
Orale!
Good Day,
KingsX
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 92
That good? I will have to check it out. Thanks for the heads-up
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 529
Had lunch there today with my wife and cousin. The food was very good. My only complaint was that the beef taco was ground beef and not shreded beef and the shell was a pre-made one like served at Taco Bell and not a corn tortilla shell. Other than that all food choices were very good and I will go back. Service was good also.
Joined: Sep 2006
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I brought my wife back a two (ground beef) taco meal. She didn't say awhole lot about hers, but that's probably because I kept telling how good my pork enchilada was and she couldn't get a word in edgewise. She actually likes flour tortillas better than corn, but I prefer corn myself.
Is shredded beef an option there? I didn' even ask when I ordered. I would always opt for shredded if I order beef too.
I wonder if they are using the smokers that Applewood had to cook the meat? I should have asked him, but I'm sure I'll go back there soon.
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Had no complaint about the taste, I guess it was the presentation.
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1147
I'm not quite sure what you mean about the taco shells. Mine was corn. As far as appearing "pre-fab", you can get those taco form baskets for deep frying tortillas. Maybe they use those. There's nothing wrong with that. I like soft corn tacos myself. Next time I'm there I'll ask if they can make them that way.
Joined: Jan 2008
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I'm not knocking the food, in fact both me and my wife thought it was great and will be back.It's more my preferance for the soft corn tortillas and shreded beef. The sauce for the meat was good and I had no complaint about the taste. I also had a chile relleno which was excelent.
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1147
I just swung by and picked up a take out menu. On the take out menu for tacos it specifically says soft corn or flour tortilla so I'm not sure why people are getting crispy ones without asking for them that way. They're not pre-fab like I thought. They use a form and fry them to order. I talked to the owner and basically you can get anything done the way you want. All you have to do is ask. For beef items they have ground beef, shredded beef or steak. Again, just ask.
As for their name, !ORALE!, when I asked him he got this big grin on his face and said the word with a lot of gusto. I guess the exclamation points at both ends of the word should have been a giveaway. He agreed that there are a lot of meanings but for them it mainly a greeting.
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Thanks.... next time I'll just open my big mouth and ask!
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Stopped in at about 2pm with a couple business associates, the place not busy at all 4 other tables, we waited and waited for someone to take our order, then no silver ware, we never got a refill on our chips, or salsa and to the enchiladas we ordered were lukewarm, not what we are used to at a Mexican Restaurant. Another table waited and waited for their bill, then just got up and went to the counter....not so good.
I would highly recommend La Fuente Mexican on First Street in Brentwood, authentic, fantastic customer service, refills on fresh made salsa, even with Breakfast. For authenticity, huge portions and hot food you can't beat this place. They even have large take out platters for big parties. Nothing re-heated, all hot and fresh, the chili relleno, hot out of the fryer.. If you have not been here while in Bwood, try it, you will go back many many times.... The breakfast menu is fantastic, and they even have Birria, and Menudo on weekends. The place packed for breakfast, lunch and dinner....a very good sign.
El Gallito drive in on highway four in Brentwood is also excellent for authentic belly buster burritos :} inexpensive, fresh food, always hot too ;}
Joined: Mar 2006
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This board format has me confused...are you refering to Orale or another restaurant?
Roy Gursky http://gurskyranch.com
Joined: Sep 2006
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Are you asking me, Roy, or somebody else?
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 409
Commenting to BBrentwood. Call me today and I'll teach you a trick on how to figure out who's responding to who.
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1851
LOL! My wife went to Orale last night with her mother and our kids and had quite an experience. When I went there I got food to go, but they ate there, They said the food was great, but they weren't sure what to think of the service. Creepy, overly boisterous, over-the-top, weird, were some of the descriptions. They had no idea if the wait staff was being serious or not. It was chilly last night, so when they first arrived, they told them they wanted a "warm" place to sit and the guy said pointing, "The kitchen's back there." Then they asked if they could sit in a booth they saw, and the guy said, "That one will cost you more." They laughed at first, but soon discovered the jokes were just getting started. My son ordered the chimigangas, and they guy yells out at the top of his lungs, "CHIMICANGAS! BEAUIFUL!!!!" and everybody in the restaurant looks over at him like he just got bingo. When they come out of the kitchen running the food to the table, they yell out something like, "I got "PORK BURRITO, PORK BURRITO HERE!" like you're at a ballgame or something. Then they asked him what happened to the bean dip they ordered and he says, "Bean dip not on menu." They figured he was joking and was on his way to get it, but then it never came and they asked him again and he said with a big smile, "No bean dip on menu, you can order anything on the menu." (Now to be fair, I've never understood why my family has to always order bean dip, when they could just dip their chips in their beans, but that's another story and I'm assuming they have chips). When they finished eating, the guy gives each person an evaluation of how well you did on your meal. I'm guessing that comes free of charge. Then when you leave, they have a reception line at the door all saying goodbye in different slangs and languages and they remember one guy boisterously waving and yelling, "Merry Christmas!"
My family said it was the most bizarre service they ever had, but I'm sorry I missed it. I can't wait actually to go there myself and experience it. I guess you had to be there. My family can exaggerate sometimes, so I'm looking forward to other people going and then posting what they thought of the service. I guess it's not a place you are likely to forget as they are all still talking about it today. Mind you, I'm not saying it's bad by any means, but just informing people you might be in for a unique dining experience so be prepared for the unexpected. It's probably a good thing I didn't go because I probably would have egged them on much to the chagrin of my family and the other diners. I might have heckled them until they shut me up by pulling my head back by my hair and pouring sangria down my throat ala Senior Frog's!
!Orale! (Berlin, how do we do an upside-down exclamation point like there is before the O in Orale?) LOL
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Didn't you know that March 1st is "Avergüence al Cliente" day in Mexico?
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No, didn't know that. I was pretty sure it wasn't Christmas though! :)
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Posts: 243
i still can't find anything on the new board. i hate it.
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 529
Just had dinner there and service was excelent but as BJ said different. Everyone that entered was greeted with an enthusiastic "ORALE" and all food and drinks were served with a side of humor and good natured kidding. Food was excelent and servers kept you entertained.
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 196
Oh what a tangled web they weave, when they set out to deceive.
My posting is explicitly clear. Like everyone else in here I have an opinion and a favorite restaurant. I know whos responding to who, do you?? You dont seem to be "confused" with anyone else posting their favorite restaurant. Get over it.
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 181
Roy,
Ok whats the tricks? I am still having trouble following some of the posts
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 409
At the bottom of the opened thread, from "Comment viewing options", select Threaded List - Collapsed. Save changes. Voila!
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 3
Orale is owned by the same owner of the real good Guadalajara Grill in Concord (Clayton Rd at Ygnacio Valley). The menu is very similar and yes I agree, the food is very good, but the helpers at Orale need some work! The better mexican restaraunt is Cocina Medina further down Hillcrest at Lonetree. The food is just as good if not better and the help there is superb with the owners present every day.
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1851
You know, I had an inkling it was owned by the Guadalajara guy, because I thought that was him in there with the longer hair when I got my food to go. We go to Guadalajara quite often and he's got a very successful business in Concord/Clayton with a lot of regular customers. He's a friendly guy and the staff there cracks a lot of jokes too, but I've never seen them go overboard. As usual, it might take some time to get everything up to par with Guadalajara, but it will do well if it can be as popular as that place. See, I enjoy Guadalajara a lot so I will keep going to Orale, but I know some people who say Guadalajara isn't authenic enough for them... whatever that means. It's just personal taste.
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 2
First time poster here, had to throw my two cents in on this subject though. Having tried both restaurants I would vote for Cocina every time. The food is excellent, the service top notch and like someone else already said, the owners, Allie and Raphael, are there every day. Orale is going to have a lot of work on its hands to come close to the dining experience of Cocina medina.
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 14
Cocina Medina vs. Orale
I do believe I am the one of the only people here that doesn't care for the food at Cocina Medina. The 2 regular things we order when we dine Mexican are the chili relleno and the chili verde. The relleno was an ortega [cheating and a short-cut in my book] and the verde had no zing to it at all. The refried beans were meh. The service was one of the best I'd experienced for a middle-of-the-road [price wise] restaurant. It is okay Mexican food, but not great. I will not go back because of the food.
I'm looking forward to trying Orale.
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 409
And your choice of mexican Restaurants in the area woudl be:..? Just curious.
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 14
'eh I have to break it up by type of Mexican food....
Cecila's for:
Refried beans, creamy goodness. I do love the avocado tostada The relleno is not good and an ortega. Expresso Burrito Fajita Burrito Salsa is okay, not great. and the Margarita - over ice no salt is good on a hot day.
When we are kidless for the evening, their happy hour is really good. The service is okay, not great depending on the waiter you get.
Gunters Grill:
Hands down the best chili relleno in town. A pasilla pepper, grilled, stuffed and in a batter and sauce I cannot make at home.
The beans are excellent. And great homemade salsa.
Chili verde = Zing galore with homemade tortillas.
Little Manules:
Has okay beans but a great enchilada sauce on top. The only place I've found that has flour tortillas for chips [double yum] . Service is awful, order to go, but check it to make sure it is right.
I've been hearing about a few places in Brentwood/Oakley anything good there? Now that you know how picky I can be? hummmm.... Been to El Camino, it just didn't do it for me... most stuff seemed canned or just not fresh.
****edited to add****
Cecila's is the only place that offers an A La Carte section on their menu. For me and the kids this is great. Husband has no problem knocking back an entire meal. I can rarely finish all of it so to knock off 4$ or so for the rice and beans works for us a family of 4.
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Favorite is La Fuente, but for more authentic, I'd go back to Las 3 Marias in a heartbeat.
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Posts: 37
Roy - I have not tried La Fuente, but will. Las 3 Marias is my favorite. I have to say I'm there 1 day a week - excellent authentic mexican food!
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Posts: 2
I just got back from another enjoyable meal at Cocina Medina. Raphael, the owner, and I were having a conversation about this topic. I feel, as I am sure he does, that everyone is entitled to their own opinion as to which Mexican restaurant they choose to dine at. However, to the poster above who stated that the Chile Rellenos were made from Ortega chiles, I can say that only fresh chiles are used. I know this because Raphael walked out and showed me a box containing the chiles in question, and they are as fresh as can be. To say that you dislike the Rellenos is your right and you are free to feel this way. However, to say that canned chiles are used in a dish when you don't know if it's true or not is just plain mean. Everything at Cocina is made fresh daily. I think it shows. Perhaps the poster in question would like to give the restaurant another try?
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 14
Bubba,
'eh I wasn't being mean... I just didn't care for their type of chili used. The one I had was skinned like an ortega. If it is skinned and not fire grilled [like Gunters] it has no flavor, to me.
Honestly, I was impressed with the service and not with the food.
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 529
Fyi one way to prepare a chile is to grill it to the point that the skin blackens and peels off prior to it being stuffed, battered, etc.
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Posts: 1147
Right Cowboy, That's the way to peel 'em. Char them over a flame, pop them into a zip-loc bag or cover them in a dish for about 30 minutes to let them steam, then peel them. Most cooks use Anaheim chiles which are the mildest but I kind of like Pasilla (Ancho) or Poblano chiles which add a little kick.
Although not a make or break thing as far as whether or not I'll go back to a Mexican restaurant, rellenos are an indication of how the rest of the menu might be treated. It's usually the first thing I order when I try a new place. I also love them. The other thing that seems to change from cook to cook is the sauce that goes over the rellenos. One thing that ruins a good relleno for me is to cover it with cold watery salsa. I like a warm "gravy" kind a sauce that's usually made by pureeing green chiles and tomato sauce.
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 529
Stop, you guys have me drooling all over my keyboard! My idea of a good relleno is one that gets a little sweat on the forehead.
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Posts: 9
Is this the GUADALAJARA GRILL you were talking about? http://decadeonline.com/insp.phtml?agency=ccc&record_id=PR0026170 If it is, this certainly isn't very appetizing to me. This was from a year ago though, so maybe they've cleaned up.
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1851
That's it, but to be fair, you'd have to post the inspection reports for all the other restaurants too because most of them I check out seem pretty similar unless they are brand new. That's why I stopped looking at them myself. There might be one place in the county that's perfect, but who wants to go to the same restaurant every time? I agree with you though in that I hope they took care of those things. They're still open, so I'm going to assume they did! :)
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 115
A JIM BOY'S TACOS! We stopped there on the way home from Tahoe, and the food was far better than MANY sit down fancier Mexican restaurants I've been to. We were blown away with the flavor, and great prices. I've been to the Gaudalajara Grill in Concord, and it's NOT WORTH the money. Too expensive! Cocina Medina is good, and the service is TOP NOTCH. We enjoy La Fuente, and Jalisco's in Brentwood. HOWEVER, Jim Boy's is just as good if not better (the taco shell alone is to die for), w/great prices. Of course, I'm a Pittsburg girl, so The New Mecca, is close to my heart!
Has anyone else here had Jim Boy's?
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1851
I haven't been to Jalisco's in Brentwood but I've been to a different one and I love that hot and sweet sauce you can put on the burritos.
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 22
The best rice, the best chili relleno's, the best nachos. I have tried all the places you have been too, but still find this the best. I recently went to Cocina Medina and it is beautiful inside and have great service and warm chips, great salsa, nice bar. Not happy with the mole. I keep going back to Salsa Taquera Cocina Mexicana, Delta Fair Blvd.
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 409
Well, we went to Ali Baba's last night in Brentwood.. Another Kabob place not open. Ended up at Mia's Mex Restaurant off Sand Creek Road in the center across from the where Ali Baba's was supposed to be open. Very nice, good carnitas, lots of chips, cheese dip, salsa. big portions, no complaints.!