Mark T.
Yelp
There is a little Mexican joint close to my home in Massachusetts. This place is a family business with only one location. Their schtick is somewhat similar to Chipotle or Qdoba. You tell them what you want in a taco or burrito, and they make it. With all of these, the ingredients lie in hotel pans. They are not going to be fresh off the grill or griddle, yet that is to be expected.
Enter Broken English Taco Pub. For my main, I ordered the Borderland Brisket. With how fast these came out, for the meat to not be out of a hotel pan it would have to be like the stove Mr. Gambini described in My Cousin Vinny where the laws of physics cease to exist on its burners.
Perhaps this is done solely for efficiency and expediency, or perhaps the whole idea is that the brisket is braised.
I will give them the benefit of the doubt here, especially since I am typically not a fan of braised meat, but I know many people are and don't want to bash a place based on personal preference.
Yet, my review is still three stars... Why? Well if I look at the experience I would say it was as unremarkable as it can be. There was nothing bad about anything I had, at the same time nothing was even close to stand-out.
Enough blabber! Let me break it down! I know that's why you were here on my review page and not someone else's.
The Borderline Brisket tacos had a very generous helping of meat! The brisket was not overcooked (it had a some pink still inside), and the chili flavors made themselves known without bringing too much heat. The escabeche was very pleasant, and conveyed some crunch, freshness, and acidity to offer a new dimension.
If I forget/forgive/overlook that it was closer to braised beef than what I'd call brisket, it still feels as though something is missing. If I were a betting man, I would say this something is fat, either in the form of a little cheese based product or even a crema. With all this, one is left with solid tacos, but not something calling me to order them again,
The same is true of the chips and salsa. I am not a tortilla expert (unfortunately?) but these felt homemade and were of the heartier sort, if you know what I mean. They were seasoned appropriately and not at all greasy. The salsa verde had a lovely heat and freshness. Meanwhile, the Chile de Arbol Ginger Salsa was one of the most savory salsa's I've ever had the pleasure of enjoying. I also requested the smallest possible side of queso - this one did not hit the spot for me. It lacked that gluttonous gooeyness, and was on the acidic side.
For drinks, I had the Rosemary's Baby and a Spicy Margarita. The Rosemary's Baby was a nice balance between boozy and refreshing, had a light sweetness, and a pleasant earthiness. Not out of this world, but not bad either. Where it comes to the Spicy Marg, other than some heat my fire-roasted tongue barely registered, this was extremely barebones as far as margaritas go.
Finally, the vibe is inviting and bumping, and the service is friendly and very speedy.
Thus, we (rather, you) are left asking the question: why three stars instead of four. Essentially, while there was nothing severely amock, I felt that most of the dishes were "good" but not "great". The tacos had a lot of meat - but it felt as though something were missing. The Rosemary's Baby was a solid cocktail, but nothing to write home about. For the Spicy Marg, I felt as though I could have made something like that myself at home. With all this, a solid experience, but one that is forgettable and does not inspire a second visit and/or a recommendation to friends.
