Momocho/El Carnicero

 Happy 2022! 

This is technically December's post. We will have two posts this month. The end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022 has not exactly been ideal.  We had a few family members get COVID around Christmas. A few more got it after the New Year. I got sick after the New Year (not COVID), and I'm finally starting to feel like myself again. Everyone is doing okay, and for that I am so thankful. Without further ado, let's check out another Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives location. 

My love language is tacos and whiskey so when Guy Fieri visited a Mod-Mex place in the Cleveland area, I was ready. The original location is Momocho in Tremont. They have since opened a second location, El Carnicero in Lakewood. I have now been to both locations, so I'll do a little comparing. I must emphasize that these are not traditional Mexican dishes, Chef Eric Williams does a modern twist on the classics. When you think you know what you're getting, you're going to be pleasantly surprised when the dish shows up. Check out the menu for both locations here. 

First floor of Momocho

Momocho is inside an old house in Tremont built in the 1880's. They have a very small parking lot next to the restaurant, otherwise it is street parking. They have an outdoor patio, a bar and high-top tables on the first floor, and more seating on the second floor. I have not been on the second floor, so I cannot say what the seating is like up there. I would recommend making a reservation if they are taking them. Walk-ins have to wait in the bar area hoping for a high-top or bar seats to open up. There's not a lot of standing room, so we've had to wait 1-2 hours hovering over the hostess station and feeling awkward. My favorite place to sit is the patio when the weather is nice. It's very relaxing and has a backyard feel with the lights. 

Patio at Momocho 

El Carnicero has the same type of parking situation. A little bit of a bigger parking lot on the side, and street parking. They do not take reservations, however this place feels massive compared to Momocho. It expands into 3 rooms and has 2 large bars. We walked right in with no wait. I didn't see a patio, which was a little bit of a bummer since I love Momocho's patio so much. 

One side of El Carnicero's bar

We started with drinks. They have a margarita sampler that I enjoy getting so I can try more than one because the flavors are impossible for me to choose from. We got the cranberry chamoy, honey ginger, and blood orange margaritas (in order in the photo below). The cranberry chamoy and blood orange were very similar flavors with a hint of sweetness. My favorite was the honey ginger because I could taste both flavors, and it was so light and refreshing. I'm also a huge ginger fan. The stronger the merrier. 

For appetizers, we picked the 3-flavor guacamole sampler. Guy tried the smoked trout guacamole. We did not try that. I am not the biggest fan of seafood and trout is not mild enough to make the cut. We did the (1) crab guacamole, the (2) black pepper pecorino guacamole, and the (3) goat cheese guacamole (in order in the photo below). The crab was very mild, which we didn't mind because it didn't overpower the other flavors. The stars of this guacamole were the chile chipotle sauce and pickled sweet corn. You can never go wrong with chipotle because it adds a smoky heat that doesn't leave your mouth burning, and pickled anything is fantastic. The black pepper pecorino was our favorite. The pecorino cheese made the guacamole extra creamy and the black pepper perfectly balanced the lime juice. It was just the right amount of a flavor punch. The goat cheese guacamole was our usual favorite, but we actually enjoyed the other two more. There were just some pieces of goat cheese here and there, mostly at the bottom, which made the flavor much more subdued. I liked the tomato in the guacamole just for a different texture. 

Another appetizer we tried were the Tamale Tots. We had mixed reviews on this. Half of us really liked it, and the other half thought there wasn't enough flavor. The fried cornbread had a nice subtle crunch and the inside was so soft and fluffy that I found to be a delightful contrast. The mole sauce holds all the flavor. The 1st piece we tried was just the tamale and we thought it was okay. The 2nd piece with the mole sauce is what changed my mind. I would order this again, but it does feel like it's an appetizer for one person because they are bite-size pieces (I believe there were about 6 pieces). 

One tamale tot

Our first entree was the Tamale Frito. It was very similar to the Tamale Tots, but was a larger piece. The braised pork and garlicky spinach it came with had tangy and savory flavors that I would've happily finished the whole thing. My only wish was that it came with two of the Tamales instead of just one. I don't think it would satisfy me if I didn't have appetizers as well. 

We also tried the Barbacoa dish. The pork was melt-in-your-mouth tender. The pork belly was the best I've ever had. Super tender and didn't make you feel like you were chewing a fatty piece for days. The grits were a nice compliment to all the pork. Fried brussel sprouts and pickled onions added an extra salty and savory boost. My brother said he would 100% come back to order that dish again. 

Next up was the "Tikin Xic"-seared Tuna. It was perfectly cooked and had the spot on flavor of a grilled steak that made me want to eat all of it. There was plenty of rice and pineapple-jicama guacamole that balanced everything well. I didn't taste much of the orange in the orange-achiote mojo sauce and I wish there would've been a stronger flavor of it. I was missing a little citrus. A great option for anyone wanting a "lighter" entree. 

The last entree was the one I come here for-the Machaco Taquitos. This is my all-time favorite beef brisket because it is coffee and chile-ancho braised. Just typing about it makes my mouth water. All the Taquito entrees are DIY, meaning the tortillas, meat, guacamole, and salsa is separated and you need to assemble it yourself. It can be a solid option if you don't like your food touching or want to be in control of how much of each component goes onto your tortilla. 

Even though we were stuffed and didn't really need dessert, I ordered one to-go for when I was ready for a sweet ending to all that deliciousness. I ordered the Mexican Mousse. The chocolate tasted like rich Godiva ice cream (is that a thing?) with sweet cinnamon cream topping. It was very light and comforting. I would definitely get that again to end a great meal. 

Momocho/El Carnicero are definitely in my top Triple D locations that we have been to thus far. I know it isn't authentic Mexican, but I love the modern spin Chef Eric puts on those comforting flavors I love so much. Other people in our group admitted they thought the food would be average, but were impressed and said they would come again. I love OG locations so I have a soft spot for Momocho in Tremont, but I love the open space at El Carnicero in Lakewood. Hopefully one day I will convince myself to try more of the excellent entrees instead of getting my tried and true brisket taquitos (or I'll just order them to-go. Win-win). Let me know if you've been to either of these locations and what your favorites are!