Like most critics, I don’t normally make judgments about the prices at restaurants. The value of a meal is subjective and ultimately up to the reader. But this is a review where prices are impossible to ignore, because the conversation around La Casa de Alberto is all about perceived value.
No one can talk about eating at La Casa de Alberto without mentioning how inexpensive it is. Milwaukeeans are frugal people, and it’s half brag, half helpful tip when we pass on information about getting the best value on a meal. And for a full service restaurant, the prices here are indeed low. As a frugal person, I, too, mention that fact when I’ve recommended this restaurant, but that little adrenaline rush of scoring a great meal deal should not propel diners to overlook Alberto’s shortcomings.
This is a restaurant I’ve been to a lot over the years, and most items have been good enough to order more than once. The tacos are perhaps the best thing on the menu, depending on what filling you choose. Alberto’s tacos ($6) come in sets of four, but you can mix and match. The tacos fill up a full plate, with the default toppings of lettuce, chopped tomato, red onion and cilantro piled high. Both corn and flour tortillas are pretty standard, so choose whichever you prefer. Don’t bother with the chicken filling as it’s overcooked and dripping wet. Mildly spiced pastor is the best option, followed by the ground beef, which is studded with cubed potatoes.
Chicken mole is also a standout. Choose either bone-in dark meat ($6.50) or boneless chicken breast ($7.50). Both come in a super thick, dark mole that’s clearly been simmering and concentrating for a long time. The dark meat is naturally moister than the breast, but the latter has been braised long enough that you can cut it with a fork. You’ll want to scoop up every last bit of mole with your tortillas or mix it into your rice.
Shrimp poblano ($12) comes with about eight plump, peeled shrimp mixed with roasted poblano pepper strips and onions. It’s similar to fajitas, but it gets a thick layer of melted white cheese on top to push it over the edge into delicious territory. It’s also available with steak ($12) or chicken ($10) instead of shrimp.
The only appetizers here are Pico de Gallo ($2) and guacamole ($4-$6). Get the latter, as it’s always fresh and chunky. They’ll tailor the ingredients to your taste, too, if you don’t want cilantro or request it extra hot, for example. Chips and three types of salsas are free, but the salsas vary in quality from visit to visit. The best is the tomato-based version simply because it’s consistent and nicely acidic. The other two vary from watery to thick puree and from bland to bitter. It’s a bit of a crap shoot.
Also worth skipping is the shrimp a la diabla ($12). Often my go-to dish at Mexican restaurants, here the sauce is made predominantly with tomatoes instead of a chile puree. Though the shrimp are fine, there are more bell peppers than anything else, and I’d rather the sauce have much more flavor and heat. The chorizo tacos ($8 for 4), meanwhile, are hit or miss. When they’re good, they’re really good, with some well-done crispy bits and very little grease (and often on special for only $5). But I stopped ordering them after they were inedibly sour one night, and after sending them back to the kitchen after only a few bites, I was told that that’s just the way they always are.
There are some things to really love at La Casa de Alberto, but there are some flaws that get ignored because people put so much emphasis on that total price. It appears to be a winning strategy for the restaurant, though, because as long as the food is at least comparable to nearby pricier competitors, they’ll continue to have a full dining room. I know that I’m cheap enough to keep going back for tacos and mole despite finding a few duds over the years.
