I've been going to Taqueria Buenavista in all of its iterations for years. The original location, on 60th and Burnham, is a counter service spot that is tiny but pumps out great tacos, and they operate a few food trucks as well. Recently, the owners closed a second Buenavista on Forest Home in order to pay more attention to the new Buenavista Banquets & Restaurant. As the name implies, the new space is part banquet hall and part restaurant. The restaurant is open during regular business hours, regardless of whether the banquet space is rented out or not.
The restaurant has its own dedicated entrance, though it's also accessible from the banquet side. It felt a little like we were eating in a banquet hall too, with those dark veneer tables and padded chairs where the backrest leans just a bit too far back. Besides a painted mural and a few TVs, it's a bland and sterile space, especially compared to the coziness of the Taqueria. Maybe it just needs more time to feel lived in.
The food, on the other hand, is already up to its normal high standards. Everything from the Taqueria and trucks is here, just without a picture board menu. A taco dinner ($9.25) is simple and so satisfying, especially when you choose the tender lengua that's lightly seared. Tacos come topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, sour cream and cilantro by default, so let them know if you'd prefer something else. The tamal dinner ($9.25) is also a standard and includes three pork tamales made by the owner's mother at least once a week.
Thick masa cakes for both the sopes ($9.25) and huarache ($9.25) are homemade. The sopes are smaller, with a thick lip for holding toppings on, while the huarache is large and meant to be eaten with a fork. Both are topped with a generous smear of refried beans, lettuce, tomato, onion, sour cream, cheese and your choice of meat.
Guacamole ($5) is one of only four appetizers and is fresh and chunky. An appetizer platter, botana Buenavista ($12.75), includes mini chimichangas, flautas and grilled shrimp. The house chips and salsa are good enough for me though, with a bowl of cooked tomato salsa studded with fresh tomatoes and onions for freshness, and the creamy green “grandma's sauce” in one of the squeeze bottles that always packs a punch. Chips are merely a delivery vehicle for bright green pools of the stuff.
The seafood section of the menu includes favorites from the Taqueria like camarones al mojo de ajo ($12.75), or shrimp in a garlic and onion sauce, and camarones a la Mexicana ($12.75) with tomatoes, jalapeno and onions. Camarones a la diabla ($12.75) come with about a dozen plump shrimp in a deep red salsa with sliced onions. It's only mildly spicy. Tilapia ($12.50) in a number of preparations, coctel de camarones ($12.75) and ceviche ($10.50) are all new dishes.
Meat lovers will enjoy the new parrillada which can be ordered for one person ($17.50) or two ($35). Thinly sliced beef short ribs, grilled chicken, steak and chorizo are delivered to the table on a sizzling, sterno-heated metal pan. The ground chorizo at the bottom of the pan gets nice and caramelized, while the short ribs and other meats on top are well seasoned. Grilled onions, a banana pepper, cilantro and a quesadilla are garnishes, and they come with a healthy scoop of guacamole to brighten up all that meat. One person would be lucky to finish the steaming, single-serve portion.
Also served sizzling are fajitas ($12.25-$13) in steak, shrimp, chicken and mixed varieties with bell peppers and onions. These fajitas come coated in a bit of orange chili-flecked sauce and turn heads in the dining room as they're delivered on their ripping hot cast-iron skillet.
A full bar is available with the typical margaritas, but I prefer ordering one of the many flavors of Jarritos sodas offered or a horchata ($1-$3), which is tinted with copious amounts of cinnamon. Like everything here, it's a good value. Couple that with an expanded menu and plenty of dining room space, and this Buenavista location is great for gatherings of all sizes.
