Palenque Gourmet Mexican Grill offers simple, hearty fare
Oney Santiago walks through the kitchen at Palenque Gourmet Mexican Grill in American Fork on Tuesday.
Birria salad at Palenque Gourmet Mexican Grill in American Fork on Tuesday. Read a full review of the restaurant online.http://bit.ly/1k07HxB
Birria salad at Palenque Gourmet Mexican Grill in American Fork on Tuesday, June 24, 2014. GRANT HINDSLEY, Daily Herald
There’s a new dining option in American Fork, and it’s in a familiar location.
Palenque Gourmet Mexican Grill opened its doors about two months ago — and they’re the same doors that used to belong to The Flipside Cafe and, before that, Picasso on 500 East in American Fork.
We visited Palenque on a Saturday evening. There was just one other young family in the restaurant at the time — and, ironically, in talking with them at the counter we discovered they were actually relatives of ours.
This is relative to the discussion because as they were placing their order and we were scanning the menu on the wall behind the counter trying to figure out ours, several other couples and families entered and things all of a sudden seemed very busy.
Palenque’s menu is not really expansive, specializing mainly in straightforward Mexican items like tacos, burritos, tortas and quesadillas. There’s no elaborate fare, like fajitas or chimichangas, etc., just the basics — and there’s nothing wrong with that.
We wanted to sample as many various meats and items as we could, so we made it a point to divide our choices up between the various groups. We ordered a grilled chicken burrito, a grilled steak burrito bowl and a trio of tacos (with Palenque pork, grilled steak and grilled chicken). Other filling options included birria (shredded beef), house chicken, fish, shrimp or vegetarian.
What we learned with our choices was that the inside fillings and accompaniments were basically all the same. The only real differences were the choice of meat and what format you wanted it in (burrito, burrito bowl or taco). All three contained what seemed to be the same mixture of lettuce, rice, beans, tomatoes or pico, and what appeared to be Monterey Jack cheese.
The plate of tacos was our favorite item — and you can order a plate of three for $7.50 to $8.25 depending on your choice of meat, or mix and match any three choices, which is what we did. The tacos were great-sized and were so overflowing with ingredients that it was a challenge (albeit a good one) to fold the soft tortilla into a non-spilling position while eating. Good luck with that!
The burrito and burrito bowl were also extremely well-portioned. What’s a burrito bowl, you ask? We had the same question. Turns out it is just the filling of a burrito without the outside tortilla wrap.
As for the meats we sampled in the various items, they were all delicious. The grilled chicken had a nice smoky flavor, the grilled steak was savory, and the Palenque pork was deliciously sweet and might have been our favorite of the three — which wouldn’t typically be the case.
We also tried a side order of chips and salsa, with guacamole. These were delicious, and the guacamole was thick and flavorful, just how we like it. These portions were a bit on the small side, but we liked them.
For beverages, there are the usual soda fountain choices, or you can try horchatas, a Mexican drink usually featuring a blend of milk, rice, cinnamon and sugar. We opted for the latter, and had a hard time keeping it away from our young boys, who immediately took a liking to it. It was good.
The restaurant is not large, but it is divided into two areas by a half-wall. One side has seven booths and the other has a combination of a few booths and tables. The walls are decorated with a variety of scene-scapes, none of which seemed decidedly Mexican in nature.
PALENQUE GOURMET MEXICAN GRILL
Where: 192 S. 500 East, American Fork
Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
Prices: $2.45-$9.95
Info: (801) 980-5472