The other night, R and I tried out a restaurant in Old Oakland. This part of Oakland has had an infusion of new restaurants in the past few years and I’ve slowly been visiting them. In trying to decide between Mexican and Italian, we settled on Tamarindo Antojeria Mexicana. We sat down a little after 6pm and it was pretty quiet, but by the time we left at 8:30pm the restaurant was comfortably packed.
The first thing I noticed was how beautiful the restaurant is. The ceiling is an intricate pattern stamped into metal and they have colorful decorations scattered all about the restaurant. Wooden seats are lined with decorative cushions and various plants are placed strategically around the rooms. There are two rooms for seating, one which features an extensive bar and exposed brick wall (pictured at the top of this post) and the other which highlights an open kitchen. We dined in the first room, which also projects a different Mexican film on the wall each night.
While we decided what to eat, we ordered a few cocktails. R ordered el fabuloso, which is a margarita with barrel-aged tequila and a chile salt rim. Mine (pictured above) was the Vampiro made with silver tequila and hibiscus syrup. Both had a good balance of sweet and tart that complemented our meal nicely.
The menu had a good variety of dishes and we settled on tacos de camaron (shrimp tacos in a crispy shell), vegetales asados (cactus salad with chicharrones and avocados), and tostada pollo (shredded chicken with avocado and salsa on a crispy tortilla. R enjoyed the oaxaca cheese in the shrimp tacos, which maintained their structure well, even after biting into them. I preferred the spiciness of the chicken tostadas and we both like the cactus salad well enough. Nopales, or cactus, can be very slimy if not prepared well but this salad was well done and the slight sliminess melded with the vinaigrette in a pleasant way. The cactus had a texture and taste like a green been crossed with a green bell pepper. Overall, a bland plant, but the avocado, cheese, and chicharrones (crispy fried pork skins) added richness and texture.
After the first round of food, we ordered tacos de pescado (fish tacos with chipotle sour cream). I was so excited for them that I completely forgot to take pictures, but I assure you they were as beautiful as they were delicious. R and I both love Rubio’s fish tacos and I find myself comparing all other fish tacos to theirs. Tamarindo’s fish tasted fresh and had a crispy batter that wasn’t overly heavy and it was definitely a step up from Rubio’s.
To finish off the meal, we split a coconut flan. It was the perfect ending – sweet and coconut-y without being cloying. I’m not big on desserts and I appreciated that the caramel had faint bitter notes to offset the sweet custard.
Our server was friendly but not overbearing and she was knowledgable about special menu items and food allergies (I have a pesky nut allergy). Also, although our water glasses were small, they were refilled at regular intervals. We were seated in a cozy corner and, even though the restaurant filled up over the course of the evening, our table still felt intimate. The noise level did rise significantly and there were a few times that it was hard to hear each other, but overall we had a great time. It wasn’t until we left that we noticed they have a happy hour from 5-7pm and I am excited to dine and drink here in the future. We went on a Thursday, so I don’t know how busy it gets on the weekends, but I would absolutely recommend this place to friends.
Happy Dining,
D
P.S. Stay tuned for Leftovers Like New: Rubio’s Tacos and also for my at-home version of Rubio’s famous tacos.
monter au beurre 