Pico De Gallo

Wandering through Philadelphia’s Center City restaurant section at dinner time proves to be a hit-or-miss gamble, especially with an empty stomach beginning to rumble.

Luckily, I didn’t have to search for long on a recent night out; tucked away on 15th and South, we discovered a little corner restaurant that turned out to be a slice of Tijiuana heaven.

Pico De Gallo is a teeny 24-seat burrito bar with a whole lotta style – the walls are decorated in kitschy style, like Day of the Dead meets your Mexican pack-rat Grandma. The menu, a single laminated sheet, is full of creative dishes and offbeat flavors like fish tacos or grilled sweet plaintains.

Vegetarian options abound and a few dishes can be altered for vegan diners. Our waitress Bonnie, a friendly Lily Allen lookalike, was quick to refill our drinks and offer a second basket of complimentary chips and salsa while we browsed the options.

Pico De Gallo gets kudos for using ingredients like organic black beans and free range chicken, but loses a few green points for serving drinks in disposable plastic cups. Iced tea, lemonade, and fresh juices are generously served in large plastic pitchers. Cool and trendy margaritas can be ordered by the glass for $7.50, or by the half or whole pitcher for $13 or $25.

The Pico De Gallo Nachos ($5.50) were a gooey yet crunchy start, served atop well-sized fried tortillas with black beans, cheddar, sour cream and organic jalapenos – well portioned, well priced, and good enough to carry the restaurant’s name.

My meal was an overstuffed vegetarian burrito with organic black beans, portobello mushrooms, grilled marinated cactus, and homemade cheese, served inside a thick pita-like tortilla, freshly made just minutes before. I’m not a big fan of mushrooms in the first place (their flavor overpowered most of the dish), but I had to get this meal just so I can say I’ve eaten cactus before.

Next time, I’ll try the “La Calabaza”, a vegan burrito with virgin olive oil, eggplant, roasted peppers, and zucchini.

Dining at this restaurant felt like eating dinner with a big extended family. The funky eatery was home to chatty couples sipping margaritas, dreadlocked twentysomethings holding hands, and a family of five with small children enjoying meals as diverse as the patrons.

Dessert is nearly an unnecessary option after such a filling meal, but that notion is quickly tossed away with one bite of Pico De Gallo’s sopapillas. Eight enormous triangles of fried dough drizzled lightly with warm honey somehow managed to be delicate and light, almost airy. The melt-in-your-mouth texture and vague funnel-cake taste lingers after the last piece is gone, leaving me licking my fingers for any remaining honey. The dessert menu also features Pastel Tres Leches, a light milk-soaked cake traditional to Mexico, and fried ice cream wrapped in a fresh tortilla, each $6.

This casual, unpretentious place won my vote with its quirkiness, good food, and laid back attitude.

Pico De Gallo
1501 South St
Philadelphia, PA 19146
(215) 772-1119
Open: Noon-11pm (later on weekends)