by Bottom Line: Guajillo’s in San Antonio is serving up some authentic Mexican food, and several of their dishes (including their salsa) bring the heat.
There are plenty of places across San Antonio serving up some pretty darn good Tex-Mex food, and I have several on my list that I frequent on a regular basis. The problem with Tex-Mex, though, is that even though they use a lot of spices, the food typically does not deliver much heat. Sure, there are plenty of seasonings and jalapeños and maybe even some spicy salsa, but in general, this cuisine is on the mild side at best. But if you seek out more authentic Mexican restaurants, the ones that specialize in traditional dishes made south of the border, you have the chance to encounter more heat with your meal. And Guajillo’s in North San Antonio is just such a place.
They refer to themselves as “The Shortcut to Mexico,” and they have a menu that includes beef, chicken, pork, seafood, and more, prepared in a style more authentic to their country of origin. I’ve been driving by the place for years (my office used to be just down the road), and I finally added it to my list of restaurants to try after reading that it offers some spicy Mexican food. You won’t find nachos or crispy beef tacos or enchiladas with chili gravy here, but they have plenty of tasty items to choose from, and be warned that quite a number of these deliver some burn. That, of course, starts with the fresh salsa they bring to your table to kick things off.
This is a tomatillo-based sauce, and from what I understand, it includes the titular guajillo chili (which is a dried version of the Marisol pepper). The sauce has the tang and acidity you expect from tomatillos, with some earthiness from the guajillo, and I think there might be some tomatoes in there as well. But there is definitely another chili pepper because this sauce has some kick, and guajillos are on the mild side. I would assume they use chili de arbol to bring the heat, and this stuff gets close to Hot on my scale. It is also quite tasty, and next time I will inquire if they sell it in pints to go.
Next up, we tried the shrimp cocktail, which has a rich and sweet tomato sauce as its base, along with diced avocados, cilantro, and chopped onion. The shrimp are plump and nicely cooked, with none of that iodine flavor that tends to throw off shellfish. The cocktail was not spicy on its own, but once I added a spoonful of that salsa, it kicked things up nicely.
I asked our rather helpful waiter about spicy dishes on the menu, and he recommended the Asado de Puerco (Pork in Spicy Pepper Sauce). That delivered tender chunks of meat that were well-cooked and flavorful, covered in a tasty sauce. The Spicy Pepper Sauce has some tomato tang and just a bit of sweetness, along with a touch of earthiness. And it delivers a nice kick, getting close to Medium on my scale. They also brought some fresh-made corn tortillas, which are great for making a little taco with the meat (add some beans in there as well) or just for sopping up the sauce.
My wife ordered the Bisteces en Chile Pasilla (Thin-Sliced Steak in Pasilla Pepper Sauce), and my fork certainly ended up in her plate for several bites. It had super-thin and super-tender slices of steak that were cooked just right and drenched in the dark brown sauce. It actually looks like a mole, but it’s based on dried pasilla chilis and also approaches the Medium level of heat. It has a rich, earthy taste and some slight similarities to mole, but it’s not as complex as that sauce. Still, that sauce ended up being the star of the meal for me, and I kept dunking tortillas into her plate to get more of it.
We only tried a sampling of their dishes, but I plan to return and work my way through several more of the menu items. Top on the list is the Mole Poblano, but I also see several dishes made with a Serrano Pepper Sauce that look tempting, and Cochinita Pibil is one of my all-time favorite authentic Mexican meals, so I will have to see how theirs rates. The waiters were very friendly and helpful and got our food out to us quite quickly, despite the fact that the place was packed. You may have to wait if you go at a busy time, but it’s worth it, and I will definitely be making a return trip.
Guajillo’s The Shortcut to Mexico
1001 NW Loop 410
San Antonio, TX 78213
Phone: (210) 344-4119
Website: https://guajillos.com/
