This is SERIOUS!! Mexican Food? (retired, rated, place)

[JustJamie]

Alfonso's Mexican Food
1022 S 21st St
Colorado Springs, CO 80904
(719) 575-9289

My girlfriend and I love it there. Good food, good prices, and nice people.

[Mike from back east]

A lawyer pal (a public prosecutor sort), originally from Los Angeles and of Mexican heritage, took us down to Leonela's Carniceria at 3736 E. Pikes Peak Ave, just a block west of Academy.

The food was excellent and cheap. It's set up as a supermarket with a fast food room on the end. Order food, and pick it up, at the counter. Friendly people. I had the Taco Pastor (spicy pork) and it was really good and I especially liked the Torta Polla (shredded white meat chicken sandwich) as it was tender, moist and VERY nicely seasoned. A full table of condiments, ranging from mild to flaming, is on the side. They have the usual fountain drinks, as well as several Mexican drinks on tap, like Horchata, and a pineapple drink and a berry drink too.

The supermarket was full of Mexican specialties and the butcher counter was amazing, like the big old inner city block-long markets I recall from my childhood in Baltimore. I've never seen most of those cuts of meat, some very think for cooking various Mexican dishes. I think they had tripe 3 or 4 ways. There was a case of pastries and a cooler of soda pops and other drinks that are unique to the culture. Numerous spices. And at last 30 pinata's of all sizes and shapes, including some hilarious looking "spronge bob" types that had my wife giggling.

I'm told the guy started with one small store and kept expanding. Here's a 5-year old review, but one that's still accurate: More Than a Meat Market : Shopping at Carniceria Leonela : Food : Appetite : Colorado Springs Independent : Colorado Springs

One thing that I noted was that everyone in the eatery and in the market was happy and smiling, not like shopping at the big chain markets where people cannot break a smile to save themselves.

Not a sit down joint with table service, but MOST definitely worth a visit.

s/Mike

[SaxLuva]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

A lawyer pal (a public prosecutor sort), originally from Los Angeles and of Mexican heritage, took us down to Leonela's Carniceria at 3736 E. Pikes Peak Ave, just a block west of Academy.

The food was excellent and cheap. It's set up as a supermarket with a fast food room on the end. Order food, and pick it up, at the counter. Friendly people. I had the Taco Pastor (spicy pork) and it was really good and I especially liked the Torta Polla (shredded white meat chicken sandwich) as it was tender, moist and VERY nicely seasoned. A full table of condiments, ranging from mild to flaming, is on the side. They have the usual fountain drinks, as well as several Mexican drinks on tap, like Horchata, and a pineapple drink and a berry drink too.

The supermarket was full of Mexican specialties and the butcher counter was amazing, like the big old inner city block-long markets I recall from my childhood in Baltimore. I've never seen most of those cuts of meat, some very think for cooking various Mexican dishes. I think they had tripe 3 or 4 ways. There was a case of pastries and a cooler of soda pops and other drinks that are unique to the culture. Numerous spices. And at last 30 pinata's of all sizes and shapes, including some hilarious looking "spronge bob" types that had my wife giggling.

I'm told the guy started with one small store and kept expanding. Here's a 5-year old review, but one that's still accurate: More Than a Meat Market : Shopping at Carniceria Leonela : Food : Appetite : Colorado Springs Independent : Colorado Springs

One thing that I noted was that everyone in the eatery and in the market was happy and smiling, not like shopping at the big chain markets where people cannot break a smile to save themselves.

Not a sit down joint with table service, but MOST definitely worth a visit.

s/Mike

Thanx a bunch Mike. I am also Hispanic and finding good Mexican food in Colorado Springs is a joke. Pueblo and Denver have some good ones, but COS sucks when it comes to "good" Mexican food unless I make it myself. I will definately give Leonela's Carniceria a try.

[rock_lobster!]

Sax - be sure to let us know after you visit. I am very interested to hear what you think of it!

[SaxLuva]

Originally Posted by rock_lobster!

Sax - be sure to let us know after you visit. I am very interested to hear what you think of it!

Will do

[Pogo]

I don't think I have seen anybody mentioning Carlos Miguels at Cheyenne Mountain Blvd.? Surprising. My hubby is pure Mexican and he likes that place a lot. We've been there now about 3 times and really enjoyed the food. Love to sit outside on their patio area and watch them making us fresh guacamole right there on our table Prices are good too!

@Mike
We just went 3 weeks ago to Leonela's Carniceria. My hubby raved about their breakfast tacos. I stuck with the safe bet and had a egg burrito though

[love colo summers]

Someone may have already mentioned them, but I like Poblano's in Falcon. Their food and service is great.

[SaxLuva]

Originally Posted by rock_lobster!

Sax - be sure to let us know after you visit. I am very interested to hear what you think of it!

I went there for lunch today. I was actually pretty good. I had carne asada and even got some tamales from the store side. Albertacos on HWY 85/87 in Security has very good Mexican fast food as well. But just so you know this is not the kind of Mexican restaurant I was talking about. I was talking about the kind you go in and sit down and have Mexican-American food. Leonela's Carniceria and those kinds of places are "Mexican" Mexican places. I know that sounds silly, but there is a significant difference. I guess I got spoiled as a kid. My family owned and ran a resaurant called La Paloma. It was on Colorado Ave right under the I25 overpass. Now that was some good Mexican food................

[Pogo]

Well, Mexican-american is not the real deal. That's like some people here serving me a bratwurst in a hot dog bun and calling that German food My hubby always laughs about places like Taco Bell and all the other ones that serve in his words "psyeudo mexican food", that no one in Mexico would actually really eat

[SaxLuva]

Originally Posted by Pogo

Well, Mexican-american is not the real deal. That's like some people here serving me a bratwurst in a hot dog bun and calling that German food My hubby always laughs about places like Taco Bell and all the other ones that serve in his words "psyeudo mexican food", that no one in Mexico would actually really eat

I hate to tell you this but Mexican-American is VERY real. I was born here, not Mexico. And while a lot of ingredients are similar, the preparation, taste, and dishes can be very different. Another thing you need to know, is that Mexican food prepared here, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, are all very different as well. I'm not talking about Taco Bell, that shouldn't even be considered food. But please, don't disrespect my culture if you know nothing more than what your husband says about it. Is your husband Mexican from Mexico or is he even Hispanic at all? Have you or your husband ever been to Mexico? Do you know what they eat in the different provences there? Probably not. Well I do, so please don't tell me about NOT being the real deal. They eat differently in northern German than they do in Bavaria (southern Germany) so which of them are not the real deal? Are people of German decent born in America any less proud or less German? Would you like for someone to make a statement like you did about your heritage?