Quick bites Quick bites (March 11, 2005)

The Spot: Taqueria Marlen

The Dish: A taqueria that specializes in traditional Mexican burritos and combination plates. Just next door to a Mexican bakery and food store, Taqueria Marlen is a great place for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, to eat in or take out. Mainstay fare includes big-as-your-fist burritos with chicken or steak, but other meats like goat, beef tripe, and tongue, are also available.
I Tried: A wet red burrito ($6.95) that includes rice, beans, and pieces of cooked steak dripping in a spicy red sauce. The steak had good meaty flavor, but the texture was tough and chewy. The red sauce overwhelmed the dish with its smokiness. A better option is the combination chicken plate ($6.95) that came with a foil-wrapped package of warm soft flour tacos. Also included are refried beans, orange rice, and a salad of strips of lettuce, diced tomatoes, sliced raw radish, and a pickled jalapeno pepper. The huge chicken piece is soft, and cooked in a flavorful, salty tomato-based sauce that goes well with the warm rice and beans.
The Best Was: Agua frescas (99 cents) the fresh pressed fruit drinks that are light, but pack a punch of natural fruit flavor. A refreshing addition to any meal, you can't beat the cantaloupe, papaya, or bright green guava for their cool, sweet taste.
On the Side: Mexican meals can be supplemented with extra beans ($1), rice ($1), guacamole (.50), salsa (.50), or jalapenos peppers (.35). On weekends, fresh tripe soup is available ($6). In the morning, breakfast burritos are available that include chorizo and eggs ($4.95), sausage and eggs ($4.95), or potatoes and eggs ($4.95).
Thirst-Quenchers: A wall length cooler of drinks lines one side of the restaurant and is filled with a variety of beers, fruit juices, high-power drinks, sodas, and bottled agua frescas. Fresh agua fresca flavors change daily, but include mango, papaya, horchata, pineapple, guava, melon, and tamarind.
The Service: The employees at Taqueria Marlen are no nonsense. Once you order, you are handed a ticket with a number. When your meal is ready, the number will be called out in Spanish and you bring the food back to your seat. Every dish is made to order and you can see the final toppings being added from behind the counter.
The Digs: The layout and decoration of the restaurant is simple. The restaurant includes an assembly counter, up front by the register where workers add toppings to the dish. To the right when you walk in, are a series of faux wood benches attached to green tabletops, forming little booths. Flowerpots hang from the ceiling. A jukebox plays lively Spanish tunes in the background, and a huge glass beverage case lines the opposite wall. In lieu of menus, color photos of each available dish are pasted up above the counter.
The Diners: Many people stop in convenience store-style, quickly pick out a beverage, pay, and run. The mainly Mexican clientele includes families with young children, and singles that work in the area and come in for their lunch break.
Bang for the Buck: The combination plates ($6.95) are a great way to get a variety of flavors and textures on one plate. Combination plates include rice, beans, and salad and come with a choice of meats: steak, BBQ pork, fried pork, chile verde pork, goat, or tripe. The meat portions of the combination plates tend to be big, wishing you had more rice or beans to accompany it.
The Details: Taqueria Marlen 2530 California St., Mountain View, CA 94040, Call: 650-947-9611,Open daily, 7:00 am to 10:00 pm.
--Roseanne G. Pereira

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