Tommy's Mexican Restaurant

photo - Yelp, Frederick D.

Tommy's Mexican Restaurant, Dinner, Outer Richmond
June 17, 2016

P:
Enchiladas Suizas (with chicken), served with salad, beans and rice
Milagro margaritas, with salt

J:
Pollo Pibil, served with salad, beans and rice
Milagro magaritas, with salt


Notes:
Tommy's is close to my heart.  When I first lived in this neighborhood way back when, my friend and I would meet here on Friday nights after work and sit at the bar for hours, drinking margaritas and eating chips and salsa.  I brought my Dad here when he visited (he likes a good margarita).  Julio, the gentleman who runs (and maybe owns?) the place, knows his regular customers by name and thanks them for coming, every time.  The bar is always packed with Tequila aficionados and locals alike.  Patrick and I live practically right around the corner, and it's a place we're just in the mood for sometimes.

Tommy's takes margaritas (and tequila, generally) very seriously.  They're prepared on the rocks (though they'll make 'em frozen, if you insist), as this is the best way to taste the nuances in the tequila.  Giant bins of half cut fresh limes sit on the bar, waiting to be squeezed into every glass.  And you'll find no sweet and sour here, only agave syrup.  Tequila, lime and agave syrup, that's all; they make a fantastic margarita.

The food is okay.  It's not the best Mexican food you'll ever have, but it definitely satisfies a craving.  I find their chips and red and green salsas addicting, though some might argue their salsas are not much more than just spicy.  They serve a little salad before the meal consisting of whacked up iceberg lettuce, a couple of slices of carrot and radish, topped with a splash of red salsa.  Gourmet, no, but delicious, yes; I love that simple little salad.  Their guacamole is pretty tasty and generously portioned.  Patrick usually gets the Enchiladas Suizas, which hits the spot for him.  I don't have a usual, but often go with a chicken quesadilla.  On this particular evening I went rogue and ordered the Pollo Pibil, chicken breast and onion marinated in savory achiote (think earthy red pepper), wrapped in a banana leaf and grilled.  The chicken was completely overcooked, but the smokey flavors imparted by the charred banana leaf were really fantastic with that marinade.  Although, I'd probably go back to the quesadilla next time - it goes better with a margarita.


As they say at Tommy's: "If you live in SF, please do not forget to remember how lucky you are."