When you go to school in San Diego, and you procrastinate as much as I do, you get to know the late-night taco stand pretty well. When you’re up at God-forsaken hours pouring over text you should’ve read three (or six) weeks ago, few things can satisfy those 3:00 AM hunger pangs like a carne asada burrito from the local Roberto’s or Cotixans, simply because they’re the only ones open around then. Indeed, the 24-hour taco stand is something of a mecca for San Diego college students, providing greasy respite for the culinarily and/or chronologically challenged. But honestly, after 2 years of gorging myself on late-night burrito runs, I found myself tiring of California burritos and pollo asado fries. More Mexican-American than truly Mexican food, every burrito began tasting the same, while leaving me feeling…well…nasty. And so, I absolved myself from the late-night taqueria, waiting for the day that I would find more authentic, better tasting Mexican food that would revive my jaded taste buds. Luckily for me, that day finally came when I discovered Mama Testa.

Walking into Mama Testa definitely takes you aback for the first few seconds. Vibrant multi-colored walls house numerous statutes and ribbons, while tiny luchadores duke it out on every table. And it’s not uncommon to enjoy your tacos under a maracas-wielding skeleton figurine. Colorful, cooky, and a little jesting, the interior raises an eyebrow and smirks, saying, “No, I am not your average taco shop.” Owner Cesar Gonzalez’ vision for Mama Testa was to build a restaurant out of parts of his memories, decor and food included. And hopefully, I’m not being a cultural ignoramus in saying that the place reminded me of a bad postcard, a little corny, a little cliche, but all in good fun.

The premise behind Mama Testa’s menu is to provide a culinary tour of Mexico through each region’s interpretation of the ubiquitous taco. This vision in itself already had me excited. So often, in the commercialized food culture we live in, ethnic food is treated monolithically. Spaghetti is all there is to Italian food, fried rice is all there is to Chinese food. Rich, diverse culinary heritages are unfairly warped beyond recognition, as they are squeezed through the narrow funnel that is the average American palate. And what is that palate saying? “I want spaghetti.” Years of culinary heritage are trampled upon simply because the average American consumer wants to eat what he narrowly conceives is Italian food, spaghetti and meatballs, rather than the diverse offerings that separate regions and histories have developed. But indeed, the fact of the matter is, for restaurant owners, you need to serve what the clients want if you expect to survive. In any case, attention to regional cuisines always makes me happy, and tells me that the owners take pride in the authenticity of their food. And if you take pride in your food, you will do your damndest to make it good.

The menu is divided into four types of tacos: mama blanditos (soft tacos), mama duros (crunchy tacos), mama guisados (tacos with stew in them), and mama cesta (steamed tacos). Twenty-six types in total…simply amazing. No carne asada fries here…these are derived from home recipes. I ended up going with a buey menso, two tacos served with beef stewed in red tomatillo and guajillo chile sauce, and a side of rice and beans. Interestingly, “buey” means “castrated ox” in slang, “menso” meaning idiot. But, as I learned from a few of the cooks I worked with, buey is used as a general term of address…like “dude.”

Deceivingly simple looking, I took my first bite into the tacos and sirens went off in my mind. “Yes, this is the best taco you’ve ever had.” Biting into the meat released the flavorful sauce, which poured onto your tongue as if to prepare you for the meat itself. The beef was exceptionally tender, starting with a nice, wholesome beef flavor, and finishing with a sour/spicy kick from the chiles. It had the soulful, full kind of flavor that you knew could only come about from hours of patient simmering. It was sublime. People say you can taste love in food, and at the risk of sounding incognizant, it was like eating from the Mexican grandma I never had. The beans themselves had a nice smokiness, a meaty sort of taste, telling you they had been stewed with ham hock or some other part. Definitely the most flavorful beans I’ve ever had. All of which goes to prove that the heart of good food is simple food done well.

My mates and I just looked at each other while chewing, sighing and savoring, sorrowful faces almost mournfully saying…”It’s soooo goood…..” Man, I live for those moments.

Before I go any further, something needs to be said about the salsa bar. Pico de gallo this is not. The humble looking salsa bar actually offers a wide variety of different salsas that you won’t find a Roberto’s. Mango Papaya salsa, tomatillo and parmasean, morita and tomatillo, point is, these are not your average run-of-the mill salsas. Each one offers a unique flavor twist with varying degrees of hotness, spiciness, and sweetness. Definitely a nice, intriguing add-on to the already good food.

Portions aren’t gigantic, and at roughly 10 bucks a plate, it can seem like a bit of a gip. But I found the tacos to be surprisingly filling, and when you taste the quality of the ingredients here, you’ll understand where the money went. I can pretty much say that Mama Testa probably has the best tacos I’ve ever had thus far, possibly even the best Mexican I’ve had thus far. Coupled with a cooky, fun atmosphere, it was definitely a refreshing experience to have high-quality, authentic Mexican food in a town known for bad imitations. But I can rave about it as much as I want, in the end, you’ll have to try it yourself. Happy hour starts at 4 every weekday, with half price Mexican beers, and a variety of other cocktails. Because honestly, the only thing that can make good food better is, obviously, good beer.

Mama Testa
1417 A University Avenue
San Diego, CA 92103
619-298-TACO (8226)
Damn, I love beer and tacos.
And cheers to the Easter boys for showing me this place. Love you guys.