restaurant list > cilantros

~ Current as of: 3/28/07

CILANTROS TEX-MEX GRILL
110 McFarland St., Charleston, W.Va. 304/346-4177

TYPE: 'Fast Casual' Tex-Mex food.

OFFERINGS: Select-your-own ingrendients to make burritos, tacos and salads: 'Subway meets Taco Bell.'

HOURS: Mon 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Tues-Sat 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Closed Sunday.

PRICES: About $6 to $10.

VEGETARIAN DISHES: Tofu and other veggie fillings available.

MENU: N/A

ALCOHOL: Beer

DELIVERY: No

KID'S MENU: No

ACCESSIBILITY: Appears accessible for people using wheelchairs

RESERVATIONS: No

TAKEOUT: Yes

CATERING: Yes.

WIRELESS INTERNET: Yes

RELATED:
Video: One restaurant burned, so Virgil Sadorra built one in its place.
Blogpost: Delish reincarnated as Cilantros - (10/19/07)

FOR CHANGES , call 304-348-3017
or e-mail gazz@wvgazette.com

Cilantros offers easy and comfortable combo

By Maureen Crockett
For the Sunday Gazette-Mail
02/18/2007

Like the phoenix rising from its ashes, Cilantros has shown up where Delish flamed out. Literally. Self-described as a 'Tex-Mex Grill,' Cilantros rises above that description.

The narrow space is brilliantly lit, with vividly painted walls decorated by Charleston photographer Steve Payne's framed photos. Polished, blond tables are washable, a necessary qualification for these meals.

Entering diners get neither table nor menu. When two old pals went there recently with me and my husband Bill, we just queued up before a long line of serving trays. Three friendly guys wearing sage-colored Cilantros T-shirts guided our choices while answering questions about the proffered items. We had four major decisions:

The first was choosing to encase all our choices among three tacos, a burrito, or to go "shirtless," meaning every item gets plopped bare on a plate.

Second, we choose among fish, beef, chicken, pork, grilled veggies or tofu, and we decide about cheeses, tortilla chips, rice, guacamole, onions and beans.

Then comes a colorful variety of fresh green peppers, red diced tomatoes, lettuce, jalape os and much more.

Finally we choose sauces and salsa, while another server describes hot spices, sweetness and ingredients. One might choose a bourbon glaze sauce, or salsa made with peaches or mangos. "This is sweet and mild with a warm finish," a server says, pointing to raspberry sauce.

Cilantros caters to diners with allergies, letting them know what they can't eat. Five percent of its profits go to the Food Allergies and Anaphylaxis Network.

For each item, a diner may say "yes," "no" or "give me too much of that," which was my response to guacamole and cilantro. I finished with mild corn salsa.

Finally, we picked up bottled drinks. There are sodas and water, but Dos Equis or Corona with a lime wedge go well with these meals.

Trays in hand, we hunted an empty table, easy at 5 p.m. when the place is not frenetically noisy and jammed. It's nearly impossible at lunch time, because the place is unbelievably popular. At noon, some downtown workers just choose lunches and take them back to the office.

One friend had a burrito with fish, mango salsa and cucumber sour cream sauce, which he liked, but was unhappy with his rice; he thought it had been in the serving tray too long. His wife chose tofu in a grilled veggie burrito with raspberry sauce that had a bit of chipotle. Over it all, she had mango salsa poured on, and happily ate every bit.

She raved about her raspberry sauce, so I dabbed at it, and she was so right. Her husband thought it would even go well on ice cream. Re-entering the line, I asked, "Could I have a cup of that?" and the server gladly filled me a portion. It was so good, I could have eaten it with a spoon.

Each meal comes in a plastic basket on a plastic tray. We had wisely picked up a stack of napkins, because these meals are juicy and leaky. Eating tacos means leaning my face sideways, but goodness still fell out and dripped off my chin. So remember to get a fork for what drips and drops on your basket. Don't wear clothes that need to be dry-cleaned. A fully dressed, postprandial shower would be welcome.

This restaurant is easy and comfortable. The food is fresh, tasty and seasoned well for both those who like it devilishly hot and those who don't. Seasoning variety in the sauces was an especially pleasant factor of Cilantros' lamented predecessor, Delish. If you liked Delish, you'll love Cilantros.

Freelance restaurant critic Maureen Crockett reviews area restaurants for the Charleston Gazette and Sunday Gazette-Mail.

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