Friday Find: Besito Mexican
Friends, have you tried Besito Mexican yet? I've been eager to visit (Mexican being among my favorite foods) and finally got around to doing so, thanks to a very kind invitation to me and Jon right before the holidays. On that note, I first want to say that it was so lovely to kick off the holiday season with a chill date night -- I highly recommend you do that next year! And second, I wanted to share a few reasons why Besito is a great meetup spot:
1. Accessibility. Besito Mexican has 7 locations and the two in Massachusetts are at the Burlington Mall (the location I visited) and on Route 9 in Chestnut Hill. Both of these locations are in busy commercial areas, so if you appreciate the efficiency model (knocking off a few errands wherever you go) you will likely be able to take care of said errands + there should be parking! That said, if you are averse to errands and the efficiency model, the Burlington Mall location is right on the back side near Legal Sea Food and has an entrance facing the parking lot so you need not enter the mall.
2. Size/ambience. Besito Mexican manages to bridge being a large space (which I like for increased odds of getting a reservation) but with warm and personal ambience. There are nice big booths for families.
3. FOOD! Okay, so aside from the logistical things, I really want to share about the food. The menu has lots of options but not too many options (which I appreciate as someone who gets completely overwhelmed by huge menus). The food was delicious, fresh, and beautifully presented. Quite frankly, I wish I had a four-part cow stomach so I could have eaten more, but I guess that's a situation that can be rectified with additional visits. Jon and I sampled a variety of dishes, but here are are my favorites:
We didn't order the shrimp tacos but the manager brought them over, saying they were a must try. And I'm glad he did because OMG they were so good. They were perfect -- with crispy, perfectly cooked shrimp and the right blend of pico de gallo, chipotle cream salsa, queso fresco, and romaine.
The panquesito de Jaiba appetizer was INSANELY good -- I think it was my favorite dish of the night. This crab cake comes with a delicious avocado green chile dressing and the other elements (greens, roasted corn, tomatoes, jicama, queso fresco) offer excellent contrast and a fresh taste.
As you can tell, I have a strong preference for ordering seafood so going for the Budin de Mariscos -- a tortilla pie loaded with shrimp and jumbo lump crab, spiced tomato salsa, queso Chihuahua, poblano cream sauce, and pico de gallo -- was a no brainer. In fact, since I had scoped out the menu in advance I already knew I was going to order this dish and ran 5 miles that morning so I wouldn't feel bad devouring the whole thing. True story.
Perhaps you wouldn't think I'd have room for dessert, but in the name of research, I ordered the tres leches and it did not disappoint. I have a thing for cake in general, and I'm always bummed when I order cake that proves dry. You wouldn't think this was possible with tres leches (milk cake), but I've had dry tres leches in the past and it's been a major disappointment. Happily, Besito's tres leches was moist and delicious, with just the right amount of sweetness.
As we were cashing out and getting ready to depart, our waiter delivered churros to our table. We told him we absolutely did not have room for churros but then we opened the bag to peek inside, got one whiff, and MADE ROOM. They were insanely good. So good that we got some churros to go for Laurel and Violet. So good that I'm thinking Besito needs to make a t-shirt that says ALL THE CHURROS!
In a nutshell, Besito Mexican is a great spot -- between the cozy ambience, size, affordability, and range of food options, it's a great pick whether you're visiting for date night, with your family, for a ladies night out, or for a business meeting. Bring your appetite (or run a few miles in advance) because you will want to try ALL THE THINGS.
Image credits: Besito Mexican