Stepping into El Mariachi, a Mexican restaurant at the junction of Madängsgatan and Myntgatan, I found myself staggering into a chair. My eating buddy, equally dumbstruck, just stood there with his mouth open. It was love at first sight. The unexpected but familiar warmth, scent, and appearance of the place caught us both completely off-guard. Having searched for rustic, unpretentious yet delicious Mexican food in Gothenburg for decades, only to find it at a corner in Kville, was a godsend. I immediately felt coming to work for Zenseact was the best decision of my life.

Those who have spent time in California (or perhaps Mexico) will know what we’re talking about. El Mariachi Orale looks, smells, and feels exactly like an L.A. backstreet haunt. Even the cleaning detergent – we arrived just as they wiped the tables clean – smelled foreign. And the walls were adorned with just enough guitars, ponchos, Mexicana, and beer lights to resemble an unplugged Dia-de-Muertos version of Hard Rock Café.

The street burrito we (both) ordered was packed with pork, beans, dirty rice, and melted cheese. Served in glorious simplicity with a few nachos, we added some hot sauce and wolfed them down. They also served tacos, enchiladas, chili, flautas, etc., basically any kind of comfort food you’ve surely had on several occasions.

It was a little early for beer – we are, after all, reliable white-collar folk – so instead, we opted for coke, served exactly as it should, ice cold in a tall glass. However, drinking at El Mariachi doesn’t seem to be discouraged, generally speaking. A review on TripAdvisor assures us of that – and of the food’s quality:

“The staff is better at Spanish than Swedish, but it’s not really a problem. It’s a bit of a shame, though, that many of the locals are just here to drink beer. They’re missing out on the really delicious food. We will definitely come back here again.”

Each to their own, of course. But we agree that the food is excellent. This review could, and should, go on forever. But it doesn’t. So stop reading now and take your Tesla to El Mariachi. The guys running it are nice (in any language). Almost as friendly as the burrito.

• Name and address: El Mariachi Orale, Madängsgatan 19B
• Cuisine: Tex-Mex
• Walking distance from Zenseact: 15 mins
• Price: 119 sek (drink excluded)
• Rating: 5+/5 NCAP stars (Norra Älvstranden Culinary Assessment Program)

We’ll return shortly with another review. In the meantime, heed the great Robert Frost’s advice and choose the road less traveled – a wise gastronomic approach and an outstanding professional mantra for every Zenseactian.