This Peoria Mexican restaurant makes a mean quesadilla
After reporting a story in the West Valley a few months ago, I needed to grab some lunch and a quick online search led me to Caminero Mexican Food, which appeared to have good prices and even better reviews.
The Vasquez family first opened Caminero in the Sunnyslope neighborhood of north Phoenix in 2001. Then, about 9 years later, they moved the restaurant west to Peoria, where it now sits in a strip mall anchored by an Albertsons.
When I arrived, the parking lot was packed, but I found a spot and followed a truckload of workmen in orange vests and a mom wrangling her kids toward the door.
Inside I was met with the cheerful sound of guitar music and the smell of carne asada. On one wall, a poster displayed varieties of chile peppers and the self-serve soda fountain area had been outfitted to look like a little hacienda, complete with terra cotta roof tiles. All good signs.
What’s on the menu at Caminero?
The extensive menu, hung behind the counter, listed breakfast dishes including breakfast burritos, omelettes and menudo served on weekends. Lunch specials included taco plates and burritos, chimichangas and tortas.
I asked for a recommendation and was told the house burrito, with beans, rice, cheese, guacamole, sour cream and a choice of meat is the most popular dish, followed by the Chimi Delux, a chimichanga doused with red enchilada sauce.
I scanned the massive menu and the fajita quesadilla ($13.99) caught my eye.
I reasoned that if I needed to get back to work, it would be easy to eat in the car.
I took at seat at one of the yellow hard plastic booths and eagerly awaited my lunch. When a massive plate with gargantuan slices of piping hot quesadilla was delivered to my table, I abandoned all plans of taking it to go. This was a meal that would require my full attention.
What makes this quesadilla so good?
The fajita quesadilla was filled with sauteed onions, red and green peppers and huge chunks of steak perfectly cooked and juicy. The onions, caramelized until soft and translucent offered a sweetness to the savory dish. Blackened pieces of peppers melded with the smoky flavor of the steak, which was charred on the edges yet still medium rare within.
While rich in flavor, the dish was unfussy. Without sauces, seasonings or even too much cheese, the flavor of the steak and peppers shined. A side of guacamole and sour cream accompanied the massive portion and offered a creamy counterpart to the crispy, griddled tortilla.
Half of the vinyl-record-sized quesadilla came home with me and was my lunch the next day. It was just as good leftover.
In the months since then, this quesadilla has become the standard bearer, the one against which I judge all others. It’s a quesadilla I’m willing to make the drive for, and proof that a quick lunch in a casual counter-service spot can end up being a game-changing meal.
Details: The fajita quesadilla ($13.99) at Caminero Mexican Food, 8248 W. Deer Valley Road, Peoria. 623-376-0314, camineropeoria.com.