By Tam Nguyen, Nguoi Viet
WESTMINSTER, Calif. – Craving for Mexican food, I wandered in to Alerto’s Mexican Food restaurant.
Super Fries tastes like nachos but without the chips. (Photo by Tam Nguyen/Nguoi Viet)
Immediately, the sights and smells hit me. The aroma of beef got my attention, and I could hear it sizzling from the kitchen. My nose, ears and stomach all told me to order beef.
Looking at the menu, I pointed to the picture of the Super Fries on the menu. Super hungry, I decided to skip the half-size portion and order the full size.
While waiting for my food, I took a table outside, under an umbrella to block out the sun. I wondered what took so long for my order, only to realize I couldn’t hear my number called with the sounds from the street.
When I finally picked up my order, it looked like nachos, only served over fries instead of tortilla chips. Beef, beans, guacamole, sour cream, cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, diced tomatoes and lettuce piled on top of the fries.
As I stabbed this with my fork, the melted cheeses were stringy, and I had to twirl for a bit to get a clean bite. The first noticeable taste was the sour cream, then it blended with the bean paste and the crispy fresh lettuce. The fries were golden brown, soft and fluffy.
The beef was a little dry and had no seasoning, but the toppings made up for it.
The portion was bigger than I expected and probably could have fed two. For about nine dollars, I was full for the whole day.
I’ll be back for sure but will choose to get the half size instead for about a dollar cheaper.
Altero’s is a chain with five locations in California. This location, at 15681 Brookhurst St., opened in 1995 according to its Facebook page. For a list of locations, visit http://www.alertosrestaurant.com.
