The Magnificent, Awe-inspiring, The One and Only, OUR Hole Mole

It only seems appropriate to have our first real entry all about our favorite Mexican place ever--Hole Mole. And Holy it is! Despite the fact that there are now several Hole Mole locations in the LBC (and one in Whittier), our favorite location is still "the original" located on 4th and Obispo. Liz was the instigator of our trips there and thank sweet baby jesus for that. She first introduced me to her burrito, THE Burrito, the raison d'etre for a good portion of my life. What you do is order the BRC (beans, rice, cheese) burrito and then you pay to add on sour cream and guacamole. It may sound boring to people who have to consume meat at every meal, but you simply have not experienced the sublime melt-in-your-mouth sensation when all ingredients are combined. The beans and rice themselves are the so-called meat and potatoes of this dish. Fluffy rice cooked in a tomato broth literally shines with just the right amount of oil. The creamy refried beans make you feel warm and satiated. The guacamole adds zest and color while the sour cream ups the sex, especially when it mixes with their house-made smokey red chile sauce (located at the salsa bar). The ingredients are dexterously wrapped in a large flour tortilla and toasted per request (sometimes when I forget to request for a toasted burrito, they would to my satisfaction, do it anyway) making the outside flaky and lightly browned. The initial mouth to tortilla greeting, accompanied with a saliva-y anticipation, can be broken down into a strata of collaborating flavors. After piercing the crunchy, flaky crust, your mouth sinks into the perfection that is THE burrito. And it is goooood.

Note that trying to order this burrito at other Mexican eateries will not produce the same results. . . . .I mean shit, we've tried! Believe me, when I was living in Eugene, Oregon for a year, I tried in vain to order a burrito in the same fashion, but it was a mealy, tasteless, lump of poo. Ok, ok, it wasn't poo, and granted we are talking about Oregon here, but come on! Eugene, having such great local produce, meat and dairy, should really look to improving their selection of world cuisine.
Alright now that I have given full homage to THE burrito, it is important to note other items on the menu. Tuesday is a big day for Long Beach, because it is the day of the 1 dollar tacos. Their dollar taco offerings include: fish (fried in the ensenada style and now grilled is available as well), chicken, al pastor, carne asada, and carnitas. Our personal favorites are the al pastor for its well seasoned and juicy bits, and of course, the original fish taco.

One of the most characteristic offerings at Hole Mole is their battered chiles. they are a medium sized yellow chile pepper broiled and then generously sprinkled with a tangy lemon seasoning that accentuates so well the true pepper flavor. Be careful though! They are extremely hot, and will burn your balls off, so don't eat the seeds. A cup of their sexy creamy horchata should help out your burning tastebuds, because even without the seeds the peppers are pretty hot. Liz always eats at least 7 of them, and then can't talk for 5 minutes; self-admittedly masochistic, ha. But at least that tells you how delicious they are.

Another good find at Hole Mole (and cheap!) are the crunchy carnitas tacos- only $1.50 for 2! They're loaded with pulled pork meat, drizzled with a creamy pink sauce best described as addicting and topped with loads of lettuce, tomatoes, and shredded cheese. Amazing!

There is no shortage of marvelous things to order at Hole Mole, but we've shared with you only our favorites- otherwise this blog would go on for days. So please, go forth and feast on the wonder that is Hole Mole. And let us know if our blog aided or inspired you to try our favorite neighborhood taco spot.