Golondrinas: It’s the Real Thing

To find authentic cuisine of a particular ethnic group, the axiom has always been: Look where the people of that ethnic group are eating.

Places like Las Golondrinas in San Juan Capistrano.

To me, the food at Las Golondrinas is just great takeout food. But to many, the authentic Mexican dishes here are like home cooking. From tortillas to refried beans, very little comes out of this kitchen that hasn’t been prepared from scratch. Owners Arturo and Maria Galindo see to that.

From the counter, you can see through a window into the room where freshly made tortillas roll by on a conveyer belt. Huge vats filled to the brim with pinto beans sit on stoves in the back kitchen, soaking in water before being mashed into paste.

The takeout-only policy here keeps overhead low and prices cheap. A few park benches are available just outside the shop for those who can’t wait till they get home to eat.

Particularly authentic is the chicken mole burrito. The mole sauce is slightly sweet and medium spicy with a taste that lingers, complementing a generous mixture of white chicken meat and rice.

For a microscopic $3.25, you can get this burrito in the Big Dave size, which weighs in at a hefty 1.45 pounds. A smaller version is available for $2.25.

Another bargain is the carne asada soft taco at $1.75. The chunks of marinated steak are hot and juicy and sit inside two warm corn tortillas with refried beans, fresh salsa and cilantro. Two of these are plenty filling. For a variation on the theme, order up the carne asada burrito ($2.75).

Also tasty is the beef machaca burrito (scrambled eggs, shredded beef and peppers--$2.75). The best deal is probably the tostada, served with mounds of refried beans, lettuce, salsa and a choice of shredded beef or chicken for $1.25.

Las Golondrinas also dares to be different. For example, the chili relleno burrito puts that deep-fried, cheese-stuffed, mild pepper in a completely different environment. Wrapped in a tortilla with beans and salsa, this is a chili relleno experiment that works.

For something else completely different, try the sweet tamales. As opposed to the more well-known version--hot, spicy and stuffed with meat--these tamales come in pineapple-coconut and raisin-cinnamon varieties. Only 75 cents, they are warm and sweet, with a wonderful, crumbly consistency and are big sellers around Christmas.

There is another Las Golondrinas take-out in Capistrano Beach that is owned by the same family. The food is generally just as good, but for some reason, they have a hard time adapting to special requests. For instance, don’t try to get the Big Dave’s burrito with chicken mole and don’t bother to ask why you can’t--it won’t make sense.

Las Golondrinas, 27124 Paseo Espada, Suite 803 in the Capistrano Business Center, San Juan Capistrano. (714) 240-3440. Also, 34069 Doheny Park Road in the Capistrano Valley Plaza, Capistrano Beach. (714) 240-8659. Both take-out stands are open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday till 6 p.m.