REVIEW: Delicioso! Paradise Mexican Food

Delicioso! Paradise Review -- Have you heard of it before? Neither had I, before I stopped in for lunch on Mother's Day. How was it?

Next to Harkins Theatre

Where: Located next to Harkins Theatre in the Tucson Spectrum Mall. 5475 S. Calle Santa Cruz (Irvington Road exit from I-19)

What Was Ordered: Two Sonoran Dogs and a Bottle of Coke

What it Cost: A total of $7.91, with each Sonoran Dog at $2.75, and the Coke at $1.75

Not a white van in sight

Delicioso! Paradise has been around for a little while, previously under the name Ice Paradise Cafe. It is a Mexican restaurant, family owned and operated, with an odd location at the end of the Tucson Spectrum Mall, as far from the entrance to the mall as it could get. It is directly next door to the massive Harkins Theatre, which is either good for business or not, I can't quite decide. It might be good to get customers on their way in to see a movie, but it takes a long time to drive through that mall parking lot, with the million cars going 2 MPH over the dozens of speed bumps. 

I have noticed the restaurant a few times in the past, and I was in the area today, so I decided it would be a perfect time to swing by and try out their Sonoran Hot Dogs, which they proudly proclaim is on their menu via large white lettering on the front windows. 

I parked a mile away (apparently movies are popular on Mother's Day) and hiked to the restaurant. Upon entering, I was immediately given the impression that this place used to be an ice cream shop. My guess, and it might be horribly wrong, was that the previous Ice Paradise Cafe was an ice cream shop but was converted to a Mexican restaurant recently, and needed a name change to Delicioso! Paradise. A transparent glass counter holding ice cream is directly below the "Order Here" sign, with the menu behind it. Interestingly, as soon as I entered a robotic voice announced, "front door opened." The alarm system in the shop proclaimed this for every customer that entered, and reinforced the family owned vibe of the restaurant. 

Mexican food or ice cream?

I quickly browsed the menu on the wall and noticed how affordable everything was. Not a single item was priced over $7.00. The burro (burrito) was one of the most expensive items, at $6.25. I assume it is immense. There is ice cream, milkshakes, a variety of Mexican food, and Menudo on Saturdays and Sundays only. I ordered two Sonoran Dogs and an imported Coca-Cola. The cashier seemed shocked. I was curious.

I was given my Coke and I sat down, and took in the rest of the restaurant.

The set up is awesome

The style is very diner-esque. Along the right side of the dining area is a row of tables and a big screen television (tuned to the Disney channel for my visit). Overall, it was very clean, very inviting, and all around awesome in my eyes. 

While sitting at my table, enjoying my Coke made with real sugar, I noticed that only women were working in Delicioso! Paradise. It was curious to see only women working -- the cashier, the cook -- everyone on the staff was a woman. It doesn't really mean anything, but this is the first place where my Sonoran Dogs were made by a woman. Maybe that is a key -- but more on that soon.

My order came and it looked absolutely fantastic. I couldn't wait to dig in.

They look amazing in pairs

The Sonoran Dogs were works of art. They were definitely visually appealing. They had a bacon-wrapped hot dog, topped with pinto beans, slightly grilled onions, tomatoes, mayonnaise, mustard, and jalapeno sauce. 

As for taste . . . Oh my God, these were amazing Sonoran Dogs. From the very first bite I was in love. The bun was warm and soft, and would have been plenty big enough to hold all the toppings, if Delicioso! Paradise didn't so generously overwhelm them. The bacon was not burnt, but wasn't undercooked. The tomatoes were as fresh as they could possibly be, tasting like they were just plucked from the vine, chopped up, and served to me. The jalapeno sauce was tangy like relish, but tasted like fresh jalapeños and had a little bit of kick to it. There was more mustard on one of these hot dogs than on any other Sonoran Dog I have had, and more mayonnaise too. I am not a huge bean fan, but even the pinto beans were phenomenal. I am not sure how, really, but the beans were the best beans I have ever eaten. I went through SEVEN napkins while I was eating these, they were that messy, and in a good way.

And they look amazing close up

By far, and I don't say this lightly or easily, these were the best Sonoran Dogs I have ever eaten. All the ingredients were so perfectly combined that they all played a part and contributed to the overall amazing flavor. Nothing was so strong that it overpowered everything else. With each bite, I could taste every individual ingredient, but each bite was also a mouthful of Sonoran Dog at its finest. 

Delicioso! Paradise is the opposite of El Guero Canelo, in a way. There is no promotion that I have seen, no commercials or website or anything, just a Facebook page. The food was crafted with obvious care and pride and I could definitely taste it. If El Guero Canelo was a hot dog mill, producing as fast as possible to fill as many orders in as short of time as they could, DeliciosoParadiso was like having a private chef, meticulously making sure what you were eating was as perfect as it could possibly be. The employees were all extremely nice and friendly and helpful. They said hello and goodbye. It's a little gesture, but it goes a long way in making a good impression.

Delicioso! Paradise has made a fan out of me. I will definitely be there again. No amount of speed bumps could keep me from stopping by.

SCORES: (Rated from 1-5, with more obviously being better)

TASTE: 

VALUE: 

LOCATION: 

OVERALL: 

My first ever 5 thumbs review... Agree? Disagree? Let me know in the comments below or via email!

The New York Times Loves Sonoran Dogs

To Those That Care,

Apparently there was an article, published, weirdly, on August 25th, 2009, in the New York Times about "Mexican Hot Dogs," meaning Sonoran Dogs, of course.

I have proof! Here is the link:  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/26/dining/26unit.html?_r=1

I am just sharing for those that are interested in what a major food writer thinks about the Sonoran Dog, its competition with the American-style hot dog, and the importance of the Sonoran Dog in Southern Arizona culture. 

Its always interesting to hear what fellow gringos think about the food, especially from a New York gringo's point of view.

Enjoy!

-Lou

REVIEW: Hot Dogs Obregon

Thanks google maps!

Where:  Food City parking lot, at the corner of E. 22nd Street and N. Country Club Road.

What Was Ordered:  Sonoran Dogs (3), Mexican Coke (bottle), and a regular old can of Diet Coke.

What it Cost:  Totaled $10.25 - $2.50 per SD, $2 for bottle of Coke, $.075 for Diet Coke.

The setup is classic and elegant. Just a white van and a hot dog cart, with a canopy stretched between them. There is limited seating underneath the overhang, which is basically a couple of cheap folding chair and tables. It is a hot dog stand, so really, is there a reason to expect anything more?

Don't be afraid of the white van

 I pulled into the Food City parking lot and approached the stand, completely clueless to the proper procedures for ordering food at Hot Dogs Obregon. 

There were only two other customers, on this Thursday afternoon. Apparently, what you do is sit down and tell the cook/chef what you want when he asks. There is no standing in line at the counter here. So after a little confusion, we ordered two Sonoran Dogs.

The stand sits close to 22nd Street, so you get a lot of noise and weird smells from the traffic. Somehow, this makes it better. It adds something real and special to the ambiance. You are in Tucson, in town, in the heat and the Sun, not couped up in an air-conditioned hideaway. Its Arizona, we sweat! Hot Dogs Obregon is very Tucson. I really enjoyed sitting outside, about to eat something that was also very Tucson. 

For those that have never had the Mexican version of Coca-Cola, I believe it is far superior to the version you buy at the local grocery store. It is made with REAL sugar, and this makes a huge difference. It even comes in an old-timey glass bottle. The annoying thing is the lack of twist off cap.

So after only a few short minutes we get our Sonoran Dogs. This is what they looked like:

Simply brilliant

They looked awesome. The Sonoran Dog came with the standard grilled hot dog wrapped in bacon, and Obregon topped theirs with grilled onion, mayonnaise, tomatoes, pinto beans, and a green jalapeno sauce. It even came with a free grilled pepper. 

They were extremely delicious! The only major issue I saw was the bun wasn't really equipped to withstand the mass of the hot dog and all the toppings, so a lot of it fell to the container (or table) below. Not a big deal, but you never want to waste any toppings. 

When I was about two-thirds of the way done, I was asked if I wanted another, and of course I said yes. So the second Sonoran Dog came, and disappeared quickly soon after. 

The peppers were very good as well.

In all, I was very pleased with Hot Dogs Obregon. Like the set up of the shop and the location in Tucson, it was no frills, simple fare. They were simple, yet delicious Sonoran Dogs, and fit extremely well with what the business was clearly trying to do:  Provide cheap, simple, but delicious food to its customers, without trying to be more than it was. 

SCORES: (Rated from 1-5, with more obviously being better)

TASTE: 

VALUE:  

LOCATION:   

OVERALL: