Grub Crawl - East Colonial: Lechonera Orlando, Tacos N Grill and Pa Los Chinos

I tried these spots at lunch today. They are all on East Colonial (50). East of 436. The first is at Dean. The second is further east. The last is back west at Goldenrod. These weren't plan a or b.

Lechonera Orlando - A sign said established in 2006. I did know that I had ignored it for a while. Now I know why. I remember when it was a gas station. I guess it's Puerto Rican. They do the conveyor belt counter thing. Mostly mofongos with meat or meat with sides. Some soups, snacks, desserts. It was jammed. I don't know why. Everything looked stale, dry and unappetizing.  The prices weren't even that great. Mix of people. I decided I didn't want rice and beans, etc, so, I grabbed a chicken and a ground beef empanada for $2.50 a piece. Hard, greasy shell. Chicken was less bad than the beef. Less salty. They have some seats. Basic look. Like the inside of a gas station. You can fuel up elsewhere.

Tacos N Grill - A little, one story shack that they share with an insurance broker. You could easily drive right by. Usual menu. Seemed Mexican run. Pricing wasn't that great. I tried to limit the wallet damage once again (didn't want the added rice and beans on a platter) for a hard shell ground beef taco with l and t and a street style al pastor. Both were $3.50. Same old same old. The place is only five months old and already looks worn. Twenty-ish tables. Some cut out pattern paper "flag" chain decorations. Two murals (skeletons). Empty. Took a little while. They charged a fee as well as taxes. Pass.

Pa Los Chinos - Another on a long (and pretty consistent) list of Chinese food that Latinos have butchered. All their Chinese tastes Latin. I had a pretty awful broccoli chicken with pork fried rice and french fries for $12. Now you see why I was eschewing the sides at the other places. Wrong (brown) sauce on the chicken. Broccoli had to be frozen. Tasted off. Chicken was mushy. Rice was lifeless. Too much of it. Haven't tried the fries yet. Chinese take out items menu. I think this place was Chinese and/or Thai before. The sad thing is I think their people (Puerto Ricans) like it. Some seats. It has the look of a fast food restaurant. Some Chinese arches inside. Grubby. Prices were too high. Pass.