Mama Testa

My work buddy and I had just completed a marathon work day and demanded some comforting tacos in our bellies to ease the hunger pangs. When in Hillcrest, I hear there's no better place for tacos than at Mama Testa. Unfortunately, Mama would ultimately disappoint this eater.

We had originally planned on some take out tacos, but needing a rest, we decided to stay for their large selection of salsas. My favorite happened to be the tomatillo and jalapeño, but I was unable to give them all a try because there were simply too many! Just about everything on the menu are tacos so I decided to try their popular mojados de carne. These were basically rolled tacos swimming in beef broth and I found the presentation to be really sloppy as the broken, soggy tacos floated around in the soup. In fact, that's about all it was and while it tasted ok, I felt like I've had much better out of my own kitchen at a fraction of the cost. Even my friend's tacos were really dry and under-seasoned.

The restaurant is really cramped and finding a decent seat is definitely a challenge. Even their pet-friendly patio outside was full and after the great experience at Filter, I was looking to come down from the high with some solid grub. Unfortunately we chose the wrong spot and were disappointed, but there are lots more to try in the area and I know we'll find a winner on the next trip after Filter.

Food: 5/10

Service: 7/10

Price: $$

Atmosphere: 6/10