As a Belmont-Hillsboro resident, I've had my eye on the space where Tabouli's used to be, through the years and in several incarnations, hoping against hope that a decent restaurant would finally locate there. I know it's probably not on the first page of the food writer's journalistic policies, but as my girlfriend sat down to try the place out after it had been open a week, we were muttering under our breath "PleasebegoodPleasebegood!" It's still early, but I am happy to relate that at least initially, to quote my Magic Eight Ball, signs point to yes.
First, the interior makeover is striking. The walls are painted in bright colors with a few kitschy accents like lamps made from acoustic guitars and some beer signs. Not over-the-top like Chuy's, but still interesting to the eye. With a covered patio, open garage-door walls and a couple of tables right on the sidewalk of Belmont Boulevard, Chago's should prove to be an excellent spot for people-watching.
The menu extends beyond the usual offerings of meat, chicken, rice and beans combined in 50 variations in a flour or corn tortilla. Owner Chad Head has run the Corky's BBQ in Brentwood for a few years but has always had this restaurant concept in the back of his mind. On his travels through Central and South America he discovered some menu items that make their appearance as Especialidades de la Casa.
We didn't get a chance to try the mofongo, a spicy Puerto Rican dish of plantains and creole shrimp, but our server said it's quite popular. Even more exotic was my plate of pupusas con curtido, an El Salvadoran dish served with a tangy cabbage slaw. The rest of the menu is filled with more traditional standards, but special attention is paid to vegetarian and vegan options, though vegans are limited mainly to side dishes.
Everything is made from scratch in house with local ingredients sourced whenever possible, and we particularly enjoyed the smoky salsa, creamy guacamole and salsa verde that we sampled with tortilla chips. The verde isn't normally part of their dip sampler, but they had run out of hummus. I'm not sure why you'd serve hummus in a cantina anyway, so we were happy to enjoy the substitution.
