Review: San Marcos Grill worth a Carson drive

From San Marcos Grill in Carson City, fish tacos, foreground, and shrimp marinated in garlic and wine, rear, with regular and mango margaritas. (Credit: Tim Dunn/RGJ)

Local, family-owned restaurants that serve delicious food are a treasure on any city's culinary map. San Marcos Grill in Carson City is one such establishment.

The restaurant, located in a strip mall just east of the Safeway shopping center at South Carson Street and Winnie Lane, is nondescript from the outside. But open the glass door, and you walk into a cheery space with waiters bustling, music playing and people noshing and talking at tables.

The walls are painted alternately red, orange and green, with baseboards of blue and yellow. Bright tablecloths swath tables, and clay statuettes dot the room.

Lime libations

The margaritas are killer — delicious and filled with smooth tequila; my family has visited several times just to sample them. Imported beers are only $3.50 a bottle — $4.50 for a 20-ounce draft — and nothing on the menu tops $14.95.

Guacamole is made tableside. Choose from avocado, tomatoes, fresh cilantro, lime juice, serrano chiles, dried oregano, cumin, white pepper and garlic. My party asks the owner to make our guacamole as he likes it, albeit at medium heat for the two who don't want their tongues on fire.

The result is a well-balanced dip, with only avocado standing out above the rest of the ingredients. Cilantro and tomatoes add brightness, and the heat from the chiles rounds out matters.

The chunky chicken quesadilla is filled with marinated grilled chicken breast, pico de gallo and jack and cheddar cheeses. The chicken is tender and moist.

A chile relleno, which can be boring at some establishments, stars. A plump poblano pepper is filled with jack cheese, fried and topped with melted cheeses — cheddar and jack. My party forks into the dish, and firm casing gives way to gooey cheese.

Tacos are authentic, and customers choose from pastor (pork marinated in pineapple juice), lengua (beef tongue), carnitas (slow-cooked pork), asada (steak) or pollo (chicken). Small, housemade corn tortilla rounds — two of them — hold meat topped with chopped white onion, cilantro and tomatillo salsa.

Al pastor is the favorite of the bunch because of its sweet-spicy pork. Carnitas and asada are also successful, and the pollo taco has the same fantastic chicken as the quesadilla.

Specialty dishes

El plato verde is one of the house specialties. Pork is slow-cooked in San Marcos Grill's chile verde sauce. The chile verde is redolent with jalapeños and tomatillos, and the fork-tender pork is a winner spooned onto a tortilla dunked in sauce.

The chile verde is served in a casserole dish — a thoughtful detail that keeps rice and beans on the side from swimming in sauce. Housemade refried pinto beans comprise rustic whole beans and a sprinkling of queso fresco.

The star of the meal is camarones ala diabla (spicy shrimp). Large shrimp are sautéed in butter and then coated with a blend of spices — I detect chipotle chiles with their smoky profile.

The shrimp are juicy and pop when you bite into them. The heat from the chiles starts as a slow warming on the tongue and continues to grow but never quite gets to a flame.

I've no room left for dessert, but the memory of the spicy shrimp continues to haunt my palate.

Service at San Marcos Grill is excellent. I've been waited on by the owner during each of the visits I've made. Tortilla chips and salsa are refilled frequently, and make sure to take those leftover tortillas to go.

San Marcos Grill offers the best Mexican cuisine in Carson City. It's worth the trip from Reno to experience the delicious food and warm atmosphere.

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