San Diego style Mexican food has been steadily encroaching upon the Bay Area. Which is good news to all SD transplants. There are rumors of what may be an actual (or not) Roberto’s in San Jose. A trip down from San Francisco will soon enough solve that problem, but one thing is for sure: there is at least one ’berto’s close by. Adalberto’s in Fairfield.

Rolled tacos and tortas are the two great SD style Mex foods that San Francisco taquerias cannot seem to get right. The burritos are very different too, but time has blended those lines with SD establishments occasionally offering rice as an option. As for the relatively recent trend of adding French fries to burritos, well, lets just say I don’t crave those burritos.

It was the rolled tacos that lured the Burritowing team to Adalberto’s in Fairfield. That and the opportunity to kick around the California Delta for the day. A previous trip to Suisun City proved to be a delicious excursion, perhaps the discovery of an honest-to-goodness ‘berto’s would surface as a much needed flavor the Bay Area has sorely been missing.

The place was jumping as waited to order. All the seats were filled with a mix of people. A bunch of teenagers were fueling up for whatever kids do on a Saturday afternoon in Fairfield, and a uh, highly accessorized pick-up truck waited at the drive thru. I knew exactly what I wanted long before I got in line, so I got to the counter first. I ordered rolled tacos, a carne asada burrito and claimed the last available table.

The clamshell packaging my rolled tacos came in revealed a not-so-encouraging dish. To the untrained eye, the rolled tacos looked the part: deep-fried rolled tacos sitting underneath a mound of guacamole and cheese. However, upon tasting they disappointed. The cheap generic cheese was oily, unpleasant and just a hard knock away from separating into the overall greasiness of the rolled tacos. However, it was not all bad. Encouragingly, the guacamole was supplied in a quantity San Diegans are accustomed too, but the overall effect did little to hide the unappetizing rolled tacos.

The carne asada burrito mimicked true SoCal food in size, proportion and ingredients, but missed the mark as far as flavor was concerned. Meat, guac and salsa make for a great combination, but the taste was muted, and just boring. The hot sauce that I poured over the entire meal looked like the real thing, but did not have any bite to it.

Overall, Adalberto’s in Fairfield had all the earmarks of a fast-food joint that cuts every corner. The food shadowed true SD style Mex food (yes, there are Adalberto’s in SD), but failed to deliver on taste. Everything had a patina of grease layered upon it as if there could be no other way to enjoy good, fast Mexican food. Perhaps when more SD style Mex food hits the Bay Area, the options will improve. While I’m glad to see some headway into this very important issue, I’d have to say the best thing about this Mexican Food adventure was the beer we had at the edge of the Delta waterway while on the way back home.

Mikel: Chicken Taco and Chicken Burrito Combo Plate: Stuffed with chicken. Tons of food. This would have been way better with a bean and cheese burrito. I couldn’t hang with 100% chicken throughout the burrito. Salsa was good seating was bad. Overall Grade: C+

Forest: Chicken Taco and Chicken Burrito Combo Plate: I have to rate the dining experience as higher than the food itself. Which was not bad, but not that exciting either. The Chicken Taco was actually pretty damn good, minus the nasty ass cheese. That cheese sucked. Otherwise though, a delicious taco. I gobbled it up. The burrito was ridiculous. Oversized and kinda boring. I left with the leftovers (which were considerable) and ate them when I got home. They were still warm, and somehow tasted better 3 hours later. Maybe it was just the time they spent sizzling in Mikel’s trunk. Overall Grade: I’d give this place a C for food and a B atmosphere. It was fun.

Cory: Flying Saucer: greasy tortilla, deep-fried. Rolled Tacos: greasy, cheap cheese. Bean and Cheese Burrito: Next day delicious. Overall Grade: C+

Brian: Greasiest Mexican food I’ve had in years. Overall Grade: C+ simply because it’s in NorCal, C- otherwise.