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Being the dedicated "foodie" that I'm am, I'm always on the prowl for a new restaurant to visit, and if you're a follower of my restaurant adventures, you'll note that Mexican restaurants are near and dear to my heart. The other day I heard about La Fogata Taqueria, in the nearby town of Loomis, and I decided to pay them a visit, as I'd heard good things about them. As with all restaurant reviews I publish, I have no affiliation with the restaurant reviewed, and there is no monetary gain on my part, as I am simply a person who likes to eat, and I love to write-up, and publish my dining experience.
Photo: I decided to wrap-up the month of July with a visit to the newest Mexican restaurant in Placer County, La Fogata Taqueria, located in Loomis. It's just a little past 11 in the morning on Wednesday, July 31, 2019, and I'm in the mood for Mexican cuisine. La Fogata is located in a small shopping center, off King Road, which is a major route through the small town of Loomis. This is the newest Mexican restaurant in the area, as they opened their doors on July 9th, and they're so new, their license to sell beer hasn't arrived, as of this writing.
Photo: As you enter the restaurant, you're greeted at the counter, but since this is a sit-down restaurant, you pick the table of your choice, and the staff will wait on you. This is a taqueria, but it's different than most, as you won't find a menu posted above the counter, yet you pay for your order when you place it. There are small, printed "take-out" style menus, and a master menu on the counter, but there aren't any "conventional" menus placed on the tables. There are also a couple of small, galvanized buckets, that are labeled "tips." On this late Wednesday morning, the restaurant is doing a brisk take-out business, as the phone was constantly ringing, and during my visit, several customers arrived to pick up orders.
Photo: There is a blackboard on the wall, next to the counter, that welcomes you to the restaurant, and lists specials. I noticed that menudo is served on Saturday and Sunday, which works with me.
Photo: The printed menu covers all bases of Mexican cuisine, and even includes a few breakfast choices. Any item on the menu is available any time the restaurant is open.
Photo: The dining room is spacious, comfortable, very clean, and furnished with tables and chairs. La Fogata Taqueria is owned and operated by a local family. Just in case you're curious, the word "fogata" means "blaze" or "bonfire" in Spanish, which makes sense when you look at the logo of the restaurant.
Photo: After I placed my order, my friendly hostess, Loretta, immediately brought out a basket of tortilla chips, a bowl of salsa, and a small bowl of refried bean dip. Such a great appetiser! The refried bean dip was delicious, as the beans were creamy, savory, and topped with crumbled cotija cheese. The star of the appetisers was the fresh salsa, as it was simply amazing! It had lots of "chunky" pepper, onion and garlic, blended in with tangy, spicy, but very mild, red sauce. I later learned the salsa is made, in-house, fresh, before the restaurant opens. When you visit La Fogata Taqueria, this amazing salsa will get your attention!
Photo: Meet Loretta, my friendly server, who brought my lunch to me with a smile. Service is very fast, as my lunch was ready in less than fifteen minutes after I placed my order.
Photo: I'm a happy guy, as Loretta snaps my photo, because I'm surrounded by all of this delicious Mexican food. Since the restaurant isn't licensed yet to sell beer, I chose a glass of ice water, which makes perfect sense.
Photo: From the "Combination Plates" section of the menu, I went with "One Item," and my choice was flautas. Like all of the selections on the "Combination Plates" section of the menu, my lunch included rice and beans. It has been quite some time since I've enjoyed a really great flauta, and today I had the pleasure of enjoying two of them, as the entree of my lunch. The flautas started with a regular size corn tortilla - these aren't "taquitos" which use small, "street taco" corn tortillas - rolled, just like a flauta should be, and stuffed with savory, shredded chicken. Each flauta was deep-fried to a golden crisp, yet tender, and topped with shredded lettuce, cabbage, Mexican sour cream, and guacamole. Oh yes! Simply delicious, and true to the amazing cuisine of Mexico! These delicious flautas reminded me of ones that I've eaten and savored during my many trips to Mexico. The rice and beans were delicious, but not spectacular, and made outstanding side dishes to the flautas. As per my usual practice, I gave the rice a light dousing of hot sauce, which in this case, happened to be "Tapitio" brand. I certainly enjoyed this delicious lunch, and I recommend La Fogata Taqueria for all Loomis, and western Placer County residents, who are in the mood for authentic Mexican cuisine. The food is delicious, the dining room is clean and spacious, and the staff is very friendly. The small Placer County town of Loomis is now on "the map," now that La Fogata Taqueria has come to town, and Loomis finally has a quality Mexican restaurant. La Fogata Taqueria Copyright(c) 2019 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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