I went for tacos with my daughter to a newly opened place up the block. It was our first visit to El Molcajete Mexican Restaurant in Key West.
The restaurant has a nicely spread-out, casual interior with booths and tables. A few diners were around enjoying a late lunch. Maria provided friendly service at our booth.
Appetizers
Once seated, there were complimentary chips and salsa. The chips, if freshly made, were not that hot or salty. The salsa was good, and the chips worked well for dipping.
The first basket is on the house. After that, you will have to pay for more.
The guacamole appetizer came with more chips. The guac seemed fresh and was enjoyable. My daughter thought it needed more lime juice, so she squeezed some in. She was right!
I didn’t get any heat as there weren’t any peppers (serrano or jalapeno) in the bowl. They used white onion (which I do at home) instead of traditional red and added tomatoes—still, it was a good mix.
Tacos at El Molcajete Mexican Restaurant
The tacos at El Molcajete Key West were decent in size, filling, and soft shell. I prefer Mexican-style tacos with cilantro, onion, and lime on top, and that’s what I got. Even though the menu says they all come with pico de gallo.
My daughter ordered carne asada, one flour tortilla, and one corn tortilla. She finished them all and surprisingly liked the corn tortilla best. I may have to try one out next visit.
I had a plethora of tacos (I know none of you are shocked!): Asada (steak), Pollo (chicken), Al Pastor (pork), and Camaron (shrimp). However, they didn’t have Lengua or Cabeza, and I don’t eat Tilapia, so no Pescado (fish) taco for me today.
We like to explore tacos all over Key West, which is a fun treasure hunt tradition. El Molcajete Mexican Restaurant did not disappoint.
Seasoning
The tacos were filling, and I struggled in the end with my order of four. These tacos didn’t have that marinated citrus taste I look for, but they went down well with those accoutrements.
I couldn’t taste any pineapple in the Al Pastor taco, which is usually marinated in pineapple. However, it did seem to have the proper color for the achiote seasoning.
The carne asada was cut very thin in strips. Again, as mentioned, I couldn’t taste any citrus marinade.
I prepare mine that way and am used to that style from San Diego; alas, we are in Key West. It was still a good taco once other items were added to it.
The chicken taco was a bit bland, but it worked with the additions.
I liked the red and green hot sauces on the table, so I added those and squeezed lime onto the tacos.
The shrimp taco was the oddball. It included tomatoes and lettuce, two pieces of fried shrimp, and the fillings. This was the only taco to feature any tomato. The menu states they should be on all.
Pricing
The menu shows all tacos as $4 or $4.50 and says you can choose corn or flour tortillas. However, if you decide on flour tortillas, you will be charged an extra .50 cents per taco.
This isn’t mentioned anywhere but was reflected on the check.
Wrap-Up of El Molcajete Mexican Restaurant
The sweet tea was lovely, and the service was excellent. We left full and happy!
At the time of this post, they don’t have a liquor license, so there is no happy hour or beer to wash down your tacos. They do have sodas, teas, jarritos, and horchata.
The restaurant has fair prices, a good-sized menu, and decent food. I will return to try some other things. It’s helpful that it is located in my neighborhood, and I can walk to it.
My daughter was happy. It was another successful taco outing.