“Just try the pickled jalapenos!” exclaimed my friend Toni.
“I’m scared!” I said.
“Why are you scared?” she said with an eye roll.
Clarification: I like spicy food, I really do. But I’m not like my brother Mark, who can douse his food with ghost pepper and barely break a sweat. I like heat, but only as a complement to other seasonings — not so much that it overwhelms my meal.
But as in many other things, I could trust Toni. She’s the one who picked North Augusta’s Rio Cantina that day for our lunch. The taqueria is located next to SRP Park and features a large menu of Mexican favorites you’d expect: nachos and dip, tacos, chimichangas, burritos, fajitas, tamales and an array of chicken, lamb, seafood, steak and pork dishes.
But I love that it also features traditional Mexican items that are a little more unusual for our Western palates, or just unusual in general. For example, how many Augusta menus serve up lamb? Or what about whole gulf red snapper? Then there are the pork stomach, chitlins, goat, cow cheek or cow tongue tacos or the variety of Mexican soups, including a spicy octopus soup.
Something more exotic though would have to be ordered at another time, perhaps with my brother Piers who likes to sample such things. And if you’re going to take the measure of a Mexican restaurant, a staple dish is where I think you should start. So I followed Toni’s lead and ordered the taco salad.
But with a twist. When she asked for the pickled jalapenos, I didn’t pay much attention. But after she generously topped her salad with them then offered me some, I shook my head vigorously. “They’re not hot,” she said with another eyeroll.
So, much like a child confronted with a brand-new food, I took one small slice of pickled jalapeno, but only one, and tasted it with a scoop of ground beef, lettuce and sour cream from my salad.
I’d already taken a few bites, and the salad was fine: a crisp tortilla shell filled with seasoned ground beef, not too spicy, plus a handful of cool lettuce, coarsely chopped tomato, and generous spoonfuls of sour cream, guacamole and salsa. There were also some beans and a delicate sprinkling of mild cheese to top it all off. But the pickled jalapeno completely elevated it, adding a sharp flavor that enhanced the meat, plus a gentle heat. “It’s really good!” I exclaimed and Toni grinned.
I’m not ashamed to say that with Toni’s blessing, I scooped the rest of the pickled jalapenos from the small dish into my salad. Who knew? So if you go, know that Rio Cantina has plenty of standard dishes to please your palate, but if you take a chance and try something a little different, you might surprise yourself. Next visit: I’m going for one of those tacos.
Make Your Reservation
Rio Cantina
1049 Center St., North Augusta
Find them on Facebook @RioCantinaSRP
Entrée cost: About $10 to $24
