SCRIMP: 5 TACOS FOR $5 «OR» SPLURGE: IMPOSSIBLE!
It is virtually impossible to splurge at Hernande’z Mexican cocina in downtown Victoria. Even if you bought lunch for a dozen of your closest friends, it would still be a steal.
The setting for this market-stall-style eatery, among the fake pillars of the shopping arcade at 735 Yates Street, is wholly incongruous. But close your eyes as you bite into a soft, handmade corn tortilla, allowing the zing of spicy salsa and sparkle of fresh cilantro to intermingle with the savoury, slow-cooked black beans, and you can almost picture yourself on a dusty, bougainvilla-lined side street of a Mexican village.
Tamara and Jerson Hernandez prepare food as Jerson’s grandmother did: from scratch. Corn tortillas are made fresh to order. The pork and beef are locally sourced, grain- and grassland fed. Vegetarians will be very pleased to know that the delicious black beans are made with canola oil, not lard, and no chicken broth is used to season the rice.
Given the quality ingredients, how are they able to serve five corn tacos (bean, beef, or pork), dressed with salsa, sour cream, cilantro, and lime, for a measly $5?
By eliminating the frills. This is true cocina style: you place your order and staff call out when it’s ready. Most dishes are served on a sheet of waxy red butcher paper; there is a $1 charge if you want a plate. There are no water glasses and no front-of-house servers pouring water.
At these prices, you have to expect lunch crowds vying for the 10 or so tables in the mall corridor. Takeout is available for some items, though not the tacos (they get mushy).
Honey and I came for an early dinner before a movie and easily found a seat. (Incredibly, Hernande’z is open daily from 11:30 am to 9 pm.) I chose the $5 Tacos de Frijoles (bean tacos). Honey opted for the Huarache de Candelaria ($7.95): “a thick handmade corn tortilla topped with black beans, seasoned zucchini and onions, rice, salsa, sour cream, and wild greens.” These scrumptious items are from the “slow food” menu; if you want a speedier meal, opt for one of the burritos. It’s all so good, you can’t go wrong.
Editor’s grumble: It seems churlish to complain when food is this good and this cheap, but there is one aspect of the ordering system at Hernande’z that bugs me. It seems charming at first when you are handed a colourful “calling card” printed with a Spanish word and asked to await your order. But when the staff call out the lilting Spanish phrases, confusion reigns among the Anglo diners. Inevitably, the server must wander from table to table repeating the phrase, examining cards, trying to make a match. In a tiny operation otherwise streamlined for efficiency, the owners of Hernande’z could save wasted time if they would just call out order numbers or customer names. There, I’ve said it. Enough. Go have a taco.
- Hernande’z (www.hernandezcocina.com), 735 Yates St., Victoria, BC
Just had my first lunch at Hernande’z and thoroughly enjoyed the chicken tacos! Absolutely delicious and I felt somewhat guilt free as they were healthy and served on the wax paper so no dishes to wash! Thanks for the tip Anita! I will be back!
PS I kinda liked the card even though I couldn’t pronounce my name. A stand on each table to insert the card would do the trick I think!
Thanks so much for your comment, Margaret. The food at Hernande’z really *IS* very healthy and environmentally friendly. Which is just a bonus because it’s SO DELICIOUS and CHEAP!
Great idea about stands on the tables for the “calling cards.” A simple solution. If servers could see the little signs more readily, they would be able to get the food out more easily when we gringos fail to recognize the Spanish word they’ve called out.
Thanks for the wonderful feedback! It is a challenge to find our guests and to match the cards–at the same time, it is more personal and fun than a number system–and you also get to play “loteria” with little cards that live in you wallet and earn you a free meal when you get a line of signatures for matches (this is poorly explained, but I did a better job on the website
.
I will look into finding a way to make little stands for the cards. This should do the trick.
Thanks again for the insight. Sometimes it is so hard to see the forest for the trees.
With Gratitude,
Tamara Hernandez
Thanks SO much for your note, Tamara!
I just LOVE the dialogue that happens here on Scrimp or Splurge, and how good ideas get passed along. It’s fantastic that you are going to look into Margaret’s idea to create little stands on your tables for guests to display their cards, to make it easier for your servers to match each order to the right customer.
Hernande’z remains the very best place for quick, healthy, authentic Mexican meals in Victoria. Thanks for the wonderful service you provide to our community!
[...] Hernande’z, a wonderful little family-run, market-style Mexican cocina in downtown Victoria. (Read that entry here.) Honey presents his loteria order card at Hernande'z [...]
Thanks for all the great info Anita! I was there the other day and it still great and it looks like they are expanding as well!
You’re so very welcome, John! And you’re right: Hernande’z has expanded, with a new little space just across the mall from the main kitchen. I found it did seem to smooth the ordering process to have order and money taken at the new separate kiosk. Also, the hostess/cashier who served one evening last week was wearing a cruise-worthy sequin-sparkling black cocktail dress. Muy elegante!
[...] extolled the virtues of Hernande’z in an earlier article (see that full review here), and since that time, they have expanded their small outlet to both sides of the interior mall [...]