Saturday, May 23, 2015

La Sorpresa Cafe, Pleasanton Road


Though the weather reports may state otherwise, I was merry with the warm glow of the sun as I pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant I didn't expect to see. Some of the best decisions are made at the last second, and as I rolled down Pleasanton Road in south San Antonio, I had a feeling I would eye a humble eatery and pull over suddenly to the chagrin of the drivers behind me.

Earlier this week, I drove north on this road to pick up a cake at Lucy's (another great place with locations on SW Military and SW Loop 410) and noticed several Mexican establishments to my left and right. That's not a surprise at all, but I basically made the decision then to revisit the area this morning and see what it had to offer.

Oddly enough, though, last night, when I slowly scrolled down the road on Google Maps, I didn't spot a single place with great reviews, or at least none that really sparked my interest. That, of course, is fine, and so, after a trip to the gym, I got back in my Accord and just drove down Pleasanton, determined to simply turn one way or another and have breakfast. Sometimes, you need it. Yelp is not infallible.

And as I headed southbound the road seemed to lack the abundance of restaurants that I at least imagined was there. One place closer to Military, Rocky's, caught my eye for a second, but I decided to keep going. When it appeared my options were fewer than previously thought (two theories: the cafes are more toward Moursund Boulevard and 410, or I was just hungry and/or hallucinating), I pulled my first u-turn and headed back toward Rocky's.

However, as luck would have it, my peripheral vision spotted a place to my left as I was driving in the other direction. It was called La Sorpresa, and there was really nothing flashy to tell you it was there. Just a plain sign and a few cars out front. So I said, "Screw it," and busted a second u-ey (rather unsafely) at Drury Lane (right by the muffin man) to check it out.


Again, nothing about the place sticks out, and I'd say that's what I was looking for. Cars were parked there, and I had a good feeling, which got even better when I walked in.


It felt like home. I love these places where the kitchen and dining area are kind of meshed into one, and it certainly had this familial aspect to it, with plenty of hugs and besitos

I was still slightly jazzed from working out, so I sat at my small table by the window, drank my coffee, and was pretty content by the time the pangs of hunger came. 

Let's take a look at the menu:






Pretty standard, I'd say, and I went for the Machacado & Egg plate. Last week's first taste had me craving more, and this is what I got:


Holy crap, was this good. I know very little about Machacado, but it was juicy (though I don't know if dried beef is supposed to be juicy), delicious, and went well with the eggs, onions, tomatoes and peppers, wrapped in some of the best tortillas I've had in San Antonio. The corn and flour were equally good, and the red salsa burned wonderfully and brought it all together. 

The joint is aptly named. It was a pleasant surprise and a great way to start the weekend. Couple it with friendly, fast service, and it's one of the best places I've visited.

I took a menu home just in case.



✓Coffee

Price Breakdown:

Coffee
Machacado & Egg
Beans
Potatoes
Four tortillas

___________________
$8.27

Location:
3215 Pleasanton Road, 78221
(210) 977-8775





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