Finally tried El Limon in Ardmore. Service was nothing short of excellent. Staff spoke English very well. We were seated immediately, and checked on periodically throughout the meal. It is pretty no-frills (you don’t automatically get chips, water etc.) but the prices are right, so paying a buck and a half for chips is no biggie. I had sopes ($3 each) – One carnitas, one al pastor and one tinga – marinated shredded chicken.) Wife had Enchiladas Verdes, and son had a shrimp burrito the size of a baby’s head.
Sopes are tender (not crispy) hand made tortillas made from masa (corn) flour. The Al Pastor was the standout, though they were all good. Crispy, seasoned pork with chunks of grilled pineapple were actually the best I’ve had even compared to S. Philly and Norristown. Wife’s enchiladas verdes (tomatillo based sauce) were also able to stand up to any we’ve had in PA. Lightly scented with cumin, the chicken was moist and subtly seasoned. The big surprise was the shrimp burrito. Aside from being HUGE and so hot he had to wait five minutes to dig in, it was LOADED with plump, tender shrimp… and not the salad shrimp one finds in “El Cheapo” Mexican joints. These folks don’t SKIMP on the SHRIMP. There was one in every bite (for under 10 bucks.)
This is pretty authentic stuff. Only the menu items are dumbed down for Main Line gringos. No tacos de sesos or lengua or barbacoa here. That being said, the standards are real Puebla-style preparations.
We waited awhile before trying this until they got over their new-store bugs. It was worth the wait. I’m afraid our trips to Washington Avenue and Marshall Street will be less frequent from now on. El Limon is a very welcome addition to the collective culinary palate of Lower Merion.
Main Line Food Blog 