Sabor Mexicano -- 180 E 6th St. Pomona, CA 91766

My Meal Cost: $12.52 plus tip. Health Rating A. Yelp 4 stars

Backtracked this week back to downtown Pomona to pick up a spot that I missed. Driving up and down Garey I thought that there was a vacuum cleaner repair on that corner. Turns out, there's just a sign for a vacuum cleaner place and that Sabor Mexicano has actually taken over the entire building (although the restaurant doesn't actually extend back that far--I'm guessing they use it for storage or something). But it does qualify because its side does face onto Garey. AND it was highly recommended by a person with a downtown business and someone who spends a lot of time at the School District just down the street.

In addition, I had read a week ago in the Saturday LA Times restaurant section about Tlayuda, the Oaxacan pizza so was intrigued when I was told that this is the best Oaxacan restaurant around.

While this is what it looks like on Garey, the sixth street side makes it clear that this is a restaurant. The space is small with an unobtrusive door, but plenty of parking.

The interior is nice and clean. This is a sit-down place although they do have a menu board for those who want to order to-go. An unobtrusive television was at one end showing Spanish language programming (I was there for Halloween so got to see a talk show with costumed hosts and guests--I didn't understand a word but it was very interesting non-the-less).

There was a fair lunch crowd for a Monday with tables turning a couple of times while I was there. The waitress was extremely friendly and brought out a bowl of chips and a small bowl of salsa. The salsa was interesting. I usually like a thick salsa with my chips. This one was thin, but did have chunks of onion and tomato (or tomatillo?) and cilantro. Not too hot. I only wish it stuck to the chips better instead of dripping down the front of my shirt. But it was very tasty.

In looking over the extensive menu I wasn't sure what to order, so I asked the waitress what she considered the house specialty. While I was thinking of Tlayuda, her quick response that the chicken mole was probably their best (she did warn me that it was a little sweet) pushed me in that direction. The meal came with a drumstick and thigh of chicken in a dark mole sauce. The sauce was only a little bit sweet with a mild spiciness that snuck up on you. Not too hot, but it was there. I think it was mild enough to please the self described "ginga," the Lovely Mrs. C.

The chicken was very moist and tender and fell away from the bones. Mixed with the mole it was a delightful mouthful. It came with a side of Mexican rice with bits corn and peas, a little dry but very flavorful. In addition there were two very rustic tortillas for sopping up mole sauce or filling with the items. This was not a pressed flat store-bought tortilla but a fairly thick obviously hand made tortilla which was warm and browned. Fairly substantial so that it didn't flop around when you folded it to receive some of the chicken and rice.

Definitely a place I think I'll go back to.

Next week I'll be back up north to make a visit to a second rotisserie chicken location. Should have thought of that before I ordered chicken this week, especially since two weeks after that I'll be at KFC (cluck cluck cluck).

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