Restaurant Review: Utah Welcomes El Cholo 

• Alex Springer

When I really started to get into the alt-rock bands of my time, I inevitably took to the internet to learn everything I could about the bands who influenced my favorites. The conclusion of these rabbit-hole dives always led me to the 1970s garage rock pioneers known as Television. So, dutiful rock and roll student that I was, I purchased their debut album Marquee Moon, and gave that sucker a listen. As great as it was, I still found myself struggling to see why this band was so influential; it felt like I'd heard these same chords and these same shoegazing vocals for years.

But then it hit me: The reason I was so familiar with this band was because there was a part of their sound in all the music that brought me to their door in the first place. I was reminded of this experience during my first visit to El Cholo (2166 S. 900 East, 385-426-2166, elcholo.com). If you've enjoyed a Mexican restaurant in America, you've already gotten a taste of El Cholo's influence.

El Cholo first came to be when Alejandro and Rosa Borquez opened the first location in Los Angeles, Calif. back in 1923. Their concept was popular enough to finance five more locations all over Southern California. After a century in operation, their seventh location came to downtown Sugar House last fall.

This is thanks to current owner Ron Salisbury, who is the Borquez's grandson. Salisbury's Utah connection came from attending Brigham Young University, and he has spent plenty of time in the Beehive State. Since ownership has remained in the Borquez family, the recipes haven't changed since El Cholo originally opened. I was honestly a bit awestruck to try food with a hundred-year legacy behind it.

It helps that each menu item includes the date of its arrival in the restaurant next to the description, so if you want a snapshot of what put El Cholo on the map back in the 1920s, you go with the Sonora Style Enchilada ($20.95). This is a pair of chicken enchiladas, doused in half salsa roja and half salsa verde, then topped with a pristine, sunny-side-up egg. The reason you get this is because it's billed as the first enchilada to be sold at El Cholo, so you're time-traveling in a sense—how many silver-age movie stars dined on this same dish? Hell, how many current movie stars have enjoyed a big plate of Sonoran enchiladas? If you're a food nerd of any stripe, El Cholo's mystique and Hollywood ambiance will suck you right in with hypotheticals of this nature.

After I was able to stop my brain from thinking about the probabilities that connected me, these enchiladas and Bela Lugosi, I was able to ponder the dish's composition. Just as one recognizes Tom Verlaine's precise guitar riffs in the work of Albert Hammond, Jr., it's easy to spot the Borquez family's melty, comforting combo of cheddar cheese and piquant salsa in your favorite restaurant enchilada. When you try these Sonoran enchiladas for the first time, you understand why this particular mix of flavors became the legacy we enjoy today.

The fresh corn tortillas and the simmered chicken are a wonderful blank canvas for the salsa verde and salsa roja to play with. The verde wonderfully contrasts with the roja—nothing overly spicy here, so it's a win for all palates—and the fried egg on top adds just the right amount of buttery richness to the dish. I personally would have liked a bit more heat, but overall, you can't really lose with this enormous and tasty plate of food.

If you're after more of a build-your-own taco situation, but want something other than fajitas, I'd recommend the Chile con Carne ($22.95). The star of this dish is the chili itself; it's a deep, rich stew that comes with beautifully tender medallions of beef. Add a little bit of that along with some guacamole and pickled onion to the accompanying tortillas, and you've got yourself a rocket of a taco.

One bummer of the evening was having the Green Corn Tamales ($20.75) be out of season—they're only available from May through October—but I can't complain too hard about missing a seasonal item; I'll just mosey on back during tamale season. I also couldn't help but notice the prices were definitely on the California side of things. You do get a decent amount of food with each plate, but be prepared to shell out a little extra.

Small gripes aside, it's great to get the El Cholo experience right here in Sugar House. The menu is excellent, the margaritas are near-perfect, and the two-story dining room with some kick-ass rooftop patio seating on the way makes it one of the coolest dining spots Sugar House has to offer.