Tomatillo

Burritos, Quesadillas and More at Tomatillo Grill

The beef taco at Tomatillo GrillBy Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter

Aside from the occasional hole-in-the-wall taco places or overpriced restaurants, there are not really a lot of choices when you're craving for Mexican food in Seoul.

Tomatillo Grill has already gotten some buzz for offering Mexican favorites like burritos, tacos and quesadillas at affordable prices.

With its bright red sign at the first floor of Alpha Building along Jongno street, you can't miss Tomatillo Grill. Once you go inside, you can immediately line up and choose your order from the menu over the counter.

The menu includes tacos (3,800 won), burritos (6,800 won), quesadillas (6,800 won), and tostada (5,500 won). You can choose what kind of meat you want: beef steak, beef bulgogi, chicken, pork pineapple, fish, vegetarian, or egg, bacon, cheese and potatoes.

We tried the burrito with pork pineapple, which was packed with rice, beans, cheese, lettuce, salsa and sour cream. It was delicious and filling, but some pork bits were tough to chew.


The chicken quesadillaThe chicken quesadilla, in all its gooey cheesy goodness, proved to be a winner. The shredded chicken bits were mixed with mushrooms and lots of cheese, folded in a tortilla wrap and heated on a pan, causing the cheese to melt. It is served with some salsa dip, if you want to add a spicy flavor.

As for the tacos, Tomatillo's beef tacos were tasty and had a lot of beef in it. However, the fish tacos were dry.

Tomatillo's special of the day was the chicken taquitos (11,000 won), which came with salad, beans, rice, and soda. It was a disappointment, though, since the crispy tostadas were a tad too oily for our taste.

We also tried the cinnamon choco chips, which turned out to be nacho chips sprinkled with cinnamon and served with a tub of chocolate sauce. This seemingly odd combination of salty chips and chocolate was a delicious surprise. There's also plain old chips and salsa or chili cheese nachos for those who want something familiar.

The drinks menu includes a choice of soda, beer, margaritas (strawberry, lime and peach), smoothies (Pina Colada, Gold Medalist, Peach Fuzzy) and Fruit Ade (November Breeze, Lemon Drop, Pink Sunshine).

Service was quick and efficient, even if there was a line forming during lunch hour. If you're curious about the restaurant's name, tomatillo is actually a small green tomato, widely used in Mexican cuisine.

Find Tomatillo Grill on Facebook, and you just might get a free burrito or drink if you answer the question of the day. To get to Tomatillo, get off Jonggak Station Line 1 Exit 6. Walk 100 meters, the restaurant is right next to Au Bon Pain. Opening hours 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday to Friday, or 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday to Sunday. Call (02) 734-0628.

cathy@koreatimes.co.kr