It was on my roommate’s recommendation that I checked out Curtis Park Creamery. Contrary to what ideas one might conjure by the name, this place does not serve ice cream. It does serve Mexican and tasty Mexican at that. Before entering the store I knew it was not a sit down place and you need to be aware of that as well. It looks like they serve everything to-go, and the inside of the place resembled a gas station convenience store with its large glass doors along the back wall displaying refrigerated contents including water, sodas, and juices. Looking at the menu is simple – it is posted overhead in 2 places and the offerings include burritos, enchiladas, tacos, tamales, and menudo among other things in both a la carte and combo form. One thing I did not notice were menu items created with the option of different meat ingredients like chicken or pork. It looked like most items would be bean, beef, or cheese based. The combos go for around $5 to $6, and I ordered one that included a bean burrito, enchilada, and tamale. The dish is concocted right in front of you like a less fancy version of a Qdoba or Chipotle assembly line. As my combo was created, I was unimpressed with the looks of what was being put together; refried beans were slapped on a flour tortilla for the burrito, a handful of cheese rolled into another tortilla for the enchilada, and the tamale – i chose mild – was unrolled from its corn husk. I ordered my meal smothered which included a red chili sauce poured on top. The whole concoction was placed in the microwave in its styrofoam to-go container and heated so the cheese would melt. My enchilada was then topped with lettuce and onions and the meal was ready. If you have a mother like mine, she would not be happy with anything microwaved in styrofoam because of potential cancer risks. However, in the name of reviewing restaurants, I compartmentalized this detail and tried not to let it affect my conscience while dining.
The food was really good once I sunk a fork into it. The beans in the burrito had great flavor and complexity much richer than typical refried beans that come as a side on most Mexican dishes. The mild spiced tamale was flavorful and probably included some type of meat like pork in its creation although it was not defined as that on the menu. My enchilada which looked the least appetizing of the 3 items was as great as it was simple after being microwaved. Ordering the items smothered was a good decision; the hot red chili sauce added some great flavor.
Curtis Park Creamery would be a great place to go for food on a nice day when you can go sit in the park across the street and eat. It’s a quick order place; you can be in and out in less than five minutes if there is no line. I used a visa credit card so its safe to assume they accept most forms of credit cards along with cash. There is no drink fountain – all bottled items. While the creation of your meal in front of you does not offer the greatest presentation, thats not what most people are looking for when it comes to fast food Mexican. The items I tried tasted great, the prices were reasonable, and the street parking is plentiful. Just look for the Curtis Park Creamery sign painted on the side of the store, it’s hard to miss and right across 30th Street from Curtis Park at 908 30th Street.
