Located inside a Shell gas station at Cherry Avenue and Base Line is a great little Mexican restaurant called Picante.

Being part of a gas station is not new - it's been done before - but to find this high quality of food is unusual. There are only five small tables to sit at, or you can take the food home with you, which many loyal customers do on a regular basis.

The menu features all of the traditional favorites that Mexican food is known for. One popular appetizer is the Carne Asada Fries, $5.99. Imagine a pound of crispy french fries smothered with cheddar cheese, diced-up pieces of tender and tasty Carne Asada (steak), pico de gallo, sour cream and guacamole. This dish was terrific!

The next set of dishes I tried included the Crispy Taco and Chile Relleno Combination Plate, $6.25, the Al Pastor Burrito, $3.75, and the Carnitas Torte, $3.99.

The crispy taco with shredded beef was very good, as was the California chile that was stuffed with cheese and lightly breaded with an egg flour batter. The relleno was topped with a zesty red chili sauce and both items came with refried beans and rice. The Al Pastor Burrito consisted of extremely tender chunks of pork that were first marinated in fruit juice, onions and pineapple and slowly cooked in a rich Adobada sauce. The pork was excellent and was stuffed into a flour burrito tortilla along with pico de gallo and rice. This burrito was delicious and a deal at only $3.75.

I


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love Mexican tortas, but the one I tried here lacked pizzazz! The carnitas was OK, but it did not have the seasoning and crispiness that great carnitas has. In addition to the carnitas, guacamole and slices of tomato also were included in the sandwich.

Because I am a giving person, I decided to order more food, although I was really full. Next came the Chile Verde Dinner, $6.75, and the Mega Breakfast Burrito, $3.25.

The large portion of pork in chile verde was very tender and had a nice spicy kick, thanks to the wonderful green chile tomatillo chile verde sauce the pork was cooked in. Rice, beans and a choice of tortillas came with the dinner.

If you are looking to start your day off in the right direction, I suggest you try the delicious Mega Breakfast Burrito, which features scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, potatoes, cheese and pico de gallo. This burrito was very tasty and quite filling.

Overall, I was very impressed with the high quality of food and despite the carnitas being lackluster I would definitely visit again. Where else can you fill up your car with gas and enjoy first-class Mexican food at really low prices?

Hear Allan Borgen from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturdays on the "Let's Dine Out Food, Travel & Entertainment" radio show on KTIE-AM (590). You can contact him at www.allan@ktie590.com or (909) 910-3463.

Visit his Web site,

www.letsdineoutshow.com.