It Takes Brains To Serve Authentic Mexican Food

---------------------------- Restaurant review / Lynnwood ----------------------------

XX Taqueria Guaymas, 5919 196th St. S.W., Lynnwood. Lunch, dinner ($1.45-$8.95) 11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. No smoking. No credit cards. Beer only. No reservations. Wheelchair access. 425-670-3580.

At other bastions of bodacious burritodom, you'll encounter tortillas wrapped around beef, pork, chicken or cod. What you won't find are tortillas embracing sesos (brains), tripa (tripe), lengua (tongue) or buche (pork cheeks). Aficionados hot after these and other authentic Mexican victuals can find them at Taqueria Guaymas.

Folks who think offal is awful and that tongue should be kept firmly in cheek shouldn't ignore the opportunity to discover all that Guaymas (with branches in White Center, Renton, West Seattle and here in Lynnwood) has to offer. Timid Americanos can relax: tacos, burritos and quesadillas may be ordered with beef steak, grilled pork, chicken or rice and beans, among many other fillings.

But there's much more to this "taqueria" than hold-it-and-eat-it fare, as I noted while watching the mainly Spanish-speaking clientele conversing over tureens of caldo de camarones (shrimp and vegetable soup) and menudo (that spicy tripe and hominy concoction reputed to cure a hangover), goldfish bowl-sized glasses filled with campechana (chilled prawns and octopus), and other specialties of the house. Next time I'll be sure to try the chiles rellenos, having observed as a cook prepped whole, fresh, jack cheese-stuffed poblano chiles.

While Guaymas is big on fresh ingredients, grande portions and friendly service, it's short on decor. But I was here to eat, not dine, and was perfectly content waiting for dinner at one of the picnic-style tables inside this small, square, cinder-block building just off Highway 99. Place your order at the counter by the crammed kitchen, take a number (so the server can find you when your meal's ready), then grab a cerveza or Mexican pop from the fridge before taking a seat in the tequila sunrise-colored dining room. Need something to tide you over while you wait? Try a couple pickled jalapenos from the condiment cart. I dare ya.

CAMARONES A LA DIABLA: The devil made us finish this tongue-blistering heap of sauteed tiger prawns with button mushrooms in a rich, red chile sauce that really means business. Heat intolerant? Don't go there. Devil may care? This one's for you. Spanish rice and warm tortillas (corn or flour) on the side.

CARNE ASADA PLATE: I've made a pig of myself here before, devouring a carne asada-filled "wet burrito" (with the works, $5.55), but went for the more delicate grilled beef platter this time. The thin-sliced flank steak retains its pink center, the grilled onion retains its natural sweetness, the whole red beans retain their tooth, and I retained my piggy status, rolling all of the above in flour tortillas while polishing off my rice.

HORCHADA: It's a drink! It's dessert! It's made here and it's delicious. Sweetened rice water tweaked with cinnamon and vanilla: rice pudding without the pudding.

ITEMIZED BILL

CHIPS AND SALSA: $1 CAMARONES A LA DIABLA: $8.95 CARNE ASADA PLATE: $7.35 HORCHADA: $1 CORONA BEER: $2.50

TAX: $1.90 TOTAL: $22.70