Amy Stocklein
Three tacos for value (foreground) are no less delicious than the decadent Maria’s Platter. How to choose?
Guimo’s Mexican Restaurant sits at the end of a strip of retail shops, common to most small towns in Wisconsin. It serves familiar fare — tacos, burritos, enchiladas, tortas — and a basket of chips and salsa accompanies every menu item, just the way everyone likes it. The neighborhood shows up in droves for Sunday dinner.
You might never have spotted it if you were driving down Main Street in Sun Prairie back when Guimo’s opened in May 2017. But the following July a deadly explosion destroyed five neighboring buildings. It’s easier to see Guimo’s now, and I’d be lying if I said it isn’t a little haunting to park on the street alongside the vacant lots.
Guimo’s doesn’t deserve to be saddled with that kind of baggage, of course. The owners suffered along with the rest of Sun Prairie, closing their restaurant for a month to repair damage. It could have been much worse considering the restaurant’s proximity to the blast. Now, nestled inside its warmly painted walls, you’d never know anything was ever wrong.
One of the great blessings of Mexican food is that while it hails from a region with an annual average temperature almost 30 degrees higher than Wisconsin’s, it works just as well on cool fall evenings as it does on blistering July afternoons. Case in point: Guimo’s acidic, zingy green salsa that dresses the enchiladas verde tastes of pure summer, but the backbone of heat it delivers will warm your core.
I was drawn immediately to the pambazo. Fillings for this pepper sauce-rubbed sandwich traditionally include lettuce, sour cream, queso fresco, and a fried mix of chorizo and potatoes. The roll, made bright red by the peppers, is then crisped up on the grill. I love this sandwich, and Guimo’s (short for “Guillermo’s” and pronounced GHEE-mo’s) does it right.
A less flashy torta amply stuffed with chunks of al pastor pork certainly satisfies a dinner appetite. Those looking for a plate with more vegetables can be happy with the fajitas, as sizzling as at any corporate bar and grill, but almost four bucks cheaper than at the one with the pepper logo. Four different meats or a combination of them are available for this dish; even the potentially ho-hum chicken breast is nicely seasoned and browned.
The decadent Maria’s Platter includes shrimp, chicken and chorizo all under a blanket of gooey Monterey Jack sauce, and it’s one of those reward-yourself menu items that makes your eyes roll back. You may wish for more tortillas, and Guimo’s was happy to bring a couple on request, steaming hot in a paper bundle.
It’s cheaper to order tacos in threes, and why not? Lengua is tender and a little fatty, while the asada is of the purely beefy variety. If you want salt, apply your own. Guimos also serves the somewhat hard-to-find papas con chorizo (as in the pambazo, a rich potato hash) in both tacos and burritos. And shrimp create a fresh and bright taco, too.
The overstuffed Mission-style burrito so prevalent these days does not cross Guimo’s threshold. These are just plump, not excessive. A straightforward asada burrito nicely balanced warm and cool elements. The only novelty here is the french fry-stuffed California burrito, which beckons for when I’m missing Burgrito’s.
Do you just want chips and dip? You could do worse than a rich and savory cup of the chorizo dip. The guacamole is dialed in, too, with sufficient salt and a judicious level of mashing.
Daily lunch specials include an unexpectedly piquant chiles rellenos, and I’m definitely coming back for the tidy breakfast menu — chilaquiles, be still my heart — and weekend specials like posole and menudo.
Considering all of that and the absurdly generous pour of horchata (hey look, another set of flavors that works in every season), I don’t think I could have had a poor experience at Guimo’s if I tried. These dishes trigger immediate satisfaction, and with its recent tribulations, it’s no wonder that a community like Sun Prairie would embrace Guimo’s wholeheartedly.
Guimo’s Mexican Restaurant
126 N. Bristol Lane, Sun Prairie; 608-318-2895; guimosmexicanrestaurant.com;
9 a.m.-9 p.m. daily; $3-$15. There is a single step up at the front door.