Get 'em while they're hot!

The first experience I had with cuisine from La Superior, a relatively new Mexican restaurant in Central, SC, was when a friend brought sackful of their tortilla chips to a dip party my fiance and I hosted last Winter. After one bite, I HAD to know where he had acquired these delicious little morsels. It was then that I first learned of the small family-run establishment in the shopping center next to the dollar store.

As quickly as I could manage to get there, I excitedly set out to see what else this place had to offer. I don't care how good a Mexican eatery might be, it's a disappointment if the chips are nothing special. On the flip side, with chips this fresh and flavorful, I had already had high expectations for the rest of the fare.

There are only a few tables, and customers must order at the counter. The menu includes familiar items (tacos, burritos, and quesadillas). However, La Superior is noticeably different from your average Mexican restaurant. All of the ingredients are fresh, and the tortillas are made-from-scratch. A variety of salsas are offered at a self-serve counter. The selection is definitely not as extensive as that of a larger business, but what is offered is certainly of superior quality. What can I say? The name fits.

The meats (I've had pork and chicken, but you can also get steak) are marinated and seasoned to perfection. The "specialty pork" is particularly interesting, with a sweet marinade that includes pineapple! Made with homemade tortillas and stuffed to the max, the large burritos and tacos are magnificent. Among the other selections are salads, tostadas, huraches (thick corn tortillas with toppings), tortas (Mexican sub sandwiches), hamburgers and hot dogs. I must admit that at first I was a little skeptical about the "Mexican Style Hot Dog." The menu describes it as a "hot dog wrapped in bacon topped with tomato, onions, jalapenos, mustard, and ketchup." To my relief, after some investigation, I found that this is not merely some Mexican-American hybrid creation invented to draw in the all-American Big Mac crowd. This is the real thing. Apparently these suckers were even at some point banned in L.A., where they were commonly sold by street vendors. I haven't seen any indication that you'd need to worry about sanitary conditions here, so you're probably safe to give one a try. Well, at least it won't kill you TODAY. I wouldn't make it a daily habit, but that's just me!

Now if that's not enough to pique your interest, read on.

On Thursdays, customers can place an order for tamales, which may be picked up the following afternoon. You won't find tamales anywhere on the menu. You just have to be in the know. Or you can read the sign, which I hear they now sometimes have posted. Okay, so now it's not quite as cool, but that doesn't make them any less good.

Offered by the dozen or half-dozen, one can get "green," "red," or jalapeno cheddar varieties. The colors refer to the mole (sauce). Green is filled with chicken, and red is pork. Now I had always suspected that the food was somehow more authentic than what I'd been served elsewhere. Maybe it's the fact that it seems to be the place to go among the Latino crowd (whereas the other Mexican restaurants in close proximity seem to appeal mostly to karaoke-singing college students). Or maybe it's the food itself, which tastes like it came out of someone's mama's kitchen. As soon as I found out where these tamales were coming from, I was licking my lips in anticipation. Apparently, the owner's mother prepares the tamales from scratch in her own kitchen and delivers them to the restaurant to distribute to those who have reserved their share.

We happened to be in Greenville that afternoon and were a little later getting back than we had expected. As closing time drew closer, I became more and more nervous that I'd miss out on what I had been looking forward to all day. It turns out that the owner was more than happy to stick around the store after closing, keeping our tamales warm, until we could come by to get them. They had already been paid for, so she had nothing to gain by doing so. It's that kind of service that keeps folks coming back.

Finally in my possession, I hurriedly unwrapped the foil packets like it was Christmas morning. Inside the tightly-folded corn husk, the filling was moist and spicy. The tamales packed some heat, but it was definitely not unbearable (and I don't have a very high tolerance). You can't have a tamale if it's not at least a little hot, and these seemed just right. It was love at first bite, and we devoured a few more than we had intended! And to top it all off, you can get these babies for a buck each. That's Taco Bell prices for something I'd be willing to pay quite a bit more for! Shhh. Don't tell anyone I said that. I'll leave 'em a good tip. ;)