Lucha Libre

All over town, good taco shops are closing—three in downtown in the last year at least. Local chains—Robertos, Sombrero, Santanas—are advertising on alt-rock radio and on the web and feature “happy meals” with toys. McDonalds and so forth are selling—burritos!

I don’t want to spot a trend that doesn’t exist here, and I don’t think we are at risk of massive homogenization as the little guys fail and big guys pick up the pieces—not anytime soon—but the world of the taco shop isn’t a static one either. Shit happens.

Lucha Libre is definitely something I wouldn’t have predicted. It’s kitchy and loud and ironic. It has a myspace page and I’m one of their friends. There’s a digital jukebox and a gilded table with a chandelier that, apparently, you can reserve. Very different from the yellow and orange plastic utility of most taco shops.

All this in the place where a good taco shop once stood. Let’s walk down memory lane together …

Many of you youngsters might not believe it, but Valentine’s was once a good place for a meal—and also innovative. It was the first taco shop that I know of in San Diego to feature a “healthy” menu with items like the “Santa Fe Veggie burrito,” which had corn and black beans in it, a salsa bar with cucumbers in it, and rice that was—hard to describe. It was white and sticky and tasted vaguely like poblano chiles. It was weird, tasty rice.

I don’t know what makes black beans healthier than pintos and Valentine’s put more mayo than avocado in their guacamole, but what matters is this: They were putting some personality into it without sacrificing the basics, something that Luche Libre also succeeds in doing.

Next door, Bar Dynamite, once run by a couple of Vietnamese women, was a place where the clientele there took their meals in liquid form with a cigarette. It was a quiet, air-conditioned cave that didn’t much affect Valentine’s.

Until it was redone. Then Bar Dynamite was a place young people go to get loaded and groped, while listening to the latest in shitty music. I’ve been in there once. It smelled like bad gas and cologne.

I’ve said it before: Nothing ruins a good taco shop like a busy bar. After six appeltinis, even a microwaved burrito from 7-11 is “fucking bomb.”

All these drunk people stream out at 2 a.m. looking for something to take their Viagra with and—lo and behold! there it was—Valentine’s, within stumbling distance.

So the fate of Valentine’s was always tied up in that of Bar Dynamite. Or perhaps something else was afoot. I don’t know. At any rate, as Bar Dynamite became cool, the food quality suffered, the tropical fish tanks got dingy, and the people working there seemed to not really care.

And then along comes Lucha Libre. It’s a good place, all said. Their tack is intriguing. Not my style decorating-wise, but they had to have a schtick in that location or the funk of Bar Dynamite will snuff it. They put a lot of work into Lucha Libre and I especially like the Founding Fathers in the bathroom wearing—hey!—lucha libre masks—had me peeing and laughing at the same time.

My burrito was good. A little more expensive than I’m used to, but I’m fine with that. I would much prefer the taco shops of San Diego to raise their prices and compete on food quality. The end of the $3.50 carne asada burrito is near!

The veggie burrito was very greasy but good, especially if instead of rice you request beans. Really good refried beans. And if you get a horchata, it’s all you can drink. Damn! Come thirsty!

The tomatillo chipotle salsa was excellent. Their salsa bar was good generally, although in a couple of cases the flavors needed greater integration. There was too much reconstituted dried chile flavor.

And more important than what I think, they were busy. Not because of Bar Dynamite either. At 8 p.m. on a Friday night they were nearly at capacity, a very good sign.

So, good luck Lucha Libre, and good work. You might be telling us something about the future of the San Diego taco shop.

Lucha Libre

1810 W. Washington St.