REVIEW | In Hillman City, a Menu that Spotlights Northern Mexico Includes a Surprise: Hot Dogs
Tacos are street food at its finest: A small, portable few bites of meat wrapped in a flatbread or shell and topped with an individual’s choice of salsa, onion, and cilantro.
Like any sort of nationally beloved dish, tacos appear across the country in different forms, reflecting Mexico’s diverse history and geography. Take, for instance, tacos al pastor, a version adapted by locals after Lebanese immigrants brought the slow-roasting technique used in shawarma to Mexico. Or chorizo, a spicy sausage with Spanish origins, which the conquistadors introduced hundreds of years ago.
Hillman City’s Sonora Carne Asada House is dedicated to the cuisine of the northern state of Mexico, which shares its northern border with Arizona. Sonora, known for its cattle, has a propensity for carne asada. It’s also known for its preference for flour over corn tortillas.
While many may scoff at the flour tortilla, claiming it is a staple of “white people taco night,” it is actually traditional to the region. In 2018, Mexican food writer Gustavo Arellano noted this in a New Yorker article:
“They are products of the long-standing Mexican-American communities who have proudly made and eaten them despite scorn from all sides. They are, in that sense, the Mexicans of Mexican food.”
For those familiar with other flatbreads from around the world, you’ll find a Sonoran flour tortilla to be akin to an Indian roti, with brown spots from being cooked over an open flame and a similar texture, making it excellent as a vehicle for whatever else is on the table.
Sonora Carne Asada House proudly touts its handmade flour tortillas. But there is one menu item, also with handmade bread, that customers may find surprising: hot dogs.
Another product of cross-cultural exchange, hot dogs became a popular late-night snack for college students at the University of Sonora in the 1970s. This regional version is served in a bolillo roll with a bacon-wrapped dog topped with pinto beans, onions, tomatoes, and crema.
Sonora Carne Asada House has its own version of the hot dog on its menu along with an assortment of tacos, a few appetizers, and burritos.
It was important to me to try a variety of tacos in addition to the carne asada plate, which I figured would be the star of the show. I chose the cabeza, tripa, and pollo asado to ensure my bases were covered.
Sonora does steak the way we’re used to in the U.S. — rather than the thinner cuts like skirt or flank, they use chuck roll or ribeye, making for thicker, juicier pieces of meat. Mesquite is essential to the process and provides an earthy smokiness. Due to the high quality of beef, the marinade doesn’t need to be too fancy. The steak is the star. But there is a salsa bar with a full array of options to tailor your dish to your preferences.
The restaurant’s dining room area is sparse. Just a few yellow booths that stand out against black walls covered in white-paint drawings of the state of Sonora. The art continues into the bathrooms, which feature paintings of Sonora’s baseball teams, a nod to another regional tradition.
When the food arrives, the first thing you’ll notice is the large portion sizes. They don’t skimp on the meat. This is much larger than the typical street taco.
The carne asada plate is served with rice mixed with corn, refried beans, a small grilled onion, and tortillas. Each bite is succulent. I hardly ever eat steak, but this plate had me questioning that decision.
The tacos were just as impressive. I don’t recall having cabeza, or cow’s head, before, but my dining partner informs me that the meat comes mostly from the cheek. The shredded meat is rich and nearly melts in your mouth.
Tripe can be polarizing. It’s made from the stomach of a cow. It’s a chewy texture that many people may find unfamiliar, unless you’ve had it before. Tripe is used in an assortment of soups or stews around the world, including pho and menudo. For those averse to the idea of eating tripe, I’d suggest trying it in these Sonora tacos. Instead of the inner lining of the stomach, they use the meat from the small intestines, which is tubular and feels more like calamari. It’s also fried till crispy, making it a much more familiar texture.
This place may be known for its beef, but the chicken was no disappointment. It’s flavorful, a little salty, and anyone who doesn’t eat cow will be satisfied with this alternative.
The original Sonora Carne Asada House is in Auburn, and they also have a food truck that you can find around the Seattle area. All are worth trying, especially for the excellent beef, which I’ll note is halal, and a unique style of Mexican food that you can’t find just anywhere.
Sonora Carne Asada House
5901 Rainier Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98118
Daily, 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Grace (DD) Madigan is a Seattle-based journalist who formerly covered arts and culture for KNKX.
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