The $5 lunch menu has eight selections that come with fluffy Mexican rice and wonderfully soupy homestyle pinto beans. The special combo menu is only $1 more. A la carte south-of-the-border fare ranges from $1.75-$9.
Located in the middle of where Orange Avenue splits into a one-way street in the community of Edgewood, the area is a bustling mix of worn strip malls, industrial complexes and quite a few independent eateries.
The fast-paced traffic along this stretch of Orange Avenue can almost cause you to miss Antojitos Express. If you are heading south, turn left at the stoplight at Hoffner Avenue and circle back through the supermarket parking lot. The restaurant is in a stand-alone building right on the roadway.
The small dining room is clean and tidy with a mix of comfortable tables. Grab a menu, place your order at the counter and take a seat. Dishes are prepared fresh, so the "express" part of the restaurant's name may not live up to its billing for some diners. Our meals took about 10 minutes to arrive at the table but the wait wasn't a problem for us.
The lunch-only tostada ($5) rose from a crispy round corn base with tender braised beef, chopped full-flavored tomatoes, shredded lettuce, diced sweet onions, cheese and ultra-fresh cilantro. A homemade cream sauce was piped over the inviting mound. The accompanying rice and beans made this a full platter.
One of my guests had the Three Amigos ($6) combo with one chicken tamale, one beef taco and one cheese enchilada. The tamale was one of the best I have had in Central Florida. The steamed masa dough encased a substantial filling that finished on the palate with a wonderful kick of heat. The taco was filled with shredded tender tendrils of meat. The cheese enchilada was bathed in a russet-colored dried red chili pepper sauce that nicely complemented the tortilla package.
But the jibarito ($6.99) was the star of lunch.
The steak sandwich (pronounced hee-bah-ree-to) was dressed with sautéed green bell peppers and onions, shredded lettuce, diced tomato and Swiss cheese. Two savory plantain slices are flattened and fried to form the bread. (Think large, oblong tostones.) The remaining ingredients are layered inside with thinly sliced meat similar to what you typically find in a Philly cheesesteak. The behemoth can be a difficult hand-held meal — especially if you are not used to the texture of the plaintain.
I like to grab a knife and fork and dig right in. The approach is less messy and you don't miss any of the wonderful flavors and textures.
Service was friendly and efficient during my lunch stop. And, for the price and quality, Antojitos Express should top anyone's best cheap eats list.
hmcpherson@tribune.com or 407-420-5498
Antojitos Express
Where: 5601 S. Orange Ave., Orlando (between Gem Street and Hoffner Avenue/County Road 15; on-site parking in the shopping plaza)
When: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday
How much: $5-$13.50
Beverages: Soft drinks
Extras: Outside tables, takeout, flat-screen television and local delivery through homerundining.com
Wheelchair access: Good
Credit: Most major
Call: 407-802-2925
