A tasty and cheap weekend at George’s

Two weeks ago I spent a cold, windy and rainy weekend in New York City. It had been 30 years since I’d been to the Big Apple, so I did a bunch of touristy stuff -- Times Square, Empire State Building, double-decker bus tour through Manhattan -- and devoured some incredible pizza. I had a fun time but came home with a nasty sinus infection and a thin wallet.

Upon my return I spent the entire week holed up at home popping pills (some were doctor-prescribed, whereas others just made wildly outrageous claims that could never be certified as true by the FDA), drinking a ton of repulsive green vegetable elixirs, eating nothing but bagels and watching a detrimental amount of game shows and soap operas (glad to see Bob Barker and Luke from General Hospital still rule).

Finally feeling better, and craving some spicy food, I spent this past weekend at George’s Mexican Food near the corner of Edwards and Edinger. I’d never been to George’s before, so I tried a bunch of stuff -- tamales, tacos, burritos, desserts -- and devoured some incredible pozole. I had a fun time and came home with a happy palate and a largely intact wallet.

I say “largely intact” because everything I ordered cost less than $5. In fact, the most expensive plate on the menu -- camarones a la diabla (spicy shrimp) -- is the only item priced at $6.99.

George’s offers breakfast, lunch and dinner in a casual setting. They also have a quick and convenient drive-through. But if you want to partake in their freshly made salsa bar (and you do) and imbibe in cerveza and margaritas, you must venture inside.

I really enjoyed the steak and eggs breakfast at George’s. Their version combines a thin (the width of a quarter) and flavorful carne asada steak with fried eggs, crispy papas (home fries), refried beans and choice of tortillas. I’ve never met a chorizo and egg burrito I didn’t like, and theirs was no exception. Other breakfast items include huevos rancheros and machaca and eggs (available as a plate, burrito or taco).

On Saturday and Sunday only, George’s makes menudo and pozole. Seeing as I can’t stomach tripe (pun intended), I opted for the pozole. This chunky, spicy stew contained plenty of lime-soaked white corn kernels and tender chunks of pork -- delicious.

Speaking of tender chunks of pork, I also liked them as chile verde when they were mixed in a zesty green chile sauce with onions. Other items I tried included shredded beef tamale (they also have chicken and pork) with a moist masa outside topped with melted cheese and red sauce, carne asada tacos made with lean meat, onion-flavored ground beef tacos and a watery horchata drink.

Seeing as I have a sweet tooth the size of a walrus tusk, it should come as no surprise that I thought the dessert burritos were fantastic. Apple or cherry filling is encased in a crispy shell showered in cinnamon sugar. Three visits to George’s meant three dessert burritos for me.

If you’ve tired on the whole fried or rotisserie chicken dinner from the supermarket, you might try George’s family meal pack to go, which includes six enchiladas (cheese, ground beef or chicken), one pound carnitas, rice, beans, salsa and bunuelos, all for $17.

I’ll return to George’s in a New York minute.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: George’s Mexican Food

WHERE: 6581 Edinger Ave.

HOURS: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

INFO: (714) 892-5775

* JOHN VOLO is the Independent restaurant critic. If you have comments or suggestions, e-mail hbfoodguy@yahoo.com.