RESTAURANT REVIEW:

It is not my desire or goal to eat barbecued goat. I am not sure why I don’t want to take this culinary leap, but there was definitely hesitancy when the possibility arose at Super Antojitos.

Antojitos loosely translated means craving, and though I often long for Mexican food, barbecued farm animal does not top that list, especially farm animals that look like they wouldn’t be very appetizing given that they are mostly muscle.

My girlfriend assures me that it is quite good, but she is also the one who said Menudo was excellent, and I don’t like either the food or the boy band, so her recommendations are taken with a grain of salsa.

She has made me a fan of pasole, but it was homemade, and since I was trying anything to impress her mother, I probably would have eaten worms if there were enough spices and salsa verde on them.

There was no pasole at Super A’s, but definitely enough authentic Mexican dishes to make any transplant long for home.

If there was any question of authenticity, it is answered when you walk in the door. The smell from the kitchen greets your taste buds as your eyes see the curios hanging from the ceiling.

Black-and-white checkered floors lead to black booths while homemade tortilla chips are placed on the table almost immediately.

The chips are made from tortillas, like they should be, and the salsa is a red pepper variety served in a mini-mortar stone.

The customary appetizer makes my mouth singe and my eyes water a bit, but it makes my Pacifico beer taste that much better.

The specialties jump out at me, the only green shaded section on a red-and-white menu. Pork ribs with cactus and tongue in green or red sauce are two of the specialties the restaurant serves.

For the less adventurous there are chicken fajitas and carne asada. Chile relleno and carnitas are also there. I find the pechuga de pollo en salsa interesting. The chicken breast in red or green mole sauce is a better choice than the tamer breaded chicken breast.

On this visit my daring side is well north of the border and instead of something challenging, I go the safe route, getting a combination of enchilada and taco. This is the only item that irks my girlfriend. She abhors any yellow cheese on an enchilada but makes this concession of the indignity.

She is about to enjoy a sope, one of the best things on the vast menu. The sope has no yellow cheese, instead it has queso cojita on top of the mountain of items on the base, which is made from ground corn. There is chicken, beans, tomato, lettuce and sour cream.

My taco was like the one I have bought off the streets of Rosarito or Tijuana. It is two small corn tortillas, filled with diced chicken and stuffed with cilantro and onions. The salsa I put on top of it gives it a little more spice.

I was impressed with the little touches the restaurant had, such as with its rice and beans. The rice was really light and had more flavor than most Mexican restaurants I have been to. I also liked the small pieces of green bell peppers, corn, carrots and peas mixed with the rice.

The beans were also surprisingly light, they almost tasted like they were whipped. It was not heavy at all and you could tell they were homemade.

It made my girlfriend long for her homeland. One day I’ll get there with her, but until I do, Super A’s will suffice quite nicely.

SUPER ANTOJITOS

ADDRESS: 2949 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa

PHONE: (714) 437-1824

CUISINE: Mexican

SPECIALTY DISH: barbecued goat

ALCOHOL SERVED: beer and wine

ENTRÉE PRICE RANGE: $5.95 to $16.95

FAMILY FRIENDLY: yes, six-item combination menu

CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED: MasterCard, Visa

RATING: ***

JOHN REGER is the Pilot’s restaurant critic. His reviews run Thursdays.