This brightly colored little shop house is actually the sister branch of the popular eatery up in Chiang Mai, and it looks to recreate some of that place’s ramshackle charm. Unfortunately, the location doesn’t really help: sat on a cut-through between sois 22 and 24 it doesn’t get a lot of foot traffic. So, despite the vivid walls and festive touches, the place can feel a little gloomy on a quiet night—though maybe that’s just the creepy Dia de los Muertos skeleton mural on the wall. On our last visit, the lack of customers meant we got attentive service, but the hovering wait staff also made the small space a little uncomfortable. At its heart, Mexican food is pretty rustic homemade fare, and on that front, at least, El Diablo’s is on the money. Whether its dishes are particularly authentic is more debatable. Still, we appreciate the no-nonsense menu, covering just one side of an A4 and sticking to the standards. To start things off, the tortilla chips (B150) are certainly crispy, and clearly homemade, but they’re also a little too translucent and greasy. On the other hand, the accompanying dips are a pleasant surprise: the guacamole is fresh and rich while the jalapeno sauce is fiery and full-flavored—even if purists might bemoan that both are blended to a smooth consistency. They clearly like doing things their own way, which means, with the exception of the tacos, everything is slathered in pico de gallo (an onion and tomato salsa), jalapenos, sour cream and cheese. It’s a tasty, but not particularly subtle, approach and can be rather overpowering. For example, we struggled to tell if the quesadillas with chorizo (B215) really contained chorizo at all, and the thick topping tends to make the flour tortillas soggy and greasy. The nachos with shredded chicken (B215) fare a little better but are still an artery-clogging battle to finish. The more manageable tacos (chicken, pork, chorizo, B70) at least demonstrate a little finesse, with a fresh, well-balanced flavor. With affordable prices, an OK choice of beers and some potent margaritas and tequilas, we could well imagine popping in for some drinks and a taco if we lived round the corner. But as a flag bearer for Mexican cooking, it certainly won’t be worrying the likes of La Monita just yet.
