Mango's Grill Re-opening In Laurel

The Mango's Grill restaurant is re-opening in Laurel -- a little farther south from its former location.

Mango's Grill offered casual Mexican to a loyal clientele, but the building was demolished as part of redevelopment of the area around U.S. 1 and Rte 198.  So the restauranteurs rented a new space a few blocks south on U.S. 1 -- the former home of India Gate.

George Berkheimer over at the The Business Monthly has been keeping an eye on the space.  He says the owners were planning to open the new Mango's Grill in the first week of August.  Now, an anonymous comment says that the owners says that they'll open on Thursday.

Changes In Laurel - Mango's Grill And Irene's Moving From U.S. 1 To Make Way For Walgreens

Quick update on downtown Laurel -- Mango's Grill and Irene's have both closed on U.S. 1 and aim to open just a little farther from Howard County, reports Kevin Rector on Explore Howard.

Mango's is a nice Mexican place that used to be just south of Main Street near the Rte 198 intersection.  Irene's was a place that did Mexican and Salvadoran next door.  They closed to make way for a Walgreens, according to a March column by Jeff Dudley.

Rector reported that Mango's has signed a lease a little farther south on U.S. 1.  Dudley says that Irene's is moving a little east to Rte 198 near the Home Depot.

Mango's Grill in Laurel

I want a Mexican restaurant with the uncompromising spirit of Grace Garden.

For now, I'm enjoying Mango's Grill in Laurel, a spot on U.S. 1 that pulls off casual Mexican with a little flair.  The flair is in the food.  The decor is super plain -- plastic table cloths, ingredients in sight of the tables, view of traffic.

But I was sold when our first plate arrived filled with fried yucca and chicharron.  That's little chunks of pork, juicy and flavorful.  Mango's tops it off with pickled cabbage, which tasted fresh and bright on a heavy plate.  I say "heavy" with love.  Fried yucca beats even french fries, and chicharron are delicious.  Mrs. HowChow stopped after a few, but I speared pork and yucca until our main courses arrived.

I went for tacos al carbon.  Mrs. HowChow went light with chicken tamales.  She still dreams of tamales from an LA farmers market, but she said Mango Grill's had good corn flavor -- a strong B+.  My steak was my favorite from any of the local Mexican joints.  Charred and slightly salty, it came with avocado and went great with the salsa that Mango's serves with warm chips.

Mango's Grill has prices so low that many other reviews compare them to Chipotle and Don Pablo's.  Those chains are no competition even though Mango's lunch specials start at $7, and you can eat dinner for less than $10.  Frankly, I don't think you'll actually stay that low.  If nothing else, you want an appetizer because they're interesting -- either that yucca, the tamales, or the pupusas that I have my eye on for our next visit.  And then there is horchata, a delicious Mexican soft drink.  And desserts.

So why do I pine for Grace Garden where every dish pops with flavor?  It's Mango's rice and beans.  They're fine.  The beans are firm, red pintos.  I ate them all.  But the rice was bland.  My steak was so much better than anything else on the plate.  The tortilla tasted like it came from my fridge.  That's not a crime, but why can't there be a Mexican place where everything comes with a zip?  I'll take basic food.  I'll take a small menu.  I'd just love everything as delicious as the cabbage or the horchata.

For future visits, I'm going to lean towards the more unusual items where they're obviously putting a focus.  We should have ordered the ceviche that the Mixed Stew blog highlighted.  Chrysalis recommended the grilled salmon as well.  The high points rank Mango's Grill above La Palapa Too.  Maybe at the same level as El Azteca.  I need to try a few other places and redo my Mexican rankings.

Click here for my 2009 take on the best Mexican food.  Pound for pound, nothing beats R&R Deli's takeout tacos and lamb soup.  

Mango's Grill  (The restaurant moved south on U.S. 1 in 2012.  Look for newer posts.)
600 Washington Boulevard
Laurel, MD 20707
301-776-8834

NEAR:  This is on U.S. 1 at Rte 198.  From Howard County, you take U.S. 1 south from either Rte 32 or Main Street.  Mango's Grove is on the left just before the turnoff from westbound Rte 198.

Link: Ceviche at Mango's Grill on Mixed Stew Blog

The Mixed Stew blog takes you off-menu to recommend fish and seafood ceviche at Mango's Grill restaurant in Laurel -- a mom-and-pop joint that I have put on my to-do list.

Mango's Grill is on U.S. 1 near Rte 198.  There are a mess of restaurants around there, and I never know which ones are worth a visit.  The Mixed Stew blog gives a big vote for this Mexican/Salvadoran place.   There are a few reviews on Yelp, but I'll go just to taste the ceviche that the Mixed Stew highlights:

The dish is a blend of white fish, shrimp and baby squid (tentacles and all) drenched in a delightful, light marinade of citrus, cilantro and onions. It is served with wedges of lime or lemon to squeeze over the dish and wake up the flavors on the table. With a side order of flour tortillas, the ceviche can be eaten as an entree, even though it is on the appetizer portion of the menu.

Thanks to C.B. for sending me the link to The Mixed Stew.  I'm not sure if the authors George and Nelly are local or live in the middle of Pacific.  There are more reviews of Guam than Laurel!