Mexican Dining (Read: Not Fast Food) Near UC Riverside: Templo Del Sol

If you're affiliated with the University of California Riverside, you have probably based by Joe Aguilar's Templo Del Sol numerous times without even realizing it. Located on University Avenue across the street from the plaza with Ten Ren, Mumbles and University Café, Templo Del Sol is a great alternative (or maybe even primary) to Satanas or Los Gilbertos.

If you're looking for a sit down authentic Mexican restaurant, look no further because it is within walking distance of the UCR campus. Templo Del Sol is hidden and easily overlooked because, to put it bluntly, it looks like a house and it is next to an actual house. To top that off, the restaurant does not have any flashy signs or banners so most passerbys are left wondering what that house is!

What may seem to be a shabby house at first glance proves to be quite the gem. Upon closer inspection (read: walk in), you are confronted with an authentic looking Mexican restaurant that will impress upon you that you may have to worry about your bank account. Upon walking in, my friend and I were immediately greeted and seated by a friendly lady who also seemed to know many of the regular patrons on a first name basis. We were then served our waters and a bowl of hot chips and spicy salsa to munch on while we browsed through the menu.

The salsa was delicious; the menu on the other hand, was an eyesore. Not only were the words packed together, but also the choice of font can be described as an ancient cursive. The good news however, comes in twos. First off, the menu is extensive and it extends beyond your expected tacos and burritos to also include dinner plates. The second reason is that you will not have to worry about your bank account because everything is fairly priced.

And so we (painfully) browsed through the menu...

While browsing, I could not help but notice the authentic ambiance of the restaurant. The dark brown tiles, dark wooden tables and dim lighting mesh together to create an authentic family feel to the restaurant.

My friend decided to go with the burrito de calabacitas, a burrito with zucchinis, beef and all the other burrito goodies topped with their house sauce and cheese. I went with the Carne Asada dinner. Although both were good, the burrito was definitely the better of the two. The ingredients came together into a nice fork and knife burrito and the sauce topped it off perfectly. The carne asada dinner was also delicious but I felt that the beef was a little overcooked, though that might just be me because I like my beef with a side of blood. To each their own.

I had a good full upon finishing my plate and shortly after, became bloated after finishing my friend's plate (I love dining with girls).

The consensus:

The service was great. We found our chips, salsa and water refilled without once having to flag over a waitress. The Ambiance was great. The food is well portioned and delicious. And the best part of all? The entire meal came out to be under sixteen dollars. So if you're looking for a sit down Mexican restaurant opposed to grabbing a quick carne asada fries at Santanas or Los Gilbertos, I would recommend Templo Del Sol. I will definitely be coming back to try something new on their menu sometime soon!