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| A steak taco salad and a fresh iced tea is one sure way to savor the flavor of Oaxaca in Lincoln City, at La Roca. |
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The tastes of Oaxaca
La Roca Mexican Restaurant in Lincoln City
By Niki Price
Oregon Coast Today
The Mexican region of Oaxaca has one of the richest culinary traditions in Latin America. The indigenous people there were cultivating beans, corn, squash and cacao for hundreds of years before the Spanish arrived, and since then, this region has been known, even within Mexico, for its excellent cuisine.
It’s called the “Land of the Seven Moles,” and they’re not talking about the digging rodents, either. You say it “mole-A,” like the word olé, and it translates as a complex and spicy sauce. In Oaxaca, they make it green and red, but they’re most famous for the deep brown mole made with chocolate and tomatoes.
In any case, Oaxaca is a place that takes its food pretty seriously. They like it fresh and served with a smile – just like the Oaxacans who operate La Roca Restaurant in Lincoln City. Owner Heladio Huesca and his staff serve the Mexican food that Americans adore, like tacos, burritos, flautas and quesadillas, along with regional specialties like Chicken Mole and Chile Verde with Pork.
Lincoln City’s La Roca, which translates to “the rock,” is one of four in western Oregon. A small, busy taqueria on Main Street in Philomath was the first; it was founded by a former tree farm worker and mill employee named Tino Huesco. Since that restaurant opened in 1997, the business has expanded to three other locations, in Newport, Lincoln City and Toledo. Heladio is Tino’s brother (his sister, Elvira, now operates the Philomath location).
One of the first clues that La Roca is influenced by Oaxaca, rather than Sonora, is the décor at Lincoln City’s La Roca. It is calm but colorful, with white walls and red trim, travel posters and a corner TV that is always tuned to the soaps on Telemundo. The 10-table dining room has natural lighting from windows on three walls. The tables are simply adorned, until you sit down. Then, you’re met with a basket of fresh tortilla chips, and three small dishes: green mole, warm refried beans and red pico de gallo sauce.
La Roca offers the original Taqueria menu, with tacos, burritos, quesadillas, tostadas and tortas (sandwiches) served with your choice of the familiar grilled steak or chicken, or the more adventurous chorizo (a spicy Mexican sausage), carnitas (fried pork), cabeza (beef head) or lengua (beef tongue). The prices are tasty, too, starting at $1.50 per taco, $3.50 for a quesadilla and $3.50 for a tostada. The torta, served on a Mexican-style roll with avocado, lettuce, onions, jalapeño and sour cream, is $4.75.
To the relief of anyone with a smaller appetite or dietary restriction, the taqueria menu offers the choice of a moderate portion. Burritos can be ordered Super Grande, with three types of meat and all the fixings ($7), or small, with one choice of meat and a side of beans and rice ($3.50).
Lunch combinations are served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (and beyond, for 50 cents more). They’re all served with Spanish rice and beans, your choice of pinto or black. You’ll find the standard combo choices, plus specialties like their chile relleno, a stuffed Anaheim chile which is battered, deep-fried and served with a special sauce. At La Roca, you may choose between a chile stuffed with cheese, or both chicken and cheese, for $5.75. Lunchtime favorites include chicken and pork tamales, gorditas, chimichangas and nachos.
And while they aren’t open for breakfast, La Roca offers a meal that is a favorite breakfast in the American southwest: Huevos Rancheros. It’s two fried eggs on a corn tortilla, covered in onions, bell peppers and a special red sauce ($5.50). If you like that, try Huevos Con Chorizo, a scramble with spicy red sausage ($6).
The dinner menu, offered from 3 p.m., features all of the above in larger portions, plus house specialties like Chile Verde, bite-sized pieces of pork simmered in a green tomatillo sauce, and Chile Colorado, beef in a mild red sauce. Or, try a dish that’s straight from the Mexican cattle ranching tradition, Carne Asada — a grilled steak with avocado, pico de gallo, sour cream, green onions and jalapeños. Or, for a taste of Oaxaca in Oregon, order the Chicken Mole, simmered in the rich, traditional, thick mole sauce. All of the above, served with beans and rice, are $11.95.
It’s not all about meat at La Roca. Hearty vegetarian burritos, bean tostadas and gorditas, cheese enchiladas and chile relleños can be arranged in any way you like. And while their inland home of Oaxaca might not be famous for its seafood, the chefs at La Roca take advantage of the coast’s bounty, serving Caldo de Camarones (shrimp soup), Majarra Frita (breaded and deep-fried tilapia), and others.
To cool your palate, La Roca serves bottled Coke, Pepsi fountain drinks, iced tea and lemonade, as well as jarritos, Mexican soft drinks in flavors like pineapple, tamarindo and sangria. You can also try Horchata, a sweet rice drink flavored with cinnamon. They offer domestic beers, with Budweiser, Dos Equis and Widmer Heifeweisen on tap, and imported brews like Tecate, Corona, Carta Blanca, Pacifico and Negra Modelo, by the bottle. Piña coladas, margaritas and wines by the glass will help you toast your trip to Oaxaca, by way of “the Rock.”
La Roca Restaurant can be found at 3243 SW Hwy. 101, in the Nelscott neighborhood of Lincoln City. They serve lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 8:40 p.m. seven days a week. For details, call 541-557-1815.
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