Mystery Diner in DeKalb: Seek out Flamingo for top-notch Mexican food

The term hidden gem can be used far too often as a crutch, but when it comes to Flamingo Authentic Mexican Cuisine in DeKalb, the descriptor is apt.

For starters, it’s located away from any other dining establishments in a residential neighborhood. It’s also listed as Flamingo Ice Cream on at least one prominent food-review website (as well as the receipt, though the building’s sign proclaims it’s Flamingo Authentic Mexican Cuisine).

But the restaurant, in addition to serving ice cream (and having a bank branch on the premises), features an extensive Mexican food menu. So it’s hidden for sure. And the quality of everything definitely makes it a gem.

While people wait for entrees to be served in the surprisingly spacious interior, not hinted at by the exterior, the restaurant serves chips and salsa like any Mexican place worth its salt. They actually present four salsas. Most are standard for their varieties (including a very good chipotle-heavy spicy sauce), but the regular salsa steals the show. It has a smoky flavor without being overpoweringly spicy, and complements all the dishes.

The enchiladas in the red sauce were very good, if a tad spicy for our young eater with an average spice tolerance. They ordered one steak and one chicken, and both meats were fantastic. Fast-casual Mexican places sometimes dry out their meat a bit, but both were cooked extraordinarily well here. Add in some fresh Cotija cheese, and it was definitely a standout.

Another standout was the tamales. We sampled the chicken variety, and as with the enchiladas, the meat elevated the dish. Tamales also can get dry, but not here. Soft, fluffy and delicious.

The elote was a tremendous side dish. We elected for the traditional on-the-stick variety. Again, the cheese did a lot of work, the chili powder brought a nice spice, and the lime tied everything together. They also serve it in a cup, and over Takis for those who like the spicy chips.

We tried a Cuban torta. Like all the dishes, the portion was huge, and definitely could serve two people. The restaurant departs from the traditional Cuban. Instead of mustard, there was a mustard-mayo-hot sauce mixture that was intriguing, but not what we were expecting. They added hot dog pieces to the regular combination of ham and breaded pork chop, and left off Swiss cheese in favor of Cotija. It was a good sandwich, just not what our Cuban aficionado was looking for.

To cap off our meal, we selected a tostada. It was beautifully presented, and the beans as the base were delicious. Indeed, they were an excellent side dish with other elements of our meal, and did some good work in tostada form.

Flamingo may not be where you would expect to find a Mexican restaurant/ice cream place/bank. But check those assumptions, because Flamingo serves some top-notch Mexican food.

• The Mystery Diner is an employee at Shaw Media. The diner’s identity is not revealed to the restaurant staff before or during the meal. If the Mystery Diner cannot recommend the establishment, we will not publish a review.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Flamingo Authentic Mexican Cuisine

WHERE: 1029 Pleasant St., DeKalb

PHONE: 815-901-0049

INFORMATION: www.facebook.com/FlamingoDekalb, www.flamingodekalb.com