Get an authentic taste of Mexico

SELBYVILLE – Scraping snow off their shoes, workers walk down an aisle inside La Sierra, a Mexican market in Selbyville, past sodas, snacks and hair gel, filing into the restaurant in the back.

The food there is just like the food they would eat back home. The place serves up so much more than one might find at a typical Mexican restaurant on Delmarva — authentic dishes like lengua (beef tongue) tacos and picadas.

“A lot of people come here when they’re working around. They really like it,” said owner Diana Barrientos. “We try to keep everything like they would make it in Mexico.”

Their best-selling items are azada (beef steak) and lengua tacos, which come topped with fresh cilantro and onions, as well as sides of salsa, grilled onions and radishes. Everything tastes fresh, but the price point should be considered too — tacos sell for $1.50 each.

“Everything is homemade to order, right when you order it,” Barrientos said. “Our prices aren’t that high. It’s very cheap.”

The most expensive item is $13.50, and the average menu price is $5.50.

They offer nine different varieties of tacos, some commonly found here in the U.S., such as pollo (chicken), carnitas (deep fried pork) and barbacoa (shredded beef).

Others aren’t so familiar, such as chivo (goat), pastor (marinated pork with pineapple), cabeza (beef head) and tripa (beef tripe).

“In Mexico, we’re used to eating that. They’re very popular,” Barrientos said.

Barrientos said picadas, handmade tortillas with beans, cheese, avocado, onions and salsa, are also popular at $1.25 each. El Salvadorian pupusas, thick tortillas stuffed with cheese or pork, are on the menu as well, for $2.

Her husband, Oscar Benavides, opened the market seven years ago and started the restaurant in the back two years later. He got the recipes they use from his family.

Benavides’ brothers work at La Sierra as well. Two help run the market and two cook for the restaurant.

IF YOU GO

Taqueria La Sierra

Where: 58B W. Church St., Selbyville

Call: 302-436-4446

Online: www.tiendalasierra.com