I ended up here by chance as this was not on my travel plans for the day. 2 years into this pandemic and I’ve only gone to a few places to eat. But after a long drive to Calabasas and an even longer drive expected for the return home, we were already hungry. We decided to throw the dice and eat at a place with a patio. Likely to be surrounded by a fair number of people that don’t seem concerned about about getting covid (I am) so it wasn’t an easy decision. Fuck it, hambre wins, let’s give it a go! On to some weird looking Mexi themed restaurant!
Restaurant & Saloon, just to be clear.
I had noticed “served over our crispy tortilla” online and it was a done deal. How can I say no to proper HR’s? Might not be a great dish pero ahi esta la idea. I should clarify that I was only in Calabasas because we went to visit the excellent Leonis Adobe, aka LA City Cultural Monument #1. The museum is well worth the visit. I’ll refrain from commenting on the rest of the placid suburb.
Chips and salsa were decent enough.
This place is huge and has a stage set vibe. I could look it up and find out what the deal is but nah.
Some horse got stuck on the roof or something. Not my business.
On to the only reason we are here, the HR’s! Doesn’t look too bad, much better than I expected. There’s a bit of queso fresco grated on top, nothing overwhelming. They kept the guacamole, pico de gallo, and sour cream off to the side, nice. Sadly, the tortillas were not crispy as advertised. At least they dipped them in some hot oil for a bit so they were decent, but they should have kept them under for another minute. They ask you how you want the eggs, so they came out on point. The sauce was tasty, a tomato based offering with a slight hint of chiles, but nothing remarkable, and nothing offensive. Good enough! Beans and rice were also good enough. I have to say, this was a decent plate of food. I do not suggest you go out of your way for their version of HR’s, but if you happen to be around there and you happen to be craving huevos rancheros, you would be satisfied. Sometimes all you need is food to get you to your next destination. This fits right in.
Maybe next time.
Sagebrush Cantina
23527 Calabasas Rd.
Calabasas, CA 91302
818.222.6062
www.sagebrushcantina.com
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I’ve never been an HR fan, but you’re slowly converting me, and it’s only taken you about 10 years.
A few years ago, the local paisanos working at my Corporate cafeteria Got creative and made some HR with crispy tortillas. It was the best!
Now I know what to look for if I ever order this, Which I promise I will.
As always
~Gracias
Several years ago you responded to my email how to make quality Huevos Rancheros within the limited variety of foods here in Nicaragua. I give my long delayed thanks for your help.
There are no pinto beans here so I make refried beans from either red or black beans. No chiles aside from weak jalapeños and occasionally habaneros from the mercado a four hour ferry and bus trip away. The rich gringo market the other side of the lake occasionally has cilantro, seeds brought from the US won’t grow here. Still, I can make passable HR using a sauce made from powdered chiles from the gringo market.
I move to India next month and it will actually be easier to source the ingredients there than here in the exact center of the Americas. A funny aside about India- I was there for three months last year making arrangements in an area that looks exactly like Nicaragua but with elephants. A neighbor came to visit, asking questions about where I am from, my family, what kind of car, what work, etc. I showed him photos of my family and he exclaimed
“They look like Indians!”
We are Indians, I explained.
Confused look. I explained about the conquistadores mistaking the Americas for India and mistakenly calling the inhabitants Indians, and only 500 years later is the label finally disappearing.
“But there are brown people there? I thought everyone in the Americas were white.”
Because almost all the Americans who travel there are white, but I assured him the majority of the people in the Americas are not. I got a laugh out of it. Another thing I laugh at is imagining a person from India seeing the Bureau of Indian Affairs in the US and going inside for information.