Casa Oaxaca

Me: Hi, Norwegian celebrity car sales lady, I’d like to buy a famous Norwegian band’s car.
Cashier: We have only one.
Me: Which band’s car is it?
Cashier: a-ha’s car.
«Cashier a-ha’s car» then became the name of this restaurant. Omfg that was so lame. I’m getting desperate (that’s what the housewife said).
What a damn shame! I only had 3, maybe 4 places in Albany that I actually liked eating (Sukhothai, Bombers, neither of which are off the charts, and of course, my fave… Casa Oaxaca). I went back to Albany not too long ago and re-​acquainted myself with the others, and was horrendously horrifically horrified to find that LCO is long gone. It had often closed and re-​opened with different names but now it really is long gone.
No point waxing poetic about a place that no longer exists, except to say that it will be missed, sorely (and surely), and that not only did they have great tacos, yummy burritos, good Mexican drinks and other treats, but they also put piles of white Mexican cheese on whatever I asked them to, the really sexy kind of cheese… which my then-​girlfriend adored. And so this place made her very happy. And when they made her happy… she made me happy.
And she made them happy too, which would have been a problem for some guys, but, er. Not for me.

Another good restaurant CLOSED.

I had the pollo con mole (chicken with mole sauce), a quintessential Oaxacan dish. It wasn’t as flavorful as I expected, although I admit I may be setting the bar too high, having tasted mole sauces in Oaxaca. While resembling mole Negro in color, it lacks the smoky and chile flavored complexity of what I’ve tasted in Oaxaca. The chiles in the sauce could used a few extra minutes on the comal to give a smokier flavor. I admit that I’m a fan of dark meat, so was hoping for a drumstick rather than the flattened chicken breast that I received with the mole.
Ever the one to mooch, I had a taste of my girlfriend’s tuna empanadas and banana leaf tamale. The empanada was chewy with a crunchy exterior and tasty, just as anything deep fried should be. The tamale was just as non exciting as the mole — heavy on corn meal and light on meaty flavor.
The horchata was as it should be, not too sweet and with cinnamon flavor. It’s too bad they didn’t have tejate, a prehispanic coccoa based drink that seems to only be found in Oaxaca. That would earn them an extra star in my book.

DAYS 1 – 8 IN ALBANY
Me: «I want Mexican food NOW.»
Dad: «Let’s just get pizza.»
Alison: «There aren’t any Mexican places around here.»
DAY 9 IN ALBANY
Me: [Type, type, type, enter «Mexican» in Unilocal Albany search field.]
Me: [Sees 4.5 stars for Casa Oaxaca.]
Me: [Finds it’s near my house.]
Me: [Drives down Madison, sees dude peeing on wall, parks, adds change to the meter, goes to restaurant, sees it’s closed on Mondays.]
Me: «DAMMIT!!»
Dad: [On phone.] «Didn’t you call ahead of time?»
DAY 10 IN ALBANY
Me: «Thank God it will be open today.»
Me: [Looks at menu. A little more than I really wanted to spend. MOLE. BOMB. MOLE TAMALES.]
Me: I’ll get the mole tamales.
Owner: One or three.
Me: [Thinks, but quickly.] Three.
Owner: In corn or banana husks?
Me: What’s the difference?
Owner: The banana ones make the tamales a little moister, but they cost a little more.
Me: [Do I have spare change? No.] Um, the corn husks are fine.
He proceeds to bring me chips and salsa. Oh, AND JARRITOS. Not only that, but he had like the entire array of freaking Jarritos, too. From pina (my fave!) to mango and the basics like limon and naranja. The chips? Home-​freaking-​made. I’ve only been to one place back home that makes their own chips. So good.
A bit later, my food comes out, and it’s the wrong order. Pollo en mole rather than the tamales. He apologizes, but I opt to keep it (I was being cheap going with the tamales, but I secretly wanted the plain ol’ pollo). So. Dang. Good. I could have done with a little extra sauce, but overall, the mole poblano was pitch perfect. Not too sweet, not too spicy, not too overbearing, not too heavy. Perfect. PERFECT.
The rice wasn’t exactly what I like, but it was still very good. And the tortillas! They were hot, and almost house-​made. Damn good. Damn. Good.
The actual restaurant portion isn’t huge, but there’s ample space. It reminds me of this restaurant called Tres Caminos that we frequented in Mexico a few years ago. Quaint, with thick plastic tabletops, and padded cafeteria chairs. It’s very humble.
I also had a really great chat with the owner, who takes immense pride in what he’s got going on. He boasted that this place has won Best Mexican in Albany for two years in a row, and he hasn’t even been in business for two years (not that it would be hard, in this town, but still). His family is from Oaxaca, and he told me he learned from one of his grandmothers, who still used the old methods of cooking.
The portions, from what I can tell, aren’t huge, but they seem to be quality, and this is exactly the kind of place I’m going to be relying on over the next couple of months. That said, I still brought some home for lunch tomorrow, and the owner insisted I take my leftover chips, too (hey, I won’t fight with that!). One thing I have to note, though, is that they don’t have lunch specials. If you go for lunch, be prepared to shell out the same dough ($ 7-​$ 11 for a meal) as you would for dinner. Other menu items, aside from mole and tamales, include other traditional Oaxacan fare, like encebollado, tacos dorados, pozole, enchiladas, and entomotado.
While it’s not the BEST restaurant I’ve been to when compared to Portland, this place has revitalized my hope for Albany. The owner told me that it will be next to impossible to find fresh tomatillos in town, but that some places are starting to carry more Hispanic foods sections, which makes me happy.
But until it’s the dead of winter and freezing cold outside, I won’t be making mole in my apartment. I’ll be coming here for my fix instead.
ME NOW: PRAISE SWEET BABY JESUS IN HIS SWADDLING CLOTHES. GRACIAS AL SENOR. I think I love you, Casa Oaxaca.

This place is real, authentic and so affordable. Love the mole!
If I worked in the empire state plaza area, I would be coming here for lunch everyday!

delicious food! The tacos dorados and enfrijoladas are wonderful. The rice is exactly as my Mexican grandmother makes it. The owners are friendly and the prices are low. The best Mexican food in Albany!

Forget everything you know about Tex-​Mex before coming here. Oaxacan food is not at all the salsa-​cheese-​and-​sour cream laden stuff of Tex-​Mex food. It’s much simpler, with a focus on moles and tamales.
What I didn’t know until coming here is that in Oaxaca the tamales are wrapped in banana leaves and not in the traditional banana leaves. I tried both kinds, each with the traditional filling of mole and chicken. They were quite tasty and filling but not greasy. The homemade chips with salsa were also rather good. And the food’s pretty cheap too.
The décor is rather austere but the ambiance seems nothing but friendly. I definitely recommend checking it out.

Great food! The main dishes for myself and the person I went with were both delicious. The sides were okay but not impressive, otherwise I would have given it five stars. The staff was friendly and helpful. I had the impression that quality was important, and that was verified by the taste of the food. I truly can’t wait to go back.

Ignore the left side of the menu, with the burgers and salads. The right side is where the action is. There were several specials on the board as well.
We had the pollo con mole and the chimichanga, both were delicious. They also have a mean horchata, and an impressive list of flavors of Mexican sodas (pure cane sugar).
The place is incredibly clean and very laid back, and very affordable. (The most expensive menu items were under $ 11). Definitely an amazing find in a city that thinks Bomber’s is great Mexican.

This is a great little place to get quality, authentic Mexican food. It is housed in the same space that used to be occupied by La Familia. I’d been there once when it was still La Familia and it was pretty average. Not so anymore. The owner stated that he’s constantly adjusting the menu based on what his customers want, assuming that it is consistent with his desire to maintain authentic mexican fare. He’s added many vegetarian options that aren’t even on the menu yet.
It seems Metroland just voted them Best Mexican for 2008. Its a close call between Bros Tacos and this place for me. Can’t go wrong with either.

I have to tell you, I love Mexican food, and this place is sooooooooo good, its clean, and nice to get away from the day of work. I ordered the Steak Encebollado, and my mouth fell in love, so two days latter I went back to see if it was just a good night, so I ordered the Tacos Dorados, and my mouth was so in love, that I will always come to this beautiful quiet gold nugget of a place, I recommend this place. If I could give it a 100 star I would, so don’t miss out on this place…