Being born and raised in San Diego, California – just a thirty minute drive away from Mexico’s international border and with a population that’s nearly a quarter Mexican – I’ve been spoiled my entire life with good Mexican food and TexMex.
As you can imagine, one of my first observations about Cairo’s culinary offerings was the lack of Mexican cuisine. Restaurants have popped up around the city over the past few years, such as On the Border at City Stars and Gringo’s delivery in Maadi, but they seem to disappear as quickly as they appear.
Then, there’s Gordo in Zamalek, which offers surprisingly tasty Mexican style burritos with a slight Egyptian twist – but it’s all the way in Zamalek so what do you do if you’re all the way down in Maadi? You fantasize… and fantasize… and fantasize.
I’ve fantasized about the taste of fresh guacamole… made from California avocados and seasoned with the perfect combination of salsa, paprika and lime… scooped up on hot, perfectly crispy chips. I’ve fantasized about my best friend’s mother’s carne asada burritos. I’ve EVEN fantasized about Chipotle, the classier and better branded cousin of TexMex casual dining.
So you can imagine my shock when, scrolling through Otlob.com’s delivery options for Maadi, I stumbled upon a new Mexican restaurant called “Potle”. Yes, Chipotle without the “Chi”. Same logo. Same exact colors. Same exact font.
Ecstatic at this discovery, I ordered a large selection from the menu to split with my American friend: chips and guacamole, a beef taco, a steak burrito and a chicken burrito. The items arrived in wrapping nearly identical to the wrapping at Chipotle, right down to the chips bag. With such a build up, my expectations were high.
So how did the food measure up?
Chips
Verdict: Worth trying
On Cairo standards, the chips were decent. They were a bit stale and had a stiff texture like they had been reheated. However, the flavor was nice – lemony with a tinge of salt.
Guacamole
Verdict: Avoid
There was a moment that I wondered about the yellow goopy sauce that was delivered with my meal… What was this strange creation? At first glance, I assumed it was something extra that came as a side.
Then I searched through the paper bag for my guacamole, only to realize, in horror, that this strange yellow goop was in fact… the guacamole. I gave it a try and it tasted like a combination of mustard, honey, salsa and lemon.
Disappointed and confused, I checked the menu to see whether there had been a mistake, or a mix up with another menu item. There was something called “honey vinagraite”, but as I later discovered – unless they also put honey vinagraite on the burritos, the sauce was definitely supposed to be the guac. Go with Gordo’s guac (or make your own) if you must.
Beef Taco
Verdict: Avoid
The beef taco came neatly wrapped, leaving me with high expectations. I opened it only to uncover a taco that resembled more of a Taco Bell taco than a Chipotle taco. Fine. I’d settle for Taco Bell. Unfortunately, the whole thing was a miss. The ground beef was overcooked and bland and the taco itself was topped off with the wrong kind of cheese. Taco Bell would have been better.
Steak Burrito
Verdict: Must try!
This is where Potle redeems itself. The steak burrito was fantastic, with beef perfectly marinated in Mexican spices and customized with Mexican style white rice, black beans, salsa and sautéed vegetables very similar to Chipotle in a flavorful combination.
Chicken Burrito
Verdict: Must try!
If there’s one thing that Potle does right, it’s the burritos. The chicken burrito, in my opinion, was even better than the steak, which was also good. That said, it was hands down the best burrito I’ve had in Egypt. Marinated, flavorful and well cooked, the chicken blended nicely with the other customized ingredients. I will definitely be ordering this item again and I highly recommend it to anyone who misses real TexMex.
WE SAID THIS: Overall, give Potle a try, especially if you’re a TexMex lover who live in Maadi or Heliopolis.