Very rarely does a restaurant serve up its history with your food, but knowing the story behind Boom Boom Mex Mex will make every bite of your burrito, taco or super-loaded nachos taste that much better.

Here it is, in brief:

Once upon a time, Tom Bryan was a Syracuse University student and the news editor of The Daily Orange. Some years after finishing school, he abandoned journalism and traveled to Mexico. There, he fell in love with a woman named Lupe who served him tacos in San Miguel Allende. The two married and eventually moved to Camillus, where they opened up Boom Boom Mex Mex. Averse to the fierceness of Syracuse winters, the couple closes up shop every year from November to April to head back south to San Miguel Allende, where Lupe’s family still lives.

After hearing bits and pieces of this story from my friend and filling in the gaps by reading the website, I became steadily more excited to try the restaurant’s food. On Friday night, I took the 20-minute car ride from SU campus to Boom Boom Mex Mex, located at 3263 Howlett Hill Rd. in Camillus. A long line of diners nearly tumbled out the door.

Boom Boom Mex Mex has a festive church-basement vibe. Fold-up chairs surround long tables covered with brightly colored plastic tablecloths. Paper decorations hang from the ceiling. Everyone inside was smiling. A family with young children squealing over their burritos laughed next to an amicable looking group of elderly men and women. A few feet away, a high school couple sat, deep in conversation.

As my dining partner and I waited for our turn to order, I noticed the authentic Mexican artwork adorning the walls and the yellow, red, green and white tiled floor. Boom Boom Mex Mex may not do ‘fancy,’ but the smells wafting from the front of the line are a mouth-watering hint that it’s a place that does Mexican food right.

When it was our turn, we opted to split an order of tacos (three for $5.97) and a burrito (also $5.97). We moved down the cafeteria-style assembly line, selecting our choices of meat, cheese and toppings. It was especially tough to decide on a type of meat from Boom Boom Mex Mex’s impressive selection. Options include seasoned beef, herb-marinated grilled chicken, pork al pastor, roasted pork en chile pasilla, chicken en chipotle or poblano chile peppers and cheese for vegetarians.

In the end, my completed burrito was bulging with beef, rice, beans, shredded cheese, guacamole, sour cream and pico de gallo. Each taco was double-shelled, giving them an appreciated sturdiness, with two containing the chicken en chipotle and one with the herb-marinated chicken. All three were also stuffed with cheese, lettuce, pico de gallo, cilantro and a homemade salsa verde.

We dug in and our mutual reactions of delight were almost instantaneous: The food was delicious. The outside of the burrito was toasted just the right amount, and the cheese-to-meat-to-beans ratio inside had been executed skillfully, despite the fact that my burrito had been assembled by a high school-aged staff.

Also, unlike many Mexican places that only give you a thin spread of guacamole or charge extra for it (I’m looking at you, Chipotle), Boom Boom Mex Mex provided a thick, fresh-tasting layer. Although the seasoned beef in the burrito was good, a more unique flavor came from the chicken en chipotle tacos. The salsa verde made the juicy chunks of chicken extra spicy, which provided the best slow-burn I’ve had in a while.

It’s hard to screw up something simple like tacos and a burrito, but I was still impressed by the fresh taste and by the huge portions, given the cheap prices.

While we ate, I often noticed Tom flitting in and out of the kitchen, and every so often passing the register where Lupe stood. Although I never saw him stop long to chat — the line, after all, was long and growing — you could sense the love and warmth between them. And everyone knows that those are two crucial ingredients for the perfect taco.

So, if you’re looking for a meal made with love, take that 20-minute drive and earn a fun atmosphere, a great story and a damn tasty burrito. Hurry though — you’ve only got until November.

jidonfro@syr.edu

Published on September 14, 2011 at 12:00 pm