Holy Frijoles!

Personal Review - August 2003:
Holy Frijoles! is still going strong. Still very small digs, but you can't go wrong here. In the last few years, they have definitely improved an already great menu. Not only is the food still great, but the salsa on this trip was indeed the zesty, biting salsa we love. No need to doctor up this batch. The portions of food (taco salad and enchiladas with rice and beans) were so large we couldn't finish. The prices are still very reasonable as well. Meal with drinks (ice tea/soda) was under $25. Holy Frijoles! now serves wine, beer and margaritas. No need to bring your own any longer. A great place to dine.

Personal Review - March 1997:
Holy Frijoles! is the new Mexican restaurant in town, having opened only about two months ago. This is literally the proverbial `hole-in-the-wall' restaurant, so small, that seating is uncomfortably cramped for groups of more than two (or very cozy, depending upon your point of view).

There is a very interesting selection of dishes including chorizo for tacos, burritos and chimichangas. You may select among a variety of ingredients for these items. A group of four of us ate there last week and enjoyed a wide variety of dishes including the burritos, taco salads, tacos, etc. The fare is mostly vegetarian, but meats may be included. Veggies are grilled and very tasty.

I was told the salsa `was to die for.' What a disappointment that was. The salsa was pretty tasteless. The only saving grace was that each table has at least two or three selections of bottled salsas one may add to the house brand. Be sure to verify when the waitress comes by with a pitcher that drink refills are free. Some were, others weren't, but our group didn't find that out until the bill came. Also, no booze is provided on the premises. Hard to imagine a Mexican restaurant without good margaritas or a good selection of Mexican beers. If you're so inclined, bring your own.

Update - 8 February 1999: Delightfully, Holy Frijoles! has continued to improve. The salsa on this trip was quite good; zip plus flavor. The initial helping of chips and salsa are complementary; extra salsa is $.75 per bowl. The bowls are small, and we eat a lot of salsa, but the price was reasonable for the improved quality of the salsa. Also changed on this go-around was that refills of lemonade are complementary now. A definite plus. The helpings were so plentiful, we were able to save an ample portion for lunch the next day. Service was excellent. Looks like Holy Frijoles! is a real winner.

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Baltimore Magazine, February 1999 -- "75 Best Restaurants" -- edited by Cynthia Glover and David Dudley
{Reprinted with permission of Baltimore Magazine}

True to its name, beans are a specialty in this tiny Tex-Mex joint in Hampden. But which kind? Black beans add character and depth to the grilled chicken burritos and beef nachos. But the refried beans, so good in the tacos and enchiladas, are sinfully creamy and flavorful. Not to fear. The prices are so cheap and the atmosphere so laid-back and inviting, you can come back tomorrow, as long as you're willing to wait in one of the frequent dinner time queues and bring your own tequila (its BYOB).

Why go: Cause you're keen on beans.
While you're there: Don't forget the Beano.

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Baltimore Magazine, August 1998 -- "The Best of Baltimore" edited by Max Weiss
{Reprinted with permission of Baltimore Magazine}

Best Tex-Mex
They line up here for many reasons. Because the raunchy little boxcar of a dining room is too tiny to accommodate enough people, of course. And because its so cheap that it's bound to lure any Hampdenite in search of an affordable BYOB dinner. And it is ferociously hip, in that charming and low-rent way that all of Hampden itself suddenly is. But, ultimately, they line up at Holy Frijoles!, 908 W. 36th St., 410-235-2326, because of the tender chicken and black bean burritos, the fiery chorizo nachos, and the sprightly fresh-tomato salsa. This is good Tex-Mex, maybe not as ingenious or as authentic or as flat-out fire-breathing as some other places in town, but generous and soul-satisfying and always carefully made. Get in line.

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Baltimore Magazine, January 1998 -- "The 75 Best Restaurants", edited by Cynthia Glover and David Dudley
{Reprinted with permission of Baltimore Magazine}

Inexpensive.
Holy Frijoles! is tiny, but take it in stride. This pint-sized Mexican emporium serves up everything--from its infamous nachos to its gargantuan burritos--at loss-leader prices and with service worth of Speedy Gonzales. Go whole hog: a chile relleno or a platter of nachos heaped with cheese and black beans. Still have room for dinner? Order up a zippy chorizo sausage burrito topped with a dollop of sour cream and a fragrant fresh tomato and cilantro salsa, or a mammoth beef chimichanga with salsa verde. It's so good you won't care if you're rubbing elbows with your neighbors.

Do: Bring your own hooch; it's BYOB.
Don't: Expect a lot of leg room.

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Baltimore Magazine, July 1997 -- "Best of Baltimore, 1997"
{Reprinted with permission of Baltimore Magazine}

Best Nachos
Beans are one of the unsung keys to nacho success, and, true to their name, the folks at Holy Firjoles!, 908 W. 36th Street, 410-235-2326, are bean specialists. You can choose between the kicky black beans or the sublime refried beans, simply the best we've ever had. Add the homemade tortilla chips, the smoky ground beef, the fresh and chunky salsa, and dollops of sour cream--not to mention the funky, cramped-chic atmosphere of this new Hampden hot spot--and you'll feel less gringo with each passing second.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Baltimore Magazine, February 1997 -- "75 Best Restaurants"
{Reprinted with permission of Baltimore Magazine}

Cute as a button, and almost as tiny, Holy Frijoles! is one of this year's super additions to Hampden's burgeoning 36th Street restaurant row. But it's not cuteness that qualifies a restaurant for this list. It's good food, which Holy Frijoles! offers Mexican style in cheap abundance. We're talking basics here--black bean and corn quesadillas, grilled chicken taquitos, grilled veggie burritos--but all fresh, lively, and at bargain prices. Set your watch to Tijuana time when you walk in the door, and linger (unless guilt attacks when you see a waiting line wind its way around the corner), but bring your own joy juice for the Margarita setup: Holy Frijoles is BYOB. Inexpensive.