De Mole - Tilapia Salad sooo good

[2slices]

I just ate:

Fresh charcoal grilled tilapia over assorted greens, grilled zuccini, tangerines, avocado, raw onions and peppers with a lime achiote dressing.

$8

GO GET IT.

The jamaica was great too.

If you've been living in a cave
De Mole
4502 48th Ave
Sunnyside, NY 11377

[micheal]

i wonder if the reports here describing DE MOLE as a madhouse at dinner time has not dissuaded people.
I have been there 3 times in the past 10 days between 7-9pm; there was no wait and several free tables every time.

[bigjeff]

is this place really busy for sunday brunch/lunch? thinking, around noon or 1pm? also, does anyone know if they have their full menu, or only brunch-y stuff?

[catherine]

It can get crowded on Sundays, but it's not usually too bad. Unless, of course, some guy decided to invite 10 of his closest friends for brunch. It's such a small space, after all.

As far as the menu goes, they have the full menu. But the breakfasts are great. Four choices, all eggs of some sort served with rice and beans (which, by the way, must be doused in the green sauce!). Huevos rancheros are great. Everything is great and cheap - they're all in the $4-5 range. Add some appetizers and you've got a great brunch.

[2slices]

BTW they serve breakfast all day. I'm lucky enough to be able to go here for weekday lunches at work. I think today I'll try some eggs.

[MarcInSunnysideGardens]

Weekend breakfast at De Mole is a real treat. 10-11am on two recent saturdays, and we were one of two tables occupied each time. They open at 10.

[Mike V]

2slices: I've been thinking about the Grilled Tilapia Fillet Salad since you posted. I went today for lunch and it was awesome. This was all I ordered. If I had been with someone else, I would have shared an order of the incredible Sauteed Garlic Spinach Quesadilla. Only 8 others having lunch so service was very good. They no longer serve complimentary chips & dip but I'm not complaining since they have not raised prices or reduced portions.

[tracyk]

i don't think they serve chips at lunch, breakfast or for take out, but last i was there for dinner they were still free.

[2slices]

it's weird. In my 2 trips since this post I got free chips once. Maybe they read my post and figured out who i was? It was a very late lunch so perhaps they had to get rid of them.

[tracyk]

or maybe it was late enough during lunch service that they considered it dinner?
was there for dinner tonite. free chips + salsa around.

[Angela Roberta]

Can I get some advice on crowdedness? If my party of five goes at 6 p.m. next Tuesday, would there be a wait?

Thanks!

[tracyk]

i think you will be fine at 6pm.
also, i have gone when it's been busy, but the wait isn't generally too long. they have been experiencing some growing pains lately (so-so service and we had our first not so tasty guac (not awful, but certainly not good)), so i actually like to go so they can iron the kinks out and also figure out how to work the "crowds".

if you know you're going to be a party of 5, why don't you just make a reservation? they have 1 large table, and i'm sure they'd be happy to hold it for you.

[Astoria Lurker]

I love the food at De Mole but the service has gotten worse every time I've gone. The last time I went it was full but not too crazy and it took over 2 hours for our meal of tamales and tacos. That's not really acceptable in my book. The food is worth a long wait but after a certain point it just is really really frustrating. I feel really bad for the one server, as she has to take orders, bus the tables, serve food, make all the drinks and generally run the entire front of the house by herself. If they just added one more person to do drinks and bussing duties it would greatly improve the experience.

[tracyk]

i've seen quite a few new people there.
unfortunately they're pretty green, so even when there are 2 people working the room, it doesn't help much. am i naive in assuming that over time they will get better???

[janie]

Good to know, have wanted to try that...

[biondanonima]

Why am I not at home right now? De Mole is only 4 blocks from me! I'm 6 times zones away with nothing but Bratwurst around right now. Damn!

[deborah24]

I was just thinking, no dreaming, about De Mole and how easily I would kill for some of their Huervas a la Mexicana. Perhaps I may have to swing over there for dinner, but seriously, it's a little hot to be walking around.....

[Widmark]

and you gotta be careful, dinner there has become a madhouse! I can't knock them for their success but boy do I miss the days when I would walk in and be the only eater!

[catherine]

We don't go for dinner anymore because of that. Just go in the morning or afternoon during the week. It's pretty quiet, if you can get away with it. I'll have to try that salad sometime. Been meaning to, but stupid pregnancy aversions make anything with "salad" in the title sound unappealing. Hopefully this will end soon ... I'm missing out on all this great summer produce.

[Widmark]

we just had delivery. Took 2 hours! Monsoon started sometime in the middle of his trip, and he was a new delivery guy. Gave him an umbrella with the tip. Lots of growing pains for sure, I hope they can enlarge their operation without sacrificing quality. I still think they should take over the Ecuamex place on the corner of Roosevelt and 58th or so, accross from Donovans. Bigger (and closer to me!)

[janie]

About a year and half ago, the owner told me he was going to relocate and enlarge, and I don't have any idea what happened, it seemed like a done deal. They definitely need some more room there, and the one guy there who runs the floor is so patient and sweet, nothing gets him rattled.

[deborah24]

Oh, that would be awesome! 4 blocks from me!!! For dinner I call ahead and go pick it up. It's way too much of a zoo in there at night. When I go for breakfast I get there right at 10am. Sometimes I have to wait about 10 minutes until they are ready for me, but it's sooooo worth it.

[biondanonima]

Nooooooooooooooooooooo! Stay in Sunnyside! Woodside is bad, m'kay? There are plenty of bigger places in Sunnyside they could take over. Martiniello's on 46th and QB is about to go out of business any second, I'm sure - that would be perfect!

[Widmark]

technically, they are in Woodside! I know it doesn't make any sense, but it's some zoning thing.

[biondanonima]

Oh yeah, I forget that the south side of QB in the high 40s is Woodside. Still. Stay right where you are. Or come closer to me! Quiznos on 47th and QB just went out of business, how about that space????

[2slices]

stupid pregnancy. Ha! awesome.

[Eat_Nopal]

I am intrigued by "Huervas"... I realize its a typo... did you mean Huevos, Hueva or Guevera (the first refears to poultry eggs... the latter would be Seafood Roe).?

[deborah24]

Yeah, totally a typo. I meant Huevos

[Eat_Nopal]

Bummer.... RST found some Jalisco style Guevera dishes in Chicago... the first such sighting in North of the Border restaurants... and was excited about a second potential sighting.

[kare_raisu]

tell me about this EN!

[Eat_Nopal]

The restaurant's name is Birrieria La Barca Jalisco... they make a Guisado from locally harvested roe (I don't know what fish).

I don't know much about these dishes... if never had a chance to try in Mexico... its very seasonal, and very regional (its common among indigenous communities along the great rivers).

The one time I had it was at L.A's iconic Phillipe's... wait don't get too excited... as you know my dad was one of the head cooks there so I would sometimes drop by to eat with him & his co-workers (most of whom hail from Tepic, Nayarit)... and one time when I was 15.. the Security Guard (probably the first bonafide Chowhound I ever met) walked over to the fish mingers in Chinatown and bought a Carp roe sack... then prepared it by sweating it with chopped tomatoes, onions, serranos, Mex oregano etc.,... heated up some tortillas.. and bam... Tacos de Guevera... I remember think they were interesting & tasted good... my palette was obviously still young and didn't fully comprehend the dish.... so now I want to give it another try.

Quintana's Cuisine of the The Water Gods does have a recipe for Roe wrapped in Corn Husks and then steamed... maybe I will have to give a try.

[bigjeff]

wow that sounds amazing.