Something happened on the way to the forum of El Corazon the food truck to its new iteration of El Corazon the restaurant.  Its food truck still enjoys great popularity for good reason: the home-style comfort food is delicious, a fast bite of street fare from tostados to burritos.  But at the restaurant it was a lowly experience of the worst kind of kitschy preps that befall Americanized Mexican cooking.

The bar at El Corazon

Its Longfellow Square locale was dearly loved as the home of Petite Jacqueline until they moved to the Old Port.  The space was vintage cool with the attractive patina of wainscoting, soaring, carved ceiling and great big windows overlooking the square.

The layout of the room hasn’t changed much and we can be grateful that Otto’s plans to open a burrito joint didn’t pan out. To its credit El Corazon’s owners did not desecrate the space.

I sat down for lunch at one of the tables for two and was served complimentary chips and salsa.  The chips were from  a bag, and the salsa was too spicy for my tastes but well made.

Still a great view over Longfellow Square; comfortable seating

One the day that I visited earlier this week, it was taco Tuesday, which was the special of the day. It included two “authentic” (so the menu says) tacos of your choice with rice and beans, a topping of onion, shredded cabbage and cilantro.  I thought I heard the waitress say that it came with guacamole, which it didn’t. But what constituted the special pricing (ordinarily $10.95 for the plate) was the inclusion of any soft drink or local beer for just $1.  I chose soda to wash down one soft and one hard shell tacos filled with chicken and carne asada. Other choices included tongue, fish with chipotle aioli and “cabeza,” which translates to head, in this case I presume beef from the head.

Nice salsa, though a bit hot and ordinary chips

A good indicator of a Mexican restaurant’s mettle is to have either their signature tacos or enchiladas. This plate of tacos was one of the least satisfying of any I’d had in recent memory.  The fillings were tasteless and the beans had the consistency of baby food.  What’s more there wasn’t a hot or even warm morsel anywhere on the plate.

Taco Tuesday special with $1 drinnk

The menu has many of the typical items found at the most basic Americanized Tex-Mex eatery, from quesadillas, burritos, enchiladas, fajitas and some special entrees such as braised lamb shank, baked cod coated in corn and wheat flour and a rib eye steak marinated and grilled.

The next day I stopped by the food truck for a quick lunch on the go of tostado with pork (there’s no pork on the restaurant’s menu).  It was so well seasoned, topped with melted Mexican cheese and flavorful shreds of cabbage that its much-praised cooking was in fine form.

A well made tostado from the El Corazon food truck

So far there’s a disconnect between food truck and restaurant at El Corazon.  It didn’t happen with other successful trucks turning restaurant pro like Baharat, East Ender and Mami.  Admittedly my meal at the restaurant was a one-shot deal–but judging a restaurant by its signature dish is meaningful.  Yet, at this point I don’t feel like going back and leave it up to you to tell me if I should.

El Corazon, 190 State St., Portland, ME 207-536-1354 www.elcorazonportland.com

Rating: At first glance fair

Ambiance: Pleasant

Seating: Comfortable

Parking: On street (if you’re lucky)

$$$: Moderate