A love letter to El Limon

El Limon In Bryn Mawr – Pierce Laveran ’24

As we drove through the bustling streets of Conshohocken, it didn’t take long to spot the local treasure that is El Limon. The name of the restaurant, illuminated above the store in neon green and yellow, lured us into a world of tortillas and tamales, burritos and barbacoa, jalapeños and Jarritos.

We visited El Limon on a cool Friday night. There were not many issues on our minds until we faced the problem of parking. The crowded streets were anything but welcoming to an SUV, and it seemed like no spot was wide enough. We parked on a neighborhood street lined with homes perched above the Schuylkill River.

We stepped into the restaurant, founded in 2010, the Conshohocken location being the first El Limon that spawned a string of the eateries across the Main Line. We seated ourselves and were greeted within minutes by our kind waitress for the evening. After attending monthly Index formatting sessions fueled by copious amounts of El Limon, we knew enough to order two Jarritos, a Mexican soft drink that we first heard about from our Index mentors. The lime and grapefruit Jarritos shot up bubbles as we lifted them to our mouths and took our first look at the menu.

Few phrases are as spectacular as “loaded nachos,” so this was a clear choice for a starter. We decided on the barbacoa version, and in a shockingly short amount of time, we found ourselves face to face with a mountain of chips, salsa, guacamole, refried beans, cheese, and jalapenos.

We made our way through the nachos, and, relaxed by the laid-back ambiance of the restaurant, started reminiscing. The restaurant was not too loud or distracting, and we were able to enjoy a conversation all the while watching Telemundo, only able to understand the bits and pieces of phrases we recognized from Spanish class.

“Eating nachos, an American-Mexican classic, and watching Mexican TV with Spanish subtitles may encapsulate the magic that has made El Limon such a success on the Main Line.”
Joey kauffman ’23 and Connor Pinsk ’23

Indeed, this moment of eating nachos, an American-Mexican classic, and watching Mexican TV with Spanish subtitles may encapsulate the magic that has made El Limon such a success on the Main Line. The restaurant manages to both quell our hunger for greasy, sour-cream-infused Tex Mex while also maintaining its Mexican roots.

Our entrees reflected this duality of El Limon. The first entree was the torta, a Mexican dish that few Taco Bell customers would recognize, and the second entree was the burrito, a word that few Americans wouldn’t salivate over. The torta was massive, a full-sized kaiser roll stuffed to the brim with meat, cheese, egg, and other “vegetables,” as we like to call them. The burrito was filled with al pastor—pork roasted on a spit—topped with pineapple, rice, beans, and smothered in chipotle sauce.

Connor Pinsk ’23 enjoying loaded nachos at El Limon- Joey Kauffman ’23

It didn’t take long for our Herculean Friday-night appetites to be satisfied.

Yet, we knew we had to keep going. Dessert was the next frontier.

Our options were limited, with only three desserts to choose from; however, with open minds and practically overflowing stomachs, we placed our orders for the churros and the tres leches. We waited longer than we expected, but the wait was worth it.

While “three milks” was a somewhat confusing name for a dessert (Why three? Why not four or five?), we were pleasantly surprised at the sponge cake, which was topped with whipped cream and completely drenched in what we later found out was evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream (tres leches!). The treat wasn’t too sweet, but it also melted in our mouths. The churros were similarly delicious—still warm, and served with a small bowl of ice cream that contrasted with said warmth. The three-course meal ended up totaling under $60, crushing competition like Chipotle and Qdoba, corporate chains that profit off of overpriced guacamole.