El Charrito
122 W. Market St., Salinas | (831) 424-9446, elcharrito.com
The old-fashioned Mexican grocery used to fill its space with detergent and canned food while its hot counter with abuelita’s recipes, stuffed in on the side, packed in the people. Recently the Moncada family let its next generation revisit the format, fast-casual style. Now the dusty groceries are gone, in favor of the hot counter, which has tripled in size. The menu is digital and a smartphone app allows for orders on the move. What hasn’t changed are the affordable prices, the incredible homemade flour tortillas and the magic chile relleno burritos.