Chicken tacos from Bueno Loco in Falmouth. Photo by Aimsel Ponti

I wrote myself a blanket permission slip somewhere around April. It says that it’s OK to indulge in comfort food as long I don’t go too overboard and continue to exercise. I also made a commitment to do my part to help local restaurants keep their chins above water by ordering takeout at least once a week.

There’s a short list of favorite spots for sure, but I’ve been meaning to try Bueno Loco in Falmouth because it’s always the right time for Mexican food as far as my taste buds are concerned.

I realized upon walking into Bueno Loco in Route 1 in Falmouth that the space looked familiar and I quickly realized it had once been occupied by O’Naturals, but that seems like a lifetime ago. At least a decade? In between it was the Stonyfield Cafe, which I somehow managed to miss, and this spring the restaurant came under new ownership. The space is huge, welcoming and fabulously lit. If I were ready to dine in at a restaurant, I would for sure consider this one as keeping distance would not be an issue in its 4,100 square feet.

The only mistake I made the day I visited Bueno Loco was not ordering ahead. To be fair, it was a busy Friday at lunchtime. But it’s hard to complain when a local business is bustling, mostly with takeout orders, during a pandemic. Also, per usual, I arrived famished so those 20 minutes felt extra long.

My dog Odie was very curious about the large bag behind my seat, but I told him to keep his paws out of the lunch I had procured for my spouse, Tracy, and me. When we got home, I snapped a few photos as quickly as humanly possible, and we dug into our feast.

Mexican street corn from Bueno Loco. Photo by Aimsel Ponti

We shared a generous portion of chips and guacamole ($9), and Tracy immediately remarked that the chunky-style guacamole was very fresh. I also couldn’t resist ordering the Mexican street corn ($5). They cut it into three pieces which makes it suitable for sharing, so I sacrificed some for Tracy to try, and we both enjoyed it.

For my main course, I went with Pollo Loco Tacos ($12), which came lightly drizzled with either crema or sour cream (yum, either way) and included a handful of tortilla chips. The serving size was huge. I am used to a much smaller taco and couldn’t believe the heft of these. They were packed with shredded chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar jack cheese and house-made taco sauce and came in warm corn tortillas. I don’t think I’ve ever said the following sentence in all the years I’ve been writing these reviews: I didn’t finish the whole thing! Though I certainly did a few hours later as a pre-dinner appetizer. Overall, I give the dish a B+ for quantity and freshness. Perhaps a bit more flavor would have put it in “A” contention, but it was a satiating meal nonetheless.

Fish tacos from Bueno Loco in Falmouth. Photo by Aimsel Ponti

Tracy had the crispy fish tacos ($12, plus $1 for vegan cheese substitution), which were seasoned fried haddock with slaw, pickled red onions, cotija cheese and citrus chipolte aioli served in warm corn tortillas. She was thrilled that they offered a vegan cheese substitute as few places do. Dairy isn’t her friend, so this was great news. She agreed that the portions were large and the food was fresh. She, too, however, longed for a bit more spice and suggested Bueno Loco augment the salsa and tacos with some hot sauce in a little container and offer more slices of pickled jalapenos than the three that came with her order, mostly because she loved them immensely.

The only thing missing from this gigantic and tasty lunch was the post-meal siesta.