Hollister's Best Mexican Food: La Villa De Jerez -Hollister, CA

Other than my family, there are few things I love more than the complex and variety of flavor that Mexican cuisine has to offer. I can enjoy and appreciate everything from traditional, abuela-made dishes to new takes that merge flavors and textures across cultures. Every once in a while, I will come across a spot that I just can’t keep to myself and La Villa de Jerez in Hollister is one of those places.

My own abuela Sally, who hands down makes the best chicken enchiladas I have ever had in my life, recommended that we eat lunch here on one of our weekly lunch dates. At 90 years young, Grandma Sally has been making and eating enchiladas longer than most people have been alive, so it goes without saying, when it comes to enchiladas, she knows what she is talking about. She and I have a special relationship around food; we don’t like food, we love it, and if we don’t love it we don’t eat it (to paraphrase Ratatouille), so when she suggested La Villa de Jerez, I was intrigued.

We got lost on the way there because her directions to me were, “I can’t remember the name, but it is on Sally St. and I can’t forget that.” Well, the restaurant was not on Sally St. It’s actually on East and Hawkins near Sally St. but close enough. Most restaurants in Downtown Hollister seem to put equal focus on food and atmosphere but this is not the case with La Villa de Jerez.

The building and décor were reflective of another time, or rather several other times co-mingling together. But this is not the first thing you notice. As I approached the front door, I was greeted by a mouthwatering combination of aromas that was dominated by a blend of roasted chilies and I knew instantly I had hit the jackpot.

The chips and salsa were good but not great however, the chunks of avocado in the salsa was a welcome surprise. Looking around while waiting for our food, I noticed a broken window above the door, beautiful vintage ceiling tiles, and plates of food that made our very brief wait seem like an eternity. When we got our food, I immediately knew why Grandma Sally liked this place; the enchiladas and beans looked EXACTLY like hers. While the enchiladas were excellent, but not exactly like hers, the beans were.

I am a strong believer that if you cannot make good beans, the foundation of Mexican food, then you should probably should focus on pizzas instead. The beans at La Villa de Jerez were creamy, perfectly salty and had a depth of flavor. Basically, they nailed it. The enchiladas were soft, flavorful and the perfect balance of cheese and chicken. In theory, Chicken enchiladas are a simple food but for some reason, so many places miss the mark. La Villa de Jerez got them spot on. The sauce is clearly not canned, which means that they use a blend of reconstituted chilies pureed together with other spices, then cover both the tortillas and blend it with shredded chicken. The chicken is flavorful and moist, shredded to the perfect consistency, and all is topped with Jack cheese. You get lettuce, tomato and sour cream on the side which is pretty typical at places like this. With little conversation in between bites, both Grandma Sally and I cleaned our plates.

For about $25, both she and I were full for the rest of the day (I actually skipped dinner). La Villa de Jerez has a pretty robust menu and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner so we will be returning very soon to try more of the menu. I haven’t brought my kid critics yet, but I can’t wait to and have no doubt that La Villa de Jerez will hit a home run for them too.