Minero

Minero is Sean Brock's new Mexican eatery which opened its doors on Friday, October 3rd. Sean's obsession with tacos, which started in Nashville (while working on Husk Nashville), is what sparked him to open up Minero. He was unable to satisfy his craving for tacos when he returned to Charleston. Brock reportedly tried over 40 different types of corn just to get the homemade tortillas just right- talk about dedication! Unsurprisingly, this Mexican taqueria had a lot of hype surrounding its opening.

I'm here to discuss whether or not it lived up to all of the build-up and anticipation.

Minero, a casual Mexican Restaurant, is located on East Bay Street amongst all of the fine dining East Bay is known for. Casual is a new concept for Brock. McCradys, then Husk, now Minero- formality decreasing with each new restaurant. Although, Minero has hints of high-end here and there- its a great balance with a great atmosphere.

No reservations will be taken. The hostess tells you where to sit by table number, but you show yourself to the table.

Look inside the drawer at your table for napkins and silverware. 

We started off with the chips and salsa. As you can see, it came out from the kitchen in a well-themed Mexicanesque patterned bag. The chips were very well seasoned and delicious; there was plenty of salt, hints of lime and spices. They were unique- different than anywhere else. The salsas were each unique as well and unlike anything else we had before. The verde was familiar but so refreshing. The benne was exceptional; it started off sweet and finished with a kick. We really enjoyed the chips and salsa, and I would highly recommend them. 

We were a little disappointed in the size of the salsas, but once remembering that they cost $4, we felt that the price was justified. 

I ordered the Chilaquiles ($9) and a Taco Al Pastor ($3.50) because I couldn't leave without getting a taco.

The taco was delicious. I LOVE grilled pineapple (probably too much) so I was so excited to see this on the menu. The pork was perfectly cooked and seasoned- it had an intense smoky flavor that would be very difficult to replicate. I would order this taco again and again. 

The Chilaquiles was good, but it left 

something to be desired. There was a good amount of cheese (meaning too much in most people's book, but for me- the more cheese, the merrier Jenny!). 

The beans were cooked just right and were a good size. The chili was good, but nothing was great. The egg was slightly overcooked so it never "broke" over the dish. Overall, I would say it was a good dish, but I would rather eat it as an appetizer- I can't put a finger on it, but something was missing.

Will ordered the burrito (queso de Oaxaca, crema, hoppin john, avacado and poblano- Meat lovers, be warned, there is no meat!) and was satisfied with it. I tasted it and we both agreed, the flavors were really good. Again, it had plenty of cheese. The poblano was cooked perfectly and added a lot of flavor to the burrito. I think he burrito needed some heat! It was definitely good and we're glad we tried it but I don't know that we would order it again.

Overall, Minero was good. I will definitely be back to try more items on the menu. Did it live up to the hype? Not completely. But is it possible to live up to the hype that surrounded Minero's opening? It would be very difficult, as it was one of the most anticipated openings due to it being Brock's new restaurant- he's like a god around here in Charleston. 

You can tell how much time, effort and thought was put into the concept of this restaurant and the food and atmosphere were really good. Its definitely worth the trip. 

I was happy with our experience but I didn't leave feeling like I needed to tell everyone to drop what you're doing and head there immediately (which I am known to do). I will post an update once I make it back! Please, share with me what you ate and how you felt about it- I would love to hear everyone's favorites!

Check out how Brock decided on the name, Minero- pretty cool! 

Minero is the Spanish word for miner. Allegedly, Mexican miners called the dynamite used to excavate the ore in the mines, tacos. The dynamite was merely gunpowder wrapped in pieces of paper, which I imagine looked like what we know as a taco!