Single digit wind chill, middle of the week, middle of the winter, in a summer tourist town. And still EL COSTENO at 39 York Street in Gettysburg is jumpin‘. A restaurant in a tourist town that’s busy… and full of locals on a bitter cold Thursday night in February… is a good sign of quality. Chef Arturo Guinto, and the service of his staff, have taken Mexican cuisine from the realm of family/take-out restaurant to the level of fine dining. And they could easily be on the short list for best restaurant in town.
I ordered the “ENCHILADAS COSTENAS”(spicy): “Two corn tortillas filled with ground beef topped with Costena sauce, mozzarella cheese and sour cream.” The sauce, which can make or break any dish, was quite spicy as advertised , but not overbearing. The cheese and sour cream were in perfect proportion not to overshadow, but to complement, the spiciness of the sauce and ground beef of the enchilada.
On another visit to EL COSTENO I had the ENCHILADAS VERDES : “ Two corn tortillas, filled with chicken, topped with green sauce, mozzarella cheese and sour cream.” This dish also had nicely balanced flavors, but without the heat of the COSTENAS sauce.
Chef Guinto and Carlos Pineda, the owners of EL COSTENO, have taken the first floor of a historic house and converted the space into an elegant yet comfortable and welcoming dining room. Although not a good idea the night of my visit, they have space for patio dinning, which I am looking forward to this spring.
The service, along with the food at EL COSTENO, give a
‘fine dining’ level of excellence, while keeping the prices and friendly atmosphere of a neighborhood family restaurant. EL COSTENO does not have a liquor license, but they welcome BYOB.
Eat there now…tonight… because I’m afraid we might have trouble getting a table when tourist season arrives.
Very Nice post, thanks for keeping us posted on the great food choices in Gettyburg. Hopefully we will see more reviews. Love the picture, makes me hungry
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