Drum Fan Deli
(Also known as Pa Lee's Liquor)
4160 Donlon Ave.
Ventura CA 93003
I'm not sure for how long, but for a while now there've been signs on Market Street for the Drum Fan Deli's $1 taco, and I've been meaning to swing in. I do have one memory when it was only Pa Lee's Liquor store, and that is while I was sitting at the corner, waiting for the light to change. A young guy ran out of the store, holding a bottle, and an old, asian man, who I assume was Pa Lee, was running out after him yelling something. The light changed, and I drove on.
Okay, back to the Drum Fan. According to some reviewer on Yelp, Pa Lee has headed off to the big liquor store in the sky, and his son has taken over the business, adding the deli.
Concerning tacos. Honestly, it would have to be pretty bad for me to say something negative about a $1 taco. If it has meat and sits on a tortilla, it's probably worth a buck. With that in mind, the bar is set pretty low for the price point.
I walked in, and it was a s small liquor with a clean deli counter. There was a list of sandwiches, on the side, all reasonably priced. But it was the tacos that brought me in, and that's what I ordered. They have two kinds, a beef barbacoa and a pulled pork. I opted for two of each. I also noticed my favorite corn chips, those from Taco Works (made in San Luis Obispo, and featuring paprika as their 'secret ingredient'), and I picked up a bag and a Dr. Pepper to wash it all down. 
The order was up pretty quick, and I started with the barbacoa. Moist and tender, with plenty of meat and fresh onions and cilantro, along with a mild salsa, it wasn't bad, and certainly worth a dollar.
Then, I had the pulled pork. That was really good! Made in the Korean style, it was both sweet and spicy, with a generous amount of meat on the tortilla. A really pleasant surprise, and the type of place I like to find for this blog!
I'd have paid twice as much for the tacos and not given it a second thought.
Wow Rick! Thank you so much for the shout out!! I just read this from exactly 1 year ago because I didn't know it existed. I'm racking my brain to figure out which "Rick"? I'll research later.
ReplyDeleteThanks Rick! I just read this review and it took me only a year to find it. I have many "Rick" customers so I'll research your identity later.
ReplyDeleteThanks Rick! I just read this review and it took me only a year to find it. I have many "Rick" customers so I'll research your identity later.
ReplyDeleteBums me to say that I stopped in yesterday to find out that "Drum Fan Deli" no longer exists. The place has been upgraded a bit with a new counter and a couple of tables for eating but different in a not so God way as well. The biggest difference is that that Cedric and "chef" are no longer there. As soon as I walked in I could tell that the energy and vibe was different... Not as welcoming and friendly. I kissed the great, eclectic music that used to be played. As a guy with a local business, it was great to stop by to chat as much as pick up a great quick lunch to take to my desk. Genuinely bummed to have missed my goodbye to the old gang. Probably won't be going back.
ReplyDeleteBreedguy, I was wondering about that. I had noticed all the signage had changed, and hadn't had the opportunity to swing by. That's too bad-it was a good taco.
ReplyDelete