Dining

Parking lot ceviche? Try Cocos Frios #2

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What better way to beat the brutal heat than with a coconut from Coco Frios #2?
Photo: Leila Navidi

The Details

Cocos Frios #2
1550 N. Rancho Dr., 609-0142. Wednesday-Monday, 11 a.m.-sundown

There are two good reasons to check out the innocuous service station on the corner of Vegas and Rancho: a good deal on tires and some damn fine parking lot food.

Cocos Frios #2 (the original location is on North Nellis) essentially sells three items from beneath a makeshift shade structure: coconuts, ceviche and tejuino. Cocos frios translates to “cold coconuts,” so you might as well start there. The coconut gets cracked open, then its water is served in a plastic cup while its meat is chopped up and presented in a plastic bag. Hit the meat with salt, hot sauce and freshly squeezed lime juice, and you’ve got salty, citric and milky, plus a bit of spice. Three ceviche varieties are available: shrimp (my favorite), fish and mixed. They’re well-balanced and not overly acidic, and fresh avocado and hot sauce make for worthy additions. Note that even the small ($11) is enormous. The tejuino, a fermented masa drink native to Jalisco, Mexico, has a prominent tartness with underlying sweetness. It’s an acquired taste, but you’re already eating ceviche in a parking lot. Why stop there?

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