I stopped by Taqueria Xochi because they are one of the only places in DC to get a cemita, a Mexican sandwich on a seeded roll. I don’t get to Baltimore enough to indulge in my favorite at Taqueria Cinco de Mayo on South Highland Ave. A true five-star Chowhound delight.
I was hoping that the pedigree of Xochi (ex-Jaleo folks) would produce a worthy substitution. In both cases, I went for milanesa de pollo which is the classic choice.
So here are the sandwiches, side by side. Xochi on Left, Cinco de Mayo on the right:
One thing you can’t tell from a photo: the chicken at Xochi was as tough as nails. I could not tear into it with my teeth alone. I had to reach into my sandwich and pull at it with my fingers as I bit into it.
The xochi cemita is bland. They give you two sauces to liven it up, though the sandwich is already gooey with a lot of queso fresca and crema. The one at Cinco de Mayo has a tastier roll, and the chicken is crispier. The one at Cinco deo Mayo has as much chicken as the Xochi has avocado, and it has jalapeno right on the sandwich
The Cinco de Mayo sandwich was $11 three years ago, and the Xochi is $17 now.
I tired of the Xochi version before I could finish it. The Cinco do Mayo version I had to save half of it for later, it was so big.
