LAReview
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Saucy Chick Rotisserie / The Goat Mafia
Included In
Collaborations can be hit or miss. Remember when Old Spice and Arby's joined forces to combat the meat sweats? But when collaborations do work, they can be greater than the sum of their individual parts—like what's happening over at Saucy Chick Rotisserie / The Goat Mafia.
This East Pasadena spot is a joint venture by two Smorgasburg vendors/self-professed besties who mix Mexican and Indian flavors in ways that work. From chutney-slathered tortas to juicy, pibil-marinated chicken, the result of this collab is casual and delicious food that stands out from anything in Pasadena, or greater LA for that matter.
Saucy Chick Rotisserie / The Goat Mafia is located along a chain-filled stretch of Rosemead Ave., which makes their efficiency during the daily lunch rush all the more valuable. You can show up for a haldi cauliflower burrito wrapped in a chewy flour tortilla, or a chicken plate with stewed beans and fenugreek esquites, in the same amount of time it takes to go through a fast food drive-thru. And while this casual spot works as a quick takeout standby, there’s also a pleasant, breezy front patio where you can stretch your legs.
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
If you're not sure what to get from the fairly lengthy menu, stick to the two specialties: smoky goat birria and juicy rotisserie chicken. You can order both of them in a handful of ways— tucked into tortas or loaded onto nachos—but certain combinations are better than others. The goat birria doesn't really shine on a plate with rice (get it in a taco), but the half chicken plate paired with any of Saucy Chick's great sauces, like the tart ambi molasses or the extra garlicky GG sauce chock full of fresh herbs, is a clear winner.
SCR/TGM (for short) isn't the first place in town to mix Indian and Mexican flavors, but we like that it goes beyond your basic chicken tikka quesadilla. There's more intention behind the menu, from the local craft beers to the quality birotes and tortillas they source for the tortas and tacos. And whether you treat this restaurant as a convenient option or a successful attempt at cultural fusion, the food here is a far more interesting (and flavorful) alternative to the standard lunch bowl/wrap/salad you're probably sick of.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Pibil Chicken
Jeera Chicken
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Birria Plate
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Torta
photo credit: Jessie Clapp