El Gusano is a restaurant in which I can easily spend several hours. In fact, I enjoyed a few hours there last Friday. It was a busy night at the new eatery — the San Francisco Chronicle review had just published, and the small happy-hour crowd quickly shifted into a full dining room shortly after 6 p.m. Our food came in slow intervals but there was much to keep me content while waiting - the tall windows let in a warm Oakland night, the chips and creamy chile de arbol salsa were irresistible, and a Margarita Jamaicazo—a strong margarita mellowed with hibiscus-infused tequila and cucumber – sparked my senses. Things got even better when the food arrived.

El Gusano is the newest Mexican restaurant in the Old Town area of Oakland. Located on Clay Street at 11th, El Gusano is a taqueria during the day and a full-service restaurant at night. The kitchen dishes out a range of food, from old-school combo plates to twists on regional Mexican specialties, and they do so without being too generic or too precious. The Tampiqueño, thin-cut Niman Ranch carne asada served with a beef barbacoa enchilada, beans, and guacamole, could have fed a small family, although the carne asada was so tender the last piece would certainly be fought over. The Callos a la Plancha, perfectly seared scallops on a salty and sweet plantain-chorizo hash, was a well-balanced starter. The Tostones de Carnitas weren’t particularly interesting, but the heaping piles of moist carnitas were a steal for $7. With most starters in a similar price range, a big happy hour menu, and easily shareable entrées priced at about $12 to $16, El Gusano is not only an enjoyable restaurant to pass time in, it’s an affordable one.

I sat down with co-owner Erin Brooks to ask her about the menu, the bar program, and her experience opening a restaurant in Oakland. Her answers have been lightly edited for clarity and length.

Visión Hispana (VH): Can you tell me about the concept of the restaurant?
Brooks: We built a restaurant that we really wanted to go to on our nights off when we were workers in restaurants (versus owners of restaurants). Somewhere that didn’t break the bank, where portions are generous, and with strong cocktails that are well-made. We just want to provide value.

VH: I’m assuming because of the name El Gusano, you have a mezcal program?
Brooks: You can’t drink tequila for five years without getting into mezcal. We’ve always thought that our Oakland location would be more masculine, so we thought a strong mezcal program would fit nicely, and no one was really doing it here. We have some mezcal cocktails, but we would eventually like to have a whole list. In the next few weeks we’ll have our entire list of mezcales and tequilas written out. We have over 100 tequilas and I’m not even sure how many mezcales.

VH: Back to the food, do you have any favorites or best sellers?
Brooks: There are many. When we created the menu with our original chef we didn’t like the idea of a signature dish. If you’re going to create a menu, why not try and hit it right every time with every dish? I think our mole is standout. The Camarones Tropisueño is a huge hit with everybody. It has tequila, and is finished with a chile de arbol cream - it’s one of our sexier dishes. The scallop dish is one of the dishes that people rave about. The things that sell the most are the Tampiqueño and the huaraches, and the combos sell like crazy.

VH: How is Oakland treating you?
Brooks: We love Oakland, I live here, so it’s my home. We love the true diversity here. (Building) El Gusano was with our own blood, sweat and tears; Michael and myself and my partners were here painting, nailing, and hammering. We did it with all our own money and credit cards, so we didn’t leave a lot of room for marketing. In that sense it’s been a little difficult, but this project is very personal for us.