The Indy Endorsement: The Huarache With Carne Asada at Low Desert Modern Mexican

What: Huarache with carne asada

Where: Low Desert Modern Mexican, 1775 E. Palm Canyon Drive, No. 405, Palm Springs

How much: $18

Contact: 760-656-0231; lowdesert.net

Why: The blend of complementary ingredients.

“Huarache” has two meanings in Mexican Spanish. The word can refer to a type of sandal, or an open-faced sandwich, shaped like the sandal, with masa dough at the base.

Huaraches aren’t found on a lot of local Mexican-restaurant menus, but they’re available at Low Desert—and the Coachella Valley is all the better for it.

Low Desert has been serving up “Modern Mexican” fare at Palm Springs’ Smoke Tree Village shopping center since December 2022. If you’re looking for things like tacos, burritos and enchiladas, you’ll find them at Low Desert—along with tortas (sandwiches), ceviches, tostadas and soups, as well as a variety of unique starters and salads. Vegetarians, take note: There’s plenty for you to enjoy at Low Desert, with a concoction of mushrooms, squash, zucchini, chiles, tofu and other good stuff joining the meat options in various entrées.

On a recent Saturday night, I got a variety of food to-go—and all of it was delicious. An endorsement within an endorsement goes to the quesabirria tacos, with beef, Oaxaca cheese, picked onions and consommé.

But the dish my mind keeps going back to is the carne asada huarache. The masa dough was topped with refried beans, queso fresco, a bit of sour cream, cabbage, pico de gallo and, of course, carne asada—and it was perfect for a warm summer evening.

The carne asada was cooked to perfection, with a nice grilled flavor, and all of the veggie accompaniments offered oh-so-welcome crispness and freshness. The unheralded star of the dish, however, may have been the refried beans, which gave the huarache both salt and earthiness.

If you want great Mexican food that’s a bit different and elevated, give Low Desert a shot.