A small order of escamocha, a Jalisco style of fruit salad in sweet cream

As of late January, work crews had finished installing the last leg of buffered bike lanes along 30th Street, in North Park. I noticed the new lanes, added just south of Adams Avenue, while slurping on my usual, Sunset Peach smoothie, outside longtime neighborhood fixture, Señor Mango’s. As icy cold peach, raspberry, and banana flavors flooded my senses, it occurred to me that, now, bike riding fans of the fruteria and sandwich shop faced just as a smooth ride north from the other end of 30th, around University Avenue.

Except, they needn’t bother. A sign posted to the storefront reminded me the 20-year-old counter shop opened a second location this fall, just off 30th and University, on North Park Way.

That’s a long span of time to move such a short distance. But if the neighborhood continues to evolve, as city policies predict it will, into more of a walkable, bikeable urban community, then having a second location could make all kinds of sense. Because nourishment inspires hyperlocal demand.

The new, second location of Señor Mango's, located between Grim Street and Ray Street on North Park Way

It would only be a few days before I craved Señor Mango’s again. Except this time, rather than 30th and Adams, I searched for parking around Ray Street and North Park Way (sorry City Hall, I still won’t be biking into North Park from East County). And this time, I skipped the smoothies.

I’m already on record as a fan of Señor Mango’s terrific, and budget-friendly, tortas. And, incredibly, most of them are still priced under seven bucks! To celebrate the new shop, I decided to splurge on the Torta mix, which for an extra dollar stacks three meats — ham, turkey, and roast beef — on a toasted telera roll ($7.95). I will never tire of these sandwiches, which include generous portions of avocado by default.

A mixed torta, made with ham, turkey, and roast beef

However, in case any residents of this end of North Park missed the memo, it seems prudent to highlight what arguably comprise Señor Mango’s main attractions: fruit salads.

The fructose wallop packed into each of the shop’s smoothies is mild in comparison to avalanche of natural sweetness jammed into Mango’s litany of fruit preparations. I could liken it to eating spicy food: if a smoothie’s sweetness is on the level of a feisty jalapeño, some of these fruit salads deliver sweetness on par with a ghost chili pepper.

I’m not even talking about straight up desserts such as the piña colada ($6.25) or the banana split ($6.25). While several fruit salads are tempered with cottage cheese, yogurt, or spicy chamoy (such as the popular chamango, $6.25), others item feature diced fruits swimming in sweet cream.

The premium bowl, loaded with superfoods: acai, pitaya, goji berries, hemp seeds, cacao nibs, and more.

For an example of this, take a look at the escamocha, a fruit concoction that originated in the Mexican state of Jalisco. At Señor Mango’s, seasonal fruit put into a small ($6.25) or large ($7.50) cup might include mango, strawberry, and papaya, the whole thing topped with shredded coconut and slivered almonds. I’ll be honest: it’s hard to imagine one person finishing a large escamocha on their own.

Sweeter still may be the most nutritious items on the menu, presuming superfoods are your thing. At $8.25 apiece, the acai and pitaya bowls are positively loaded with antioxidants, fruit sugars, and a little bit of granola. The acai bowl is finished with strawberries and banana, and the pitaya bowl with mango and shredded coconut.

The premium bowl ($9.95) gets loaded with all of the above, plus pineapple, goji berries, hemp seeds, slivered almonds, and cacao nibs. Every bite offers an unparalleled blast of nutrient dense sweetness so potent, I’m not sure a straight sugar cube could keep up. Whichever end of 30th Street you order from, it will absolutely fuel a bike ride home.