Thanks to Chris Dye for this guest post from the mean streets of Hell-EH!

This spot in Atwater Village, Los Angeles, “Tacos Villa Corona” is one of my favorite taco joints, it is also the favorite of many Los Angelenos and because of it’s meatless menu it serves a wide variety of people.

My favorite is the standard Asada Taco (Steak) their home made hot sauce is kickin’ and it is simply served with cilantro and white onion. My second would be the Papas Tacos (Potato) and I would have to say this is probably their best seller, not many places serve this and it is very popular.

If you are in Los Angeles and get a chance to stop by “Tacos Villa Corona” you will not be disappointed and the prison art is only $25.00.. more photos after the jump!

and be sure to check out Chris Dye’s music – he is a super talented songwriter and performer from LA who now lives in Lockhart, TX – home of the Purple Bee Crew..

palindrome

Our buddy Phil gets the ultimate tacotown stamp of approval™ for his costume at Phish’s Festival 8…TACOCAT!!

here’s the original, in case you live in a cave.

cabeza

Blackened Chicken and Cream Cheese wrapped in a flour tortilla, then deep fried and covered with queso

I recently had the pleasure of making it back to my hometown of Orlando, FL for the July 4th weekend and was able to hit up an old school Mexican joint that we used to frequent in high school. The place is called PR’s Taco Palace and it definitely was, and still is, a nice little hole in the wall restaurant. All the original wood and smells therein still remain embedded.

Now PR’s as far as I can recall, was always thought of for its “train track tequila” deals. To explain… PR’s was built about 50 feet from the tracks that run through Winter Park. Back in the day when the train used to come screeching by, they would come around with a cart of tequila shots for FREE. Of course it was, and still is, Jose Cuervo… which I refuse to touch any more, period. Except now, they’re not free any more, just discounted. So this time when the train came by while we were there, I just opted for Patron just to keep with the tradition of at least shooting some kind of agave booze.

As for the food at PR’s, not amazing, but traditionally tasty none the less. I always roll with their favored gut bomb called the “Fundido”. The Fundido is simply blackened chicken and cream cheese wrapped in a flour tortilla, then deep-fried and topped with queso. So as you can imagine this thing is amazing for the sole reason that it contains the words “cream cheese, queso, and fried”. I followed suit of my good buddy and only got the mini-Fundido as the regular sized one is something that would have created leftovers that woulda sat in my buddies car for the entire rest of the evening while we were at the bars. Not to mention I was with good friends that I hadn’t seen in a while and the dinner turned more into a tequila-thon than a food event.

I would write more about what everyone else at the table had but they didn’t speak to highly of their dishes so Im going to just tell you to get the damn Fundido and like it.

Bernout~

Carnitas taco - fresh guacamole, salsa, thick corn tortilla

Roadfood Digest says its this one from Los 5 Puntos on East Cesar Chavez

Great Taco Hunt seems to agree

cabeza

Taco Town presents another transmission from South America courtesy of our friend Elizabeth, aka the Wandering Teacher

One of the best birthday presents I have ever received was a surprise queso & Dr. Pepper feast from my travel buddy Monica. After all, I have been 4 months sin real “TEX-MEX.” Monica came out singing happy birthday with queso, tostido chips, Dr. Pepper, & Beer. What more could a traveler want, but to have a little taste of home with a close friend to share it with?

starter soup

After 4 months, I am able to try just about anything. And if I do not finish my plate, you know it is bad…. Some highlights have been Brazilian all you can eat BBQ, creamy, gooey, carmely, Dulce De Leche in Argentina, Lots of delicious tea, & EMPINADAS!

pasta win

Now I am in Peru, and it is past pointing and praying for the food you want. There are so many mom & popshops everywhere. Most of the time you show up, sit down, and wait for whatever deliciousness the waiter brings you. If you are a vegetarian, you better speak quickly because just about everything comes with meat.

This particular meal I had arrived to Cusco, Peru after a 4 day bus journey. I hadn’t really eaten real food in a couple days and didn’t know what planet I was on. I saw a great looking dive restaurant and was seated immediately.

In Peru you get warm soup with every meal as a starter. Delicious. Next the waiter asked me if I wanted chicken or fish. My stomach was in a tender place so I went for the chicken. Solid decision! With that dish he brought me out a refresco that was purple. Do not let the color scare you off, because the homebrewed refrescos are always the best! This particular one was made of corn. The chicken & pasta were marinated so well. In general the people here are so much more resourceful.

I admit my rating system is probably a bit skewed since I had not eaten “real” food in 96ish hours, but the meal was plate scraping good & $1.30. JAAAAAM.

worth the wait!

We stopped by Food Shark at lunch time on new years eve and this funky renovated food truck was hoppin with tourists and townsfolk alike..

My companion and I both ordered from the daily specials menu.. I got the ancho beef chili with salad and a blue sky orange creme soda.. she got the roasted chicken sandwhich with brie and basil pesto on a ciabatta bun with salad and blue sky ginger ale…

We had to wait about 20-30 minutes for the food.. which actually seemed rather quick considering the amount of people (~40) there and the fact that there was 1 dude at the register and 1 lady preparing the food..

Ancho Beef Chili

The Food: delicious!
The chili was so spot-on.. i would expect it to win a chili cookoff .. it was hearty, savory.. a little spicy.. just perfect.

Keep in mind, we are talking about chili-country.. legend has it, the first recorded recipe for chili con carne surfaced about an hour south of Marfa in the early 1600′s..

1618 – According to an old Southwestern American Indian legend and tale (several modern writer have documented – or maybe just “passed along”) it is said that the first recipe for chili con carne was put on paper in the 17th century by a beautiful nun, Sister Mary of Agreda of Spain. She was mysteriously known to the Indians of the Southwest United States as “La Dama de Azul,” the lady in blue. Sister Mary would go into trances with her body lifeless for days. When she awoke from these trances, she said her spirit had been to a faraway land where she preached Christianity to savages and counseled them to seek out Spanish missionaries.
It is certain that Sister Mary never physically left Spain, yet Spanish missionaries and King Philip IV of Spain believed that she was the ghostly “La Dama de Azul” or “lady in blue” of Indian Legend. It is said that sister Mary wrote down the recipe for chili which called for venison or antelope meat, onions, tomatoes, and chile peppers. No accounts of this were ever recorded, so who knows?[source]

Terlingua Chili Cookoff

Every November, the best of the best descend upon the big ben area for the Terlingua International Chili Cookoff - the first and biggest chili contest in the world.

Suffice to say, in these parts, you must come correct with your chili or risk being shamed out of town..

The chicken sandwhich was also amazing. The flavors of the brie, pesto, and perfectly roasted chicken came together perfectly on a ciabatta bun and created a fireworks in your mouth..

This is gourmet food out of a truck folks! its a must try place if you’re ever in Marfa..

TacoTown would like to welcome our new contributer-  Nick of Nick’s Adventure’s in Food, coming straight outta Champaign-Urbana, Illinois!  Nick will be helping us in the quest for edible mexican food in the midwest..

Follow her…
Too many times I have doubted Grace over food, her cooking, and her choice of establishments in which we choose to dine in. It seems that every time that I have a great doubt, she proves me very, very wrong. Our latest outing was no exception.

Green Street is a place of hustle and bustle, at least in whatever form you can call such a thing in a Midwestern town. Of course the primary crowd that congregates around Green St. are those who are somehow related to the University of Illinois, students, teachers, staff, construction workers, all types of people from all walks of life. I think this diversity helps to create Green St. into what it is, eateries that range from Chinese to Korean to Pizza to Mexican. Now, I have always been a big fan of Mexican food, and I’ll be the first to admit that I am a stupid gringo when it comes to Mexican food, but I think I have learned enough from books and Mr. Bourdain to understand that the Mexican food I get is usually a very unauthentic cuisine, developed and molded to fit the tastes of Americans. Lot’s of cheese, sauce, covering of flavors, a departure from the real natural taste of foods that most cultures really seem to enjoy.

It is with that, that I think about my old favorite Mexican eatery that was once on Green St., they served Tacos (soft only), and burritos, basically the standard fair, but there was something different about the place, I don’t know if it was the tiny atmosphere, but I ate many a meal there, savoring over their chicken and pork tacos, covered only with cilantro, onions, and salsa verde (green salsa). Often, I was the only person eating there, and found myself in the back dark corner, reading various books and enjoying this food, thinking about another time, sometimes another place.

In the time after that place failed, my alternatives on campus for Mexican food was quite bleak… Q’doba popped up, but I could tell right away that this was just another fast food place, same thing with Chipotle. Don’t get me wrong, I can enjoy a taco or burrito from either place once in a while, but its just too heavy, filled with stuff I’m not sure I should be eating, and somehow things don’t marry together properly on my palate, the flavors seem forced, cheese sauce with black beans with rice with salsa’s with lots of salt, and finally a meat that seems to be overcooked, not cared for, disappointing, in a single world.

Enter Los Amigos. Sitting next to two Chinese places, it is somewhat lost in it current location, passed by many times by me and others, it was last night when Grace and I needed something quick to eat that she suggested Mexican food. Now this was a surprise, as Grace likes tacos, but usually doesn’t volunteer to go eat Mexican food… especially for dinner. With that said, I argued for other places, but she firmly guided us to Los Amigos, and I went in somewhat reluctantly. I took one look at the wall with the menu and I knew I was wrong. Tacos, burritos, nothing special one thinks, until you see the feelings, the various usual Carne Asada (which was amazing, I think textbook execution of what Carne Asada can be, and should be) and Barbacoa, but they had Lengua, beef tongue. Talk to people around me, and if they know me well, they will tell you of my constant quest to eat beef tongue, the meat is amazing, and is probably the most under-rated part of the cow in my opinion. Not wasting anytime we ordered. Two Carne Asada tacos (all tacos are soft shell, another good sign in my book), one Lengua taco, one carne asada burrito, and guacamole with chips.

The guacamole came first and was on our table in no time. It was a very rustic preparation, everything in large chunks, not the usual paste like avocado baby food we are accustomed to in the U.S. They gave us a salt shaker and some chips and we were off. The salt combining perfectly with the large pieces of avocado and tomato, something that tastes right, tastes natural, tastes good. The burrito and tacos soon followed, the Carne Asada was amazing, but the beef tongue was something else, slightly salty, with onions and cilantro it really was the highlight of the meal. A little salsa verde on it for some kick of spice and the meal was complete.

Now I wanted to write a review right away, but I refuse to let one night do everything on its own. I went again this afternoon for lunch. I ordered entirely different fillings for my taco (including Chile Relleno). One word, dazzling, it was possibly the best meal I have had for a long time that was Mexican food it reminded me of a huevos con chorizo I had that was served with fresh lime that warmed me greatly, of the tacos I had years ago at another place only a few blocks away. I really enjoyed the meal, and feel that Los Amigos is a hidden treasure of Green St. Often the best treasures we can have do not hide from us, but are in plain sight. All it really takes is a change of perspective or a different view to get us to see them for what they truly are.

Los Amigos
Rating: 3 out of 4 stars
404 E. Green St.
Champaign, IL 61820

Recommended Dishes:

• Lengua Taco (Beef Tongue)
• Carne Asada Taco (Skirt Steak)
• Carne Asada Burrito
• Guacamole
• Chile Relleno Taco or Burrito

To be honest that’s all I have tried, I’m sure everything is worth a try (well maybe not the quesadilla or anything with cheese on it…)

A final note. Tonight Grace made a tomato and beef stew. This was possibly one of the best stews I have had, it was so simple, used no broth, very little salt and seasoning, a perfect accompaniment of vegetables, sausage, and beef, all stewed slowly for several hours. I’m still full from two bowls that I have had. These last 24 hours I may not have eaten what King’s feast on, but I sure do feel like on. Go out, take some time, and enjoy your meals, don’t just eat something fast, eat a good meal, savor it, it will change your day.

We arrived in San Marcos with our bellies empty and not much time to sit down and grub.  The venue we were playing at happened to be right next to this place called Cancun Rob’s.  Personally, it looked right up my alley.. what with all the fishnet, christmas lights, and caribbean decor.  I was sold but Chappy, TacoBlob, and Beako De Gallo were definitely not.  So Beako de Gallo went to hit up some advice from the gas station right next door.  Because you know, the people at gas stations are always so adept at restaurant suggestions.  Well, right away the lady in there told Beako that this Cancun Rob’s place was simply bombastic;  “best fajitas and tacos in town”, she says.

Upon entering Rob’s we notice that we are only 4 of a total of 6 people in the restaurant.  Not usually a good sign but we were in and ready to go to town.  The waitress took our drink order and was headed to get us some chips and salsa when Taco Blob started blasting out Glute pics and Chappy broke out his damn “i(would rather play with this thing than talk to my friends)phone”.

The chips and salsa blew ass!  The chips were the thick kind which i hate and the salsa was basically tomato sauce with not even a hint of spice or any outstanding flavors such as cilantro or onions.  Blandbot central.  On the menu they really only offered fajitas and tacos.  They had burgers and kids shit but none of us were interested in that tonight.  TacoBlob and i split the Spicy Chicken Fajitas for Two and Chappy and Beako split the regular Chicken and Beef Fajitas for Two.  When they arrived they were a sizzlin fury and were accompanied with a lot of good stuff:  cheese, sour cream, guac, pico de gallo, etc.  However, TacoBlob and i ordered the SPICY fajitas and just like the salsa, they werent even close.  We had to request a side of japs just to make this worthwhile of a good ole fashioned ulcer sprayfest.

On the non-spicy side of the fajitas, Beako de Gallo said that the meat looked and tasted like those frozen packets of already cooked fajita meat that you can get at HEB for like 3 bucks.  I sort of agreed but still ate as much as i could.  The plates were reasonably priced at about $14 a piece and being that they were made for two people, spending $7 on these things felt just about right.

Overall i dont think i would go back here.  The food and the salsa’s lack of boldness, flavor, vigor and spice did not leave me yearning for mas.  However, the Pacificos were amazing as usual… so i got that going for me, which is nice.

Cancun Rob’s Fajita Hut
311 E Hopkins St
San Marcos, TX 78666
(512) 392-5171
[MAP]

Our good friend Elizabeth AKA The Wandering Teacher has been wandering (and blogging) her way “Around the World” since August…Right now she’s partying with the soccer hooligans in Brazil, but already she’s seen the ancient ruins of Tikal, climbed volcanos near Antigua, taught Kindergarten in Nicaragua, and of course she’s eaten tacos in Honduras.

You never really know what you are going to get when you order food anywhere while you are traveling. There is a lot lost in translation. When you are hungry, you will eat just about anything… A lot of my orders is pointing & praying. I have broadened my horizons tremendously as I travel. (Crazy to think that I didn’t eat EGGS till I went to Spain.)

In Central America I have learned that “enchiladas” are actually “tacos” and vice-versa. This meal was in Tegucigalpa, Honduras and cost me $1.50 (The refresco’s are almost more expensive than the actual meals.) In general the street food has been delicious & super cheap. One of the best parts of this meal is we traveled back in time to some cheesy 80s tunes because the cafe played VH1 classics! (I have been surprised how many cheesy 80′s love ballads are still played here in Central America.)

We are very spoiled with homemade salsa back home. The “hot sauce” has been less than par throughout Central America. It comes in a squirt bottles and always super runny.  Read the rest here…

Look for an official Taco Town review from The Wandering Teacher soon…

\cabeza

A British man died recently after creating and consuming a “super-hot chili sauce” when a friend challenged him to a “who’s balls are bigger” endurance contest.  Though officials initially suspected Andrew Lee died of a heart attack, a post mortem uncovered no heart problems and an earlier medical examination had found him in perfect health.

Andrew Lee obtained the peppers from his father’s garden to up his sauce’s spice-factor.  Considering the typically mind-numbing blandness of British food, one must wonder from what corner of the planet these chilies originate, and what the dickens they were doing in someone’s English garden in the first place.

Lee’s sister spoke of Andrew’s culinary ambitions, saying, “He always said he wanted to be a chef but didn’t want to start at the bottom.” Perhaps if he had started at the bottom of the spicy spectrum, or even within the intermediate to advanced Austin range, he wouldn’t be ending his start at the bottom of the grave.

What I want to know is, where can I get the recipe?

TacoTown is proud to accept the award for ‘best place to find a decent taco’ in the 2007 Austin Chronicle Best of Austin Awards.  Despite having to share this prestigious honor with rival taco-nauts: taco journalism, we here at tacotown will continue to be trusty sources of taco knowledge.  So if you’re in from out of town, or just stumped on where to go in Austin to find the best taco, burrito, enchilada, torta, or other mexican food dish.. look us up and you’re sure to get the no holds barred report.. and maybe you’ll see some kind of non-related funny video or picture.. who knows? we wont apologize for our taco lifestyle.. its all we know.

Best Way to Find a Decent Taco: TIE: Taco Town, Taco Journalism
(Critics Picks, Food & Drink)
We suspect these guys love tacos more than they love sex. Taco-passionate bloggers fulfill their destiny as pioneers in the quest for the perfect Mexican meal. The search starts in Austin and often ventures far beyond home. From Torchy’s Tacos to Zuzu Handmade Mexican Food, from Brownsville to Seattle, these Austin gustatory guides take it in the gut, sample it all, and report back with their findings to all of our gastronomical delight. So straighten up, taco stands and Mexican restaurants, Taco Town and Taco Journalism are coming to critique your flan and fish tacos and tell it to the world. www.tacotown.org; tacojournalism.com

and for the record.. we make love to tacos…so your point is moot.

I recently spent a few months over in Southeast Asia, specifically Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The cuisine was amazing: street food on every corner that rivaled some of the best I’ve ever had, just because of its simplicity, fiery flavor, ease of access, and (I’m not going to lie) novelty. I was one happy wandering roly-poly. I always make a point of eating like the locals when I travel, and on this trip I even went so far as to try regional delicacies like raw cobra heart and dog: but that’s another story. That said, when my travel companions and I came across the Chiang Mai Saloon in Northern Thailand and saw that they offered NACHOS on the menu, we couldn’t resist trying them out to see what the Thai take on Tex-Mex would be like.

The dish was about what you would expect, and probably the equivalent of a Texan’s attempt at Pad Thai: Frito-lay-type tortilla chips; no spices whatsoever – Thai or otherwise – on the boiled chicken (said my non-vegetarian friends); a tiny ramekin of salsa that found us asking for multiple, not-free refills; canned jalapeños; and an unidentified cheese that had the tough and chewy texture of melted parmesan. But hey. I’m not complaining. I don’t leave this country to experience a replica of it on the other side of the world. And although the attempt at nachos was pretty hilarious, the margaritas were nothing but business. Because limes are a key element of Southeast Asian cuisine, the restaurant had no problem making a margarita that was spot on: the tequila of your choice with a splash of Grand Marnier (both imported, of course) rounded out with nothing more than fresh-squeezed lime juice. Most places I know in Austin don’t even get it that right.

Here’s a clipping from their menu:

From ViceLand (also check out the DOs & DON’Ts while you’re there)

¡AY CARAMBA!
Mexican Food in London Mostly Tastes Like Sewage.

This we know because we grabbed a Mexican who we found doing capoeira in a park with a bunch of Brazilians and dragged her around three of what purported to be London’s best Mexican takeaway joints. Turns out that if they were trying to peddle their burritos back home, they’d be hounded out quicker than the spring break kids being chased out of Tijuana by the warring Sinaloa and Gulf drug gangs. read on>

cabeza

vs.

El Paso’s “rolled taco” stallwarts Chico’s Tacos is suing Austin’s own Chuco’s for swiping their name (close-anyway) and their signature dish- which is basically taquitos drowned in broth and smother’d in cheese. I admit i’ve never been to El Paso, but Chuco’s version was a soggy disaster- not impressed.

and the citizens-against-frivolous-lawsuits weigh in:

“Chico’s wants to sue, then the German guy who came up with the hamburger and the Italian guy who came up with the pizza should also sue…Read the article here >

BREAKING NEWS: They must’ve sent the goons in to intimidate these newcomers, cuz they alreayd changed their name- its now called “10th Street Tacos“…I like that better anyway.

MORE BREAKING NEWS: what? now its called The Screaming Goat!

more: Statesman Article on Chuco’s

-cabeza

Taco Taco Cafe
145 E. Hildebrand – San Antonio, Texas 78212 | (210) 822.9533

Perhaps by now you’ve heard of the taco phenomenon that is Taco Taco Cafe, a modest little taco shack out in San Antonio that has garnered nationwide attention and acclaim. Bon Appetit, in a Best American Restaurants series, crowned the Mexican mainstay as having the “Best Breakfast Taco in America”; Food Network concurred, awarding the Cafe “Best Tacos in America” (beating out Atlanta’s Taqueria Del Sol and South Beach Bar & Grill in Ocean Beach, CA);

Even Details magazine has thrown in their two centavos, designating the morning fare “Best Breakfast in America.”

Now, clearly Mexican food in general is the best type of breakfast food. Look at the citywide incredulity and panic generated by the infamous freeze of 2006, when you couldn’t get a breakfast taco. In Austin, Hell had officially frozen. So, Details saying that Taco Taco has the “Best Breakfast in America” isn’t rocking the boat too much. However, two major epicurean experts declare that Taco Taco Cafe has the “Best Taco in America”?? (breakfast and otherwise?) That’s no laughing matter. I mean, fights have been fought over much, much less, especially in the Tex-Mex Capital of the World. Thus, I decided to see for myself if the proclamations rang true. Twice, just for good measure.

As I’m vegetarian, I have two breakfast benchmarks upon which I base my verdict: migas and huevos rancheros. As long as I’ve lived in Austin, Maria’s Taco Xpress has always had the best migas breakfast taco, hands down. And I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Z’Tejas (downtown), though losing points for actually being a restaurant rather than a taco shack or stand, has the best huevos rancheros. So, at Taco Taco Café, I tried both. And was profoundly disappointed by both. The first time around I had both a migas taco and a chilaquiles taco (which more closely approximates the migas taco at Maria’s), and both were quite lackluster in flavor. The one redeeming factor was the homemade tortillas, which were actually the best I’ve ever had. The corn tortillas are as thick as the flour tortillas, and they were both fresh as a spring chicken. The second time around, I was less disappointed, but still not ready to apply any superlatives to anything I ate, especially not the salsa. Everyone knows that if the chips and salsa aren’t good, there is little chance of redemption. And they were not. The huevos rancheros did actually gain points for being quite authentic, something that the same dish at Z’Tejas lacks; but, although preparation and presentation are key, they are no substitute for flavor.

To be fair: the Norteño Taco is what actually won Taco Taco Café the Number 14 taco out of 63 designation in the December 2006 issue of Texas Monthly. So maybe it’s just that I’m not a meat-eater, and that’s what the hundreds of people who line up outside and shuffle through the tiny café each morning get that I’m missing. Taco Taco’s motto is “So good they named it twice,” after all. But is it? I say Bon Appétit, Details, and Food Network should have thought twice before they gave their hearts away. Next time you’re in San Antonio, try it out and le me know: should I reconsider my foolish notion?

Taco Taco Cafe on Yelp>

I was lucky enough to discover this 24-hr drive thru taco shop directly across from the my motel in Tempe, AZ.. after a long night of playing and a hearty helping of booze, this place might as well have been the pearly gates of taco heaven.. we ordered a whole mess of regular beef tacos – these are deep fried tacos – similar to the kind you may have tried from jack in tha box, only these suckers are made with love and cooked to perfection.. the beef is shredded and savory.. the cheese is american, grated and generously applied to said tacos.. bottom line: these are the best tacos anyone could ever want at 3 in the morning.. toeing the line between heaven and hell..this food was sinful , greasy, delicious, perfection..
[more pics after the jump]

editors note: say hi to El Capitan! TT’s newest contributor- fresh off the boat from the exotic beaches of Costa Rica. Revel in his far-away taco knowledge…apparently, when you get this close to the equator its necessary to add another “c”to tacco…enjoy!

Welcome to the wonderful world of Taccos! These lovely ladies hopped right out of the Pacific Ocean on to my plato where I was pleased to see an array of colors calling my name. At the top a special tartar sauce with a bit of a tang to it. A medium bodied Pico de Gallo accompanied by a rich, lightly chunky guacamole. First bite of the lightly toasted tacco was mostly tortilla, as the meat was secretly hidden away in the center-a few bites later and viola there it was! Scrumptious, delicious, yum are a few words that came to mind as the guacamole, pico and tartar garnishes enveloped all the warm delectable meat inside! With my eyebrows arise, I quickly ate it all up. You will notice by seeing the menu that this filling meal was listed as a snack…

Our first meal in Costa Rica was the best. I talked about this meal for the remaining 5 days. So much so, we returned to Nibana for dinner the last night. We heard of another local eatery called Taco Stop (with the A in Taco turned upside down). Much to our dismay, after walking the dusty roads of Tamarindo, the eatery was closed. It must be the Tico nature of ‘Pura Vida’ as we heard later that they were probably on holiday! Naturally, this entitles us to another trip to Costa Rica!!!

more pics after the jump>

EL CAPITAN!

Nestled next to the lighthouse in Port Isabel (neighboring to South Padre Island), Manuel’s is truly a landmark for this region of Texas. Its an unassuming place, a small restaurant where the walls are adorned with football memorabilia, Scarface and the Godfather movie posters, and team photos from the local high school.. The service quick and well rehearsed. First off they’ll make sure you know about their tortillas. Fresh-made 18 inch flour tortillas filled the ingredients of your choice. “It’s like Burger King, you can have it your way,” the waiter mentioned on both of my visits.. More like taco heaven if you ask me..

The choices are endless, my buddy Svenson even had his filled with steak (uncut) and eggs! I chose the shrimp on my first visit and it was not a bad choice at all, considering the locale. When the taco comes, you cant believe how big it is. it doesnt even fit on the plate.. You are forced to eat the fillings for a while before the taco can even be closed.. and picked up for traditional munching.. Truly a wonderous taco experience.

Manuel’s solidified its world-class stature when it earned mention in Texas Monthly’s article “63 Tacos You Must Try Before You Die.” The magazine sited their machacado beef as a standout so I thought I would give it a try on my second trip. Machacado beef is dried beef, somewhat like a cross between the best parts of roast beef and beef jerky.. It has that chewy, slightly crunchy texture that is curiously delicious. When mixed with eggs, its achieves the same dynamic as bacon, you get the chewy & salty alongside the soft & fluffy – whats not to like?

To summarize, if I had a private jet, I would fly in to Port Isabel just to cure a hangover at Manuel’s.. its a magical place for taco lovers.. The beach and beautiful women of South Padre would be just an after-thought.

Manuel’s
313 E Maxan St
Port Isabel, TX 78578
(956) 943-1655
[MAP]

Score:

• Food Quality: 9 (hard to beat)
• Salsa: 6 (average)
• Atmosphere: 7 (low key)
• Service: 7 (a little above average)
• Price: 9 (alot of bang for your buck)

Total: 76% Rating: 3.8 out of 5 stars

while browsing Roadfood.com the other day, I stumbled upon our namesake in restaurant form – a taco destination hidden in the unlikely state of Nebraska. Taco Town, the restaurant, claims that is the “tac-0 the town” and roadfood critic Michael Stern agreed. Looks like an OK joint, respect. [full review here]

Its a counter-style setup.. you order your burrito piece by piece, starting with the tortilla.. theyve got white, wheat, tomato chile, pesto, jalepeno/cheddar, and spinach.. then o to the cheese (only monterey jack), then rice, beans.. then you get to choose a filling.. chicken mole, chicken bay leaf (chicken soup flavor), carnitas, chile verde pork, beef carne asada, veggie, and potato (homefries)…easy enough eh?  now its time to choose salsa – pico, corn/chipotle, fresh jalepeno, tomatillo, and a special “salsa de lupe”..

so ordered the carnitas and potato on a jalepeno/cheddar tortilla with tomatillo salsa.. and sour cream. cost me about 6.50.

I grab “Endorphin Rush” and another, a tropical scotch bonnet sauce that I cant recall the name of..(“jamaica my hoop burn” ?) … Chris grabs “Da Bomb: Beyond Insanity”… let the fun begin!

the burrito was pretty good.. nothing extraordinary, but the ingredients were well-spread and fresh enough to taste good.. kinda like Freebirds for you texas peeps… but probly a little better.. time for suce expiriments.. “endorphin rush” was a tear jerker.. not enjoyable at all.. I got a more serious report from Chris about “Da Bomb”… not to be messed with.. he was in mortal pain for a few minutes after his first bite.. the Jamaican sauce was just right tho.. sweet heat.. and it complimented my carnitas perfectly.. I only ate half of my burrito and saved the other half for a van -snack.. cuz thats how I roll.

all in all., Big City Burrito gets props for their sauces and for their layed back syste.. perfect for the colorado kids..definitely reccommended to anyone passing through the Fort.

http://www.bigcityburrito.com/

The Score
Service: 6 (borderline nazi, but i kinda like that)
Sauce: 9 (incredible variety)
Food Quality: 7 (nigh)
Atmosphere: 7 (chill, no frills)
Price: 7 (reasonably-slacker priced)
Total:  72% Rating: 3.6 out of 5 stars