The first casualties of low blood sugar- Decision making and creative thinking/ you ever wait too long to take that lunch break and you end up pacing south congress like a zombie in search of any meat-based meal that’ll quench the pangs? yeah, maybe we should bring snacks to work or somethin…tacosnax…

Well, said pangs led me reluctantly to that mediocre stripmallueria they called Garibaldi’s on South Congress (just south of Ben white). BUT I was overjoyed to see that Baldi’s had been replaced by a shiny new Taqueria Chapala- IMO the best of all ATX Jalisco-style restaurants.

Chapala is sure to challenge the Tapatia family’s stranglehold on Ben White- much more class and quality (though to be fair- Tapatia has bigger portions than anyone).

At Chapala the decor is bright and simple, the service is lightning fast, the prices are dirt cheap, and the food is outstanding.

I ordered the old faithful - Combination Plate with all Beef Fajita (which i recommend to all virgin jalisco diners). I also took a chance on the barbacoa Adobado taco- a grilled taco stuffed with juicy, spiced up bbq beef cheek meat…the best barbacoa I’ve tried in some time.

BUT, not to be outdone- Chapala’s fresh red table salsa is SO GOOD…whips Arandas ass…

Chappy got the Torta Sandwich with Beef Fajita. no complaints.

ATTENTION/ 78704-ites: I strongly suggest you temper that “Torchy’s & highlife” fad-diet with some good ol’ jalisco-style at least once a week…its good for your helf.

Taqueria Chapala • 4201 S Congress Ave # 106 • Austin, TX 78745 [map]

Score:
Atmosphere: 6 (small, but bright and clean)
Price: 8 (hard to beat for the price)
Salsa: 7.5 (simple and tasy- the Chips suck though)
Food: 9 (first rate jalisco)
Service: 8 (all spanish/ but Fast & with a smile)
total: 77% Rating:

~Cabeza De Taco

Another South Congress discovery! We’ve passed this place numerous times, and for some reason never thought too much about it.. But sooner or later, a true taco explorer has to head into uncharted waters in search of mexi-gold. So it was on Monday February 18th that we set sail for this exciting new land, albeit with low expectations.

The vibrant colors are a nice change from the old-hat look of nearby El Gallo. El Flaco Cafe is a small restaurant of maybe 15 tables. The waitresses were eager to serve and friendly from the get-go.. We got our chips and salsa promptly. The salsa was roja.. pureed thoroughly.. and mighty tasty! It was mild, not much heat, but the flavor was unique and tantelizing.

The menu featured a standard selection of tex-mex fare.. Enchiladas, tacos, chalupas, and combo plates of the sort. Both Cabeza and I decided on combo plates.. I got the standard mexican plate with 2 beef enchiladas, a taco, rice, beans, and tortillas. Cabeza got the special plate- same as mine, but with carne guisada.

The food arrived in no time, and we dug in.. Wow.. this is as good as anything else in town. It was simple tex-mex, done right.. The beef taco was savory and fresh.. a perfect beef crispy taco.. no frills. The enchiladas were excellent, cheesy and smothered in a classic con carne sauce.. Nothing bland or tasteless about this meal.. we were enjoying every bite. The carne guisada on Cabeza’s plate took the prize though.. it was just the way I like it, full-flavored and tender, with no fatty chunks just mouth-watering morsels of roast beef in a delicious brown gravy.

The icing on the cake was El Flaco’s homemade tortillas, both flour and corn that came with our meals and were wrapped around our enchiladas.. They were perfectly done and they added to quality of our meal immensely.

 

 

The tortillas are a small detail that, to me, indicate the amount of pride a restaurant takes in its mexican food - and its is an art that seems to be lost on Austin.. hardly anyone in the ATX is making their own tortillas anymore, whatup with that? do we have to go to Taco Cabana for a fresh tortilla? perhaps we need to start a coalition to advocate fresh tortillas in more mexican joints around town..i mean, apparently this is not a problem in Houston, c’mon people!

Whale, definitely check out El Flaco if you’re down on south congress and you want a quick, laid back, and quality tex-mex experience. The manager was even cool enough to come out and check on his patrons a few times, pitching in to help the waitresses when he could.. I appreciate that kind of attention to detail.

heres the score:

El Flaco Cafe [map]
3632 S Congress Ave
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 444-2767

Score:
Atmosphere: 6 (casual, but clean)
Price: 7 (inexpensive)
Salsa: 8 (unique, tasty)
Food: 9 (great)
Service: 9 (great)

total: 78% Rating:

I had passed this place on the corner of Congress and Ben White a million times..a funny looking place with a sheep on the sign.. I never really thought it would be very good, but after giving in and eating there a few times, I have been proven wrong.. I really like this place.. its unassuming.. the waitstaff is friendly (the little hispanic man that refills your tea and salsa is hilarious), and the food is made with pride…

I’ve tried the chicken tortilla soup twice and its great.. very hearty, with rice avocado, cheese,.. its like a good home-made soup that your grandma used to make.. try it during lunch and its cheaper!

the al pastor is just ok.. I thought the pieces of pork were a little too big and tender.. I know that shouldnt be a gripe, but my favorite al pastor is a little crunchy because the meat has caramalized and been cooked properly.. this is good in a different way.. like carne guisada almost..

the tortillas are made fresh in-house.. nice.

the salsa is a little watery..but tasty nonetheless.

overall, I would definitely reccommend this place to anyone.its well above average.

El Borrego de Oro
3900 South Congress
Austin,TX 78704 [map]
(512) 383-0031

the Score:
Atmosphere: 6 (low key, no frills)
Food Quality: 8 (good)
Service: 9 (great)
Salsa:5 (meh)
Price: 7 (ok)
Total: 70%
Rating:

A first for tacotown: the audio review.. thanks to the handy ‘audio notes’ feature of my blackjack phone. I’m a gadget fiend, man..tacos and gadgets…gadgets and tacos..whats the deal with Garibaldi’s? listen to the audio clip to find out..I apologize if it my voice lacks the emotional vigor that one equates with my writing.. I was actually just dictating for a writup later.. but then i realized that I could cut a step out of the process with the magical powers of my gadget.. voila:

Garibaldi’s Mexican Food
4201 S Congress Ave # 106
Austin, TX 78745
(512) 326-9788 [map]

Rating:
Down on South First.. in a little strip center, next to the sushi karaoke joint, just south of Stassney.. its called Evita’s Botanitas.. I have no idea what a botanita is and I never met Evita either.. nonetheless, and moreover, this place is not messing around. On my two visits, the food was way above average.. spectacular in a down-home kinda way..the decor inside is gaudy, full of momentos and various nick nacks from over the years.. it reminds me of my cuban grandma’s house. theres a wall full of plaques and awards, letting you know they’ve been to the proving grounds and they brought back gold a few times.. Read the rest of this entry »

“Hey man, You got something on your lip there…” “Shiit, that’s juss my Dirty Sanchez muthafucka”

If you want a more in-depth look at Torchy’s Taco’s- check out Chappy’s full review Here.

Today I only have eyes for one taco, and Holy Hell! Just got a chance to try the newest spawn of the fanatical quasi-breakfast taco dogma. It was a Revelation, or perhaps a Genesis. On the eighth day, Torchy shot his (proverbial) wad and created THE DIRTY SANCHEZ. I must admit it was the first time I’d been on the receiving end of this tasty treat…and for a dash of irony- its a meatless taco. Here’s the fillins:

Big Flour Tortilla filled with
fluffy EGGS
Tempura-fried POBLANO pepper
CHEESE
Pickled CARROT spears
Topped with Poblano-RANCH dressing

So, the tempura-fried poblano was the Alexis Amore of this gangbang, with the creamy ranch and tangy carrots playing perfect supporting roles (maybe Peter North and um…Carrot-top?), all melding into a greater-than-their-parts euphoria of taste, texture and smell. I heard thunder-claps, and visions of Dustin Diamond’s Saved by the Smell danced in my dome. Fuckin great taco and major props to Torchy’s for the balls to call it the Dirty Sanchez….

In the 24hrs since Taking the Sanchez, I’ve been flirting with the idea of this taco de-throning my longtime favorite alt-breakfast taco- Tatiana’s Tamale Taco at Maudie’s…But alas- Cabeza is never one to make a hasty decision. I’ll have to eat one more Sanchez to confirm the new champ..

oh yeah- I also had a beef fajita taco- which was amazing and also deserves props…If I can take my mind off the Sanchez for a second, then i’ll add to this post…

Torchy’s Tacos [map]
1207 South 1st Street
512-366-0537
Monday-Sunday 7am-11pm

SAZON
1816 S Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78704 | (512) 326-4395
official website

Taco Town hasn’t tried Sazon (yet), but the other bloggers have and they’re weighing in- Metroblogging Austin gives a quick but informative review of this newish South Lamar joint. They love the mole and the margaritas. Full review here >

for even more opinions try the Yelp entry for Sazon

UPDATE: We finally tried Sazon for lunch the other day: i had the  Pollo En Pipian: a tender chicken leg, smothered in a greenish pumpkin seed sauce, served with rice and fresh corn tortillas.  The dish was very interesting, though i probably would not order it again.  Maybe just not my bag.  I did eat the whole thing though.  The service was outstanding and the atmosphere was nice too.  Return trip is needed for the full review, but it looks very good so far. - Cabeza

So I finally followed the blog hype and went to check out Torchy’s on South 1st. Dissappointment was not to be found.. I even did a return trip with Pastor Al to solidify my opinion. First off, great location..directly across the street from the lackluster effort that is El Mercado.. its like they are sticking out their tongue and saying, “Nanny Nanny Booo Boo!”. I dig the relaxed setup, it reminded me of a mini-Freddie’s (which is just down the road and backed up to the same creek) theres a sandy area for chillin, tables, chairs, a badass limestone firepit that looks perfect for evening song swappin round the smoky embers.. I wander if they have any SXSW events planned? Noise shouldnt be too much of a problem since it backs up to TSD. There’s even a basketball hoop - jack some 3’s up while you wait… Read the rest of this entry »

Everybody has their own list of creature comforts- small and sometimes guilty pleasures that provide an escape from the stresses of modern times and keep us generally miserable humans from committing hara-kiri. Maria’s has always been a creature comfort for me and many other 78704sters. My Sunday afternoons have seen many a chorizo/egg/cheese taco placed in my hung-over belly. In fact, in the humble opinion of Cabeza De Taco, Maria’s makes the best chorizo in TacoTown, bar none. print it. Read the rest of this entry »

the usual question was asked…”Where today yo? “…..”Habaneros was killer last time, let’s go there.” A quick jaunt down south to Oltorf and South 1st.. Upon arrival, the scent of tex-mex bliss was upon these eager taco eatin’ heroes. Habaneros, curiously named for a pepper that isnt found on the menu.. a forgiveable offense, since the last time we had eaten there, we had a top-notch taco experience.. the pastor was savory, the gorditas were melting in mouths, now wer’re back for the followup… Read the rest of this entry »