(Pictured Right: Tacos de Asada, Adobada, Cabeza and Suadero!)(562) 622-2400
Orange Bang for everyone!
A grand opening that turned out to be a grand opening!
I've been driving through the area where this new restaurant is located lately. Heavy construction on the streets would slow me down, allowing me time to notice this little place growing from the ground up. With signs promising "Tijuana Style" tacos, I was more than anxious to see what they would offer. In short, we were not disappointed, and look forward to many more visits. Read on to see what made it so fantastic.
Meat
There is a great variety available for the meats, raging from the typical asada, to a suadero meat, which is not unlike a beef version of carnitas (fried pork), to buche, better known as pork stomach -- yes, stomach. Try it sometime with carnitas!
The asada was soft and very tender, like a good slow cooked steak. Initially I considered it to be plain, though. However as I continued through the taco, I found myself wanting another bite again and again. Slowly addictive in nature, I was pleasantly surprised with what seemed to be a plain meat from the get-go.
The cabeza was forgettable, in short. Not very good, and pretty fatty. The meat is hard to create, so they get the 'A for effort', but execution was lacking.
The suadero is a meat that's not commonly served, but very glad it's an option here. The chefs know what they're doing. A beef version of carnitas, it was salty, but not too salty, and flavorful and meaty. I found this meat an even better follow-up to the asada, and was pleasantly surprised. Truly something special here.
The adobada, however, was what took the cake! The meat was juicy, chunky, sweet and flavorful, cooked as it should be on the spit with its pineapple on top (see picture below), and each taco order cut freshly, not gathered from a metal bin holding meat cooked earlier in the day. I stop short of saying this is the best adobada, only because I've had the best, but that awaits another review...
Asada: 8.5/10
Asada: 8.5/10
Cabeza: 5/10
Suadero: 9/10
Adobada: 9.5/10
Score: 8/10, which is a shame, only because the overall score was brought down by the cabeza, but that's the way this game is played...
Tortilla
The review is split here, only because of a curious happening. The asada tacos, as well as the mulas and quesadillas at the restaurant all get fresh, hand-made tortillas, made at time of order. Everything else gets tortillas FROM A BAG, however its hard to tell if they were made here earlier, or store bought. Regardless, the discrimination in this tortilla choice is heart breaking, since the hand made ones are nice, thin and sturdy, as any tacos 'estilo Tijuana' should have.
Score: 8/10, for the great tortillas, and the mysterious bagged fellows....
Toppings
This is what makes the taco live up to its promise! Toppings consist of red salsa and a spat of guacamole sauce. Both were good, fresh, and complimented the taco perfectly. Authentic as you can get! Simple, delicious, and gets the job done.
Score: 10/10, just like south of the border
"After-effects"
None to speak of. Tacos were not overly greasy, nor were they fatty. All the meats were lean, which caused little to no discomfort later on. Very pleasant after-taste.
Score: 10/10
Score: 8/10, which is a shame, only because the overall score was brought down by the cabeza, but that's the way this game is played...
Tortilla
The review is split here, only because of a curious happening. The asada tacos, as well as the mulas and quesadillas at the restaurant all get fresh, hand-made tortillas, made at time of order. Everything else gets tortillas FROM A BAG, however its hard to tell if they were made here earlier, or store bought. Regardless, the discrimination in this tortilla choice is heart breaking, since the hand made ones are nice, thin and sturdy, as any tacos 'estilo Tijuana' should have.
Score: 8/10, for the great tortillas, and the mysterious bagged fellows....
Toppings
This is what makes the taco live up to its promise! Toppings consist of red salsa and a spat of guacamole sauce. Both were good, fresh, and complimented the taco perfectly. Authentic as you can get! Simple, delicious, and gets the job done.
Score: 10/10, just like south of the border
"After-effects"
None to speak of. Tacos were not overly greasy, nor were they fatty. All the meats were lean, which caused little to no discomfort later on. Very pleasant after-taste.
Score: 10/10
Bottom line, the tacos had a lot to live up to, given that tacos from south of the border are typically hard to duplicate anywhere else, for whatever reason. To be able to not only pride yourself on the style of taco from Baja Mexico, but to make it delicious is impressive, particularly more so since this restaurant is in the urban jungle. I can't say enough of how tasty the tacos were, and the fact that of all the places I've reviewed, this is the one I'm most anxious to return to.
Bonus Points: (+2) For having all-you-can-drink Orange Bang, Jamaica and soda! Any places that serves Orange Bang nowadays charges per refill...
Price: $1.75 / taco, $1.49 for all you can drink beverages
Wait time: 0-5 minutes
Distance (from downtown): 20-25 minutes outside of rush hour
Total Score: 38/40
What I would order next time: Two and two of suadero and adobado, with an Orange Bang on the side!!!
Posted with LifeCast
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