This location of Nico’s, tucked away on Morena Place is sort of the forgotten "third wheel" of taco shops in the area. When I think of Taco Shops in the area, usually JV’s or Santana’s that comes to mind, and poor little Nico’s is forgotten. But not on this day……
The shop itself is pretty small, and fronts a group of apartments out back. When I mentioned Nico’s to several folks, I got wrinkled noses, and comments about dirt and grime, but I’ve never encountered that at Nico’s. The woman who works the front counter is also quite nice as well.
There are bascially only 2 items I get from Nico’s, the CAB(Carne Asada Burrito), and Rolled Tacos. And it had been years since I’ve eaten here, so I thought I’d give Nico’s a go.
Now I had thought that after attending the "Battle of the ‘Berto’s" that I’d be laying off the Carne Asada Burrito’s for a while…but I guess I was wrong. The interesting thing was….that I really couldn’t recall whether I enjoyed the burrito or not…I’ve had CABs from Nico’s several times, but for some reason I just didn’t remember them.
The Carne Asada Burrito at Nico’s is priced right at $3.50, and it is not the huge monstrousity of a burrito that’s served elsewhere, but I find it to be a perfect size for my usual appetite. The Carne Asada in this burrito was moist, and fairly tender, if a bit short on the flavor end. It was very "generic" in flavor….maybe that’s why it had never registered in my memory banks. The Pico de Gallo had too much under-ripe tomato, and I’m not a fan of the very bland Guacamole, nor the Hot Sauce, which is slightly "picante", but nothing else.
I do remember the other item I usually get at Nico’s….the Rolled Tacos($2.50):
After I had placed my order I remembered how I usually get them…without the cheese and guac, and as I recall, I would take them home and use some other bottled hot sauce. Oh well, these are still much better than those from a very popular, but a bit over-hyped restaurant. The rolled tacos are crunchy, and you can actually taste the filling, chicken in this case, and the proportion of meat to fried tortilla is good. And the meat isn’t the mini-me minced stuff. As a whole, I’m not the biggest fan of rolled tacos, but I don’t mind Nico’s version at all.
On the rolled taco visit, I noticed something written on the greaseboard called a "Conga" Burrito…so I inquired, and was told Carne Asada, Rice, and Enchilada Sauce. Hmmm, I don’t recall seeing that anywhere before. So on a follow-up visit, I decided to order the Conga Burrito($3.75):
I cut the burrito in half, and noticed that there was also beans in this. As I ate it, eight letters came to mind T-A-C-O B-E-L-L…..it did taste like something you’d get from Taco Smell Bell. You could put any type of meat in this, and it would taste the same. Not my cup of tea I guess…….
I’ve heard that the Newport Avenue location of Nico’s is good, but I’ve never been. The prices are quite reasonable, the food arrives fast, and the woman behind the counter is nice and friendly. Note to self…stick with the rolled tacos.
Nico’s Taco Shop
5151 Morena Pl
San Diego, CA 92110