Taco Shops – Page 14

Foodland for lunch-A Taqueria inside a grocery store.

September 28, 2008 Cathy Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!!. The Blog. Written by Kirk and ed (from Yuma) and Cathy and a few others. Again, yes, Cathy is back…because all the others have lives…or perhaps they have not eaten anything lately.

The person who named this store had zero imagination. However…oh the food. A Mexican market and in the El Cajon location, a plethora of Middle Eastern products (there is a large Chaldean population in El Cajon). A panderia, taqueria, fresh tortillas, wonderful produce and an array of great items to be found inside.

This day was yet another of our "seven days of feasting" -celebrating the week between our birthdays- and The Mister and I wanted some simple good food for our lunch. We met in college and lived on a very limited budget and enjoy good food, not really caring about atmosphere.

Two carnitas tacos $1.50 each.

Fresh, juicy, tasty.

Fresa (Strawberry) drink ($2.00)(the most expensive item we bought)… and a beef tamale ($1.50)

Cross section of the tamale- filled with fresh, tender, juicy beef. The masa still had larger pieces of soft hominy-you know it was made fresh…

Buche, cabeza and birria tacos. $1.50 each.

Excellent, as always. Large portions inside the doubled tortillas. The buche (esophagus) meat was tangy and nicely chewy and the cabeza (head) meat was deeply flavored. Rich might be the right word. The birria is always perfectly cooked (it can be lamb or goat-and there were three goat heads for sale in the refrigerated sectin of the store, as well as other goat parts and no lamb parts, so I assume this taco was goat. The taste gave it away also).

Simple. Good. Oh. The tortillas are made in the store, so are *always* fresh and wonderful. The usual toppings are cilantro, onion and in house made tomatillo salsa-just a bite of heat with a wonderful tomatillo flavor.

Then there is the grocery store. Go to the cheese section. Danish Blue Cheese is $6.99 a pound. I have no idea why. We always get a chunk when we are here. Always.

Foodland Mercado 1099 East Main Street, El Cajon 92021 (619)579-4100

Other locations: 920 Cardiff Street San Diego 92114, 303 Highland Avenue National City 91950, 5075 Federal Boulevard San Diego 92102

El Portal Fresh Mexican Grill

July 23, 2008 Cathy Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is this. The blog about food. It is just Kirk and some friends writing a sort of diary about meals. Really. We tell you what we like and don’t like. That’s it. You get to vicariously enjoy it. Or not.

Hi again. It’s still Cathy writing. I happened to be on Genesse and Balboa Avenues not too long ago and remember Kirk posted on El Portal and liked it…I just didn’t remember what He liked, or when I had read the post. So, anyhow, I walked in, ordered some "to go" stuff and came home and read the blog.

Kirk really likes the salads. I didn’t order a salad.

Then again, He posted about this place, like waaay back in November 2005…so this is pretty much a whole new post!

Anyhow, it was crowded, considering it was after 7 p.m. on a Wednesday night.

The menu looks interesting, but they had no paper menus nor a website- so you can look at it as I did…

I noticed that carnitas was listed as a "new" item, so decided to get a plate. ($8.45)

The plate comes with refried beans, rice and a small corn cake on top of the rice along with a choice of corn or flour tortillas.

You can see the serving of pork is quite large and the meat is cut in large chunks and not shredded, as some servings of carnitas happen to be served. The food here is more healthily prepared than I have had at taco shops, and the carnitas tasted dry and did not have much flavor to me.

I also decided to try the spinach enchiladas, one of the many vegetarian choices on the menu. (2 for $4.55). These were excellent. Fresh spinach, melted cotija cheese and a simple salsa (chopped tomatoes, onions and cilantro) filled the corn tortillas, which were topped with a very good, slightly garlicy tomatillo (green) sauce.

I have to go back -soon- and try a salad. El Portal has been in that location forever, and must be making money.

El Portal Fresh Mexican Grill 4104 Genesse Ave San Diego 92101 (858)571-7771 Fax (858)974-1448

El Rodeo Mexican Food

June 24, 2008 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops

I know someone who swears by the Super Sergio’s on Convoy, and El Rodeo Mexican Food, located on El Cajon Boulevard, near the intersection of 69th street. Bad thing is, he has a "convenient bad memory" which I’ll explain a bit later on. What he did tell me was, you get around 69th street, you can’t miss the place. And you know what, he was right. Screaming oranges and yellows, it really does stand out.

I was in the neighborhood, and it was past lunch time on a weekend afternoon a few months back. So why not? I parked the car, check out the murals, and walked to the front counter…..and stopped dead.

At first I thought that perhaps this gal was unconscious, or passed out. At which time she let out a huge snore……at least I knew she was alive. I quietly crept to the counter to order, but could find no one. I could hear music blasting from the rear of the place, but there was no one in sight. I whispered, "hello? hello?" "ola?" And the gal let out a "snort-snort-snort". A bit of sleep apnea perhaps? Not wanting to wake her, I decided to revisit El Rodeo at a later time, and tip-toed back to my car.

About a week later, I was back in the area, so I decided to give it another go. Not knowing what awaited me in the dining area, I peered around the corner, and noticed no sleeping, snoring women.

My eyes were assaulted by the reflection of orange…everywhere. But I managed to order what I came for: a Carne Asada Torta. As I waited, I noticed how busy the phone booth right in front of the restaurant was.

It even rang twice while I was waiting. And 2 different young women walked up to answer the phone. I believe this is probably one of the last remaining pay phones left in the area, but it was strangely busy….and the only persons using the phone were young ladies. Hmmmm…..

When my Torta was ready($4.25), I grabbed it quickly and headed home. The bread on the sandwich was nothing to write home about, there was just too much shredded lettuce, and the Guacamole is pasty and tasteless. But I really enjoyed the Carne Asada, it was nicely caramelized and had a nice overall flavor.

Yes, the bread was heading to the land of soggy pretty quickly, but that could be explained away by the ride home. Soon after, I ran into "MrC" and told him that the Carne Asada Torta was pretty good. He stared at me blankly and said, "Carne Asada? I didn’t tell you carne asada, did I? You have to have the Milanesa."

So back I was for the Milanesa Torta($4.25). This time here was no activity at the pay phone, and there were a few other customers eating in the patio area. I decided to grab my sandwich, and consume it in the car. As I was walking to the car, I was stopped by 2 young women, "we need a ride, can you give us a ride?" My reply? "Ummm no." Which is about as close to a "hell, no, not a chance" as I could muster up. Next request, "can we use your cell phone?" I gave them 2 quarters….I’m pretty sure they knew where the pay phone was. As they walked to the pay phone, I entered my car, sat, took a deep breath and removed the foil from my sandwich.

This was not a very good Torta. First, the bread was stale and crumbly. Second, the Milanesa, which was totally overwhelmed by lettuce, had no taste. I suppose it would have been nice texturally, if there was a bite less lettuce. But the meat, which looked to be breaded pork, was tasteless. It was so bland I couldn’t make out what kind of meat it was.

About a week later, I run into MrC; "hey, that Milanesa wasn’t very good." "No-no-no, not the Milanesa, you should have the Carne Asada!"

Sigh. You gotta love early onset senility. No more snoring young ladies, being accosted for a ride or my cell phone, or that strangely busy pay phone for me for a while.

El Rodeo Mexican Food
6924 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

Tres Tacos at Mariscos German

June 5, 2008 ed fromyuma Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

Kirk and Cathy and all the other yosoers are eating, taking pics, and having fun. Today, though, ed (from Yuma) wants to share three tacos with you and explain how he broke an important law.

I’ve never been very good at following directions or abiding by the rules. On the other hand, one culinary law rarely violated since I moved to Yuma is my rule against eating Mexican food anwhere outside of Yuma or Mexico. Yes, I know there is great Mexican food elsewhere, but when I go to San Diego or Monterey, for example, I am far more interested in other cuisines. I get enough good Mexican stuff around home.

So when I pulled into the empty lot next to a liquor store that surrounds the Marisco German truck at 35th and University, I felt a small twinge of guilt:

I had my reasons, however. First, almost all of the Chowhound buzz about this small San Diego chain of Mexican seafood eateries (estilo San Felipe) has been very positive. Second, Chris, a friend of yoso, compared Mar Azul, an excellent Mexican seafood house that I had just posted about, with Mariscos German. Third, as I was leaving my favorite San Diego used book store at around dinner time last Wednesday, I glanced up and noticed that the cross street was 35th. I took that as an auspicious omen and headed up 35th until I found the taco truck.

I’m certainly glad I did. Shortly after placing my order, I was handed a small styrofoam cup full of broth (free with order). The plastic spoon dredged up bits and pieces of fish and veggies:

After taking that picture, I ate the other solid goodies from the soup and then spooned a little bit of the broth into my mouth. Oh wow! The stock had a depth of fishy flavor like the one at Mar Azul, but even more complexity, all of which was highlighted by a significant picante hit of red chili. In my haste to wolf down the flavorful contents of the little cup, I forgot to take a picture of the broth by itself. Oops.

Soon after I finished the soup, I was handed a styrofoam tray about 10 to 12 inches long filled by three enormous tacos (each $3.75):

The gigantic taco on the left is a smoked marlin (marlyn) taco. In the center (partly covered by its neighbors) is a gobernador taco. And to the right, the taco is octopus (pulpo). I had wanted to try the scallop (callo) taco, but the truck was out of them.

My favorite taco of this trio has to be the gobernador:

The perfectly cooked shrimp had been grilled together with bell pepper slices, tomato wedges, slices of celery, and perhaps onion on a very hot griddle, charring some of the veggies and leaving little flecks and bits of smoky goodness throughout. Then the shrimp and veggies were placed in a warm yellow corn tortilla on which a layer of white cheese had been melted (much as in a vampire taco). Perhaps the cheese serves the same purposes as on vampiros – adding richness and flavor while keeping the tortilla from being soaked with juices.

The taco de pulpo was similar in having the seafood with veggies cooked at high temperature before being put onto the tortilla:

All the tacos were so huge that no way could I eat them in standard taco fashion before I had consumed half the filling with the forks provided. Not until then, could I fold the tortilla over small enough to cram into my rather large mouth. As I forked my way down into the generous filling, I discovered some of the sources of that great Smoky charred taste:

As you can see, many of the vegetables showed the dark scars of the hot griddle. The flavor of the octopus taco (a tako taco?) was outstanding, at least partly because of the smokiness. On the other hand, the pulpo was a bit chewy for my taste. I guess I have been so spoiled by the tender octopus in most Mexican cocketeles that I have forgotten how chewy octopus usually is.

The most powerfully flavored taco was the marlyn:

The combination of flavors in this taco is outstanding. Here the grilled charred vegetables were complemented by the deep, rich, dense, smoky, fishiness of the chunks of smoked marlin. And the veggies in this taco also added a welcome contrastive crunch. As with the gobernador, the tortilla was covered with mild white cheese, adding a smooth richness. Again, the taco was far too gigantic to be picked up and eaten in a standard fashion. Let me say that I am not complaining about being given too much taco for my money; I repeat the point only because actual size does not always register in photos.

My one and only complaint about this wonderfully smoky and fishy treat is that it was a bit greasy:

Of course, as soon as I spotted the grease I stopped eating. Yeah right, who am I kidding? – that’s not gonna happen with something that tastes this good. Plus, sometimes an intrepid reporter has to put him/herself at risk for the good of the community. Yeah right.

In no way should this little report about three tacos be confused with a real review. The three tacos that I ordered are similar in many ways, but the truck at 35th and University offers 15 different tacos, eight cockteles, aguachile, tostadas, burros, ceviches, and caldos.

In addition, Mariscos German also has trucks at 3269 Beyer Blvd, and 174050 S. 43rd, and a restaurant at 2802 Ocean View Blvd. Try one, you’ll like it!

Mariscos German, 35th & University, 619-239-2351, Open 10 AM – 7 PM daily.

Tacos from David’s Carneceria: Yuma

April 3, 2008 ed fromyuma Taco Shops, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!, Yuma

This is not Kirk, not Cathy, not anybody else but ed (from Yuma) here to share some tacos with you.

About a month ago I got an e-mail from my good friends and eating buddies, Paul and Joanie, raving about the tacos from the stand located at David’s Carneceria. I was embarrassed. It is my job to try every taco stand I can find, and while I had noticed this stand, I had not yet sampled it. I had been scooped.

Since Yuma does not allow roadside taco trucks within the city limits, the taco stand sits in the parking lot of a small market on Avenue B specializing in Mexican meats:

The set up is very convenient. There is a charcoal grill behind the tree and a series of small tables running alongside the market. For a small stand, this place cranks out a whole lot of tacos. I have stood waiting for my order on more than one occasion while two overworked employees take orders (sometimes for dozens of tacos) and prepare tacos as fast as they can:

The tacos (here one carnitas, one lengua, and one pollo asado) are presented plain:

However, a wide range of salsas, condiments, pickled vegetables, and grilled vegetables are available to complete the tacos:

When finished, the plate of tacos looks like this:

Or like this:

I am very fond of the lengua, its tongue flavor lightly spiced and cooked to falling apart tenderness:

Other meats are also available. Like the lengua, the Cabeza is cooked until it shreds, and each tender bite is full of juicy beefiness:

The carnitas, not as crunchy as I would like, is plenty porky and chewy and matches well with the guacamole:

Chicharrones, or stewed pork skin, is not for the faint of heart (or the narrow of artery), but if you have always wished for mouthfuls of lightly pork flavored and smoothly textured fat (and who hasn’t?) This is the dish for you:

The carne asada here is lightly marinated, beefy, tender, and lightly charred for a perfect flavor. Here it is, along with some cheese, in a burrito:

Just a note. The pollo asado here is really outstanding also, with a nice char and moist interior. I just had no outstanding (or even acceptable) close-ups of the chicken. Hope you have enjoyed the post. I certainly have been enjoying the tacos. Thanks and a tip of the floppy hat to FOYs Paul and Joanie.

David’s Carneceria, 191 S. Ave B, Yuma, 783-7221 (phone number for market; no phone at the stand).

Chulo’s Food Truck-Mariscos, tacos and caldos!

March 27, 2008 Cathy Seafood, Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the food blog. A little peek into an anonymous diary of what Kirk and some of his friends ate. Kirk is gone. Cathy is here. Today, you can read what Cathy ate. Or not.

Hi. No, Kirk is not back yet.

So anyhow, I was driving North on 54th, to meet some friends who live on Easy Street. Really. San Diego 92105. Easy Street. People live there. Not me, though.

At the signal light of 54th and Redwood, I was waiting and saw this Food Truck. I made a mental note (since I didn’t have a pen) and on my way home, I was hungry, remembered and drove to it.

Technically, it is on the feeder road on the Northeast corner. You can’t miss it, no other businesses on the other corners.

I parked and walked up and looked at the menu.

Very cool- mostly seafood, except for the menudo, Carne Asada and Chorizo.

I decided on the fish taco for 99¢ and the camaron quesedilla $5- but my total charge was $7. Exactly. So maybe the listed prices are wrong, or something else… doesn’t matter.

There was a table with three chairs under the awning attached to the truck and there were a plethora of different hot sauces to choose from, along with bottled and canned beverages in ice.

I did recall seeing a line of people waiting to order and eat here last year when I was visiting my friends . Since this truck was still here, it must be pretty good, I thought to myself while waiting.

So, I ordered, put some money in the tip jar and the nice gentleman asked me if I would like some seafood caldo (soup) while I waited…of course!

A rich tomato based broth with onions and celery and chunks of fish in my portion. Excellent, deep flavor.

I had to wait a bit for the food to be finished cooking, but did not mind.

It was fascinating to see the cocteles the other people had ordered and were eating. Not overly large, but they appeared to be fresh made.

This was my fish taco. Not great, but not bad…for 99¢. I won’t complain.

The quesedilla was the best surprise ever. There were 15 juicy fresh quite large shrimp which were sauteed with sweet red onions and green peppers, slightly burned from the pan frying, on a huge, very cheese filled tortilla. It was heavy with filling and cut into 5 pieces.

I am *so* very happy I stopped here. I was hungry and knew I needed to get something interesting for the blog.

Mental Note: Do this more often…just stop and eat.

Chulos Food Truck 54th at Redwood (North East corner) San Diego 92105

Los Palmitos- A Very Good Taco Shop-and quick lunch

March 26, 2008 Cathy Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog, written by Kirk and friends, about places we eat, what we eat, and what we thought of it. For a short while Kirk is on a vacation, so the friends are taking over.

Hi. Cathy here, with yet another taco shop to blog about.

Los Palmitos is in the same mall as La Playita, just more able to be seen from Clairmont Mesa Boulevard. (It is in the same mall where the Smart N Final is located).
The Mister and I have looked at it so very many times before, but always have been craving ceviche or some other type of coctel when we are in the area and never bothered stopping here. However one day, we did. There is only a menu above the cash registers-no take out menu- and I didn’t get to snap a photo of it.
The prices are no better nor worse than other taco shops, and there is a nice seafood selection- ceviche, fish tacos, burritos and seafood soups.

When you order to eat there, you get chips and can take more advantage of the salsa bar.
The chips are made here, and are thicker than prepackaged corn chips, fresh and not too greasy. There are three salsas to choose from, none so hot as to affect the taste buds and the mildest one was very tomato sauce-y flavored. The grilled chile was wonderful and the carrots and onions were nicely heat-spiced.
I did feel I needed a ceviche camaron tostada ($2.95)
the fish and shrimp tasted freshly marinated and were juicy and plump. The sauce consisted of finely chopped jalapeno and cucumber, onion, tomato and cilantro, all very fresh and crispy. It was all topped with sliced avocado and the tostada was placed on top of some sliced lettuce, so if some marinade dripped off, the tostada would stay crisp, a thoughtful, professional touch.

The Mister got the #2 Combination ($6.95)
At first, I thought the price was kind of high for a taco shop combination. But this combo consisted of:
-a chile relleno, freshly made- a California chile, stuffed with jack cheese, then dipped in egg batter and fried and then topped with a sauce just for the chile.
-a freshly made cheese enchilada, a medium sharp flavorful cheddar cheese filling a thick, very fresh tasting corn tortilla, topped with its own enchilada sauce, some really nice rice and really, really good, not watery, but very flavorful refried beans. Lots of food. Way much. We shared.

Everyone else eating here were getting soups and tacos, so we knew we would have to go back very soon to see what that was about. More about that later. You can try it now and not be disappointed.

Los Palmitos 5185 Clairmont Mesa Boulevard (at Limerick) San Diego 92117

Taqueria El Chipilon 2: A World of Tacos

March 19, 2008 ed fromyuma Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!, Yuma

Kirk is the wonderful host and main writer here at mmm-yoso!!! , but he lets others play in his sandbox too. Today ed (from Yuma) is here to tell you that more than just vampires lurk at this Taqueria.

Just wanted to do a quick post about the huge taqueria where I found the vampire tacos in San Luis, Sonora. Usually we think of getting tacos at stands, trucks, and carts. Of course, you can also get tacos at most Mexican restaurants, but real restaurants have all kinds of other things on the menu. El Chipilon is remarkable for being a large restaurant that serves primarily just tacos.

On my last visit there, the pollo asado taco was exceptionally flavorful, though you can’t tell that from this picture:

The chicken had a wonderful flavor, a hint of char, and a moist and succulent interior. Much better than the rather undistinguished version I had had previously. A quick visit to the charcoal grill showed me why the taco was so much better that day:

That afternoon the chicken came straight off the grill and onto my taco. From this next pic, You can see that this taqueria prepares meats in vast quantities, so the quality of any item will vary depending on how long it has been on hold:

The positive side to this mass production is that the cooks can satisfy 50 to 60 tables full of hungry partiers all at once, chopping up the meats with skill and speed:

Friends tell me that the place is busiest and completely packed at 2:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights (more precisely, on Saturday and Sunday mornings). After all, what better way to end an evening of drinking and clubbing (and the drinking age in Mexico is 18) than to have a few great tacos?

And of course, all the tacos come with the wheel of condiments (and grilled veggies and house salsa):

Along with vampire tacos, this place does one other unique and distinctive taco – the Super Taco Chipilon:

Basically, just a cheese and carne asada soft taco (which is called a caramelo taco – see this link (thanks Alex)), this Super Taco Chipilon is loaded with moist and flavorful beef, and the white cheese lays atop a roasted green chile. What’s not to like? The combination of mild white cheese, carne asada, and green chile all enfolded by a yellow corn tortilla – with its touch of natural corn sweetness – provides a nice balance of contrastive flavors.

As good as these two types of tacos are, my favorite non-vampire at El Chipilon is their version of al pastor:

They don’t skimp on the meat. Most al pastor in Yuma is done with a dry rub, but this succulent pork flesh is carmelized and almost glazed and has a slightly sweet flavor note that surprised me the first time that I tasted it. It was only later, when I looked at this close up of the meat, that I began to speculate about the origins of this style of al pastor with its distinctive flavor:

Doesn’t this look a lot like Chinese barbecued pork – if it had been cooked over open flames? I’m not saying that al pastor estilo El Chipilon is unique, because I’ve eaten similar looking Mexican pork before, but the hints of sweetness in this meat made me wonder if there might be some Asian connection. Someone more knowledgeable than me has pointed out the profound influences that Mexican and Chinese food have had on each other along Mexico’s northern border with its large Chinese population. Some claim that Chinese cooks invented the chimichanga, so maybe it isn’t too fantastic to suggest that this shepherd style pork, which is often cooked on a Lebanese style spit, sometimes exhibits the finishing touch of some Asian pig herder (which seems appropriate considering that no one has ever shepherded pigs). Small world really.

How are the prices at El Chipilon? Well, no prices are listed on the menu, and I didn’t do any bargaining before ordering, so I suspect we paid the gringo rate. Nonetheless, 16 tacos (8 deluxe and 8 regular), 4 Pacificos, an order of beans, and a large jamaica came to $30 American. Seems fair to me.

Birrieria Los Gueros

March 17, 2008 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops

*** Birrieria Los Gueros has closed.

This little shop is located near the corner of El Cajon Boulevard and Winona Avenue, and is partially hidden by the bus stop near that corner. And though I've passed the place hundreds of times, I don't think I've ever seen a single person in the place. Though it just may be that the aged and smudged windows just obscure my view.

Recently, the large sign above the front of the restaurant went up, and on a recent weekend morning, stomach growling, I decided to grab a bite here.

The interior is decorated in a random fashion, from the just ever so slightly tilted bull horns(I was expecting goat horns….), to the Chargers poster, and even though the place is relatively clean, you just get the feeling that everything is covered in a layer of dust. The menu sits on the wall, with former prices taped over, and yellowing edges….there is a kind of haphazard charm to this place. Though let it be said that I've had many great meals on places like these.

As is the norm for shops like these, the prices are quite reasonable. With tacos going for $1.25, Burritos $4.00, and Menudo and Birria $5.75. After speaking to the very nice young lady I learned, no Barbacoa de Borrego(lamb), only Barbacoa de Res(beef). I decided to have a few tacos, and placed my order, 1 Taco Al Pastor, 2 Birria de Chivo. I was asked if I wanted onions and cilantro on my tacos, which was something a bit different….I'm used to getting my tacos, and adding cilantro, onions, and salsa from a bar. But here they put them on the tacos for you.

In a few minutes 3 nicely wrapped tacos arrived at my table. Along with some very, very good pickled carrots and onions, and in something else new to me…..wedges of lemon, instead of lime. I'm wondering if this is some regional preference? A bottle of nicely spiced salsa roja was also brought to the table.

The Al Pastor, was nothing special, not very tasty, and on the tough side. The corn tortillas were also mediocre….

The Birria de Chivo was very interesting.

You could tell the meat had been simmered for a good long time, and while it didn't look it, I found the flavor to be better than the Birria I had from Birria's Chivo and Cheves, more spice, more salt, nice fat content…but there was just one thing about the flavor that got to me. Even though there was some depth to it, there was a graininess and after taste to the birria that was much like liver…something that I'm not a big fan of. I don't know if it was just this batch of meat, or what…..

The young lady who served me was very nice. But I think I'll wait a while before returning….. Maybe someone has a recommendation for this restaurant?

Birrieria Los Gueros
4944 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

Just one more thing…..

Every once in a while, I see something that just makes my day. While perusing Sarah's wonderful blog The Delicious Life, Sarah did a post to summraize items she came across during the week. Among the items (french fry coated hot dog), was a YouTube impromptu Food Court Musical:

For some reason it just made my day! Can I get a napkin please? Have you ever had the urge to just break out in song? Well….maybe not ….. Thanks Sarah!

Nico’s Taco Shop – Linda Vista

March 13, 2008 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Taco Shops

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