Taco Taco

Posted By Michael Stern on July 4, 2010 9:32 AM

Across McCullough Avenue from the old Olmos Pharmacy (which has become a beer and wine bistro and live music venue), Taco Taco is a small cafe that serves outstanding tacos in a city with so many good ones that it is hard to stand out. As in all the good places, the tortillas are rolled out by hand and griddle cooked as breakfast and lunch are served. This means yours will be warm and fresh -- delicious to eat with no filling whatsoever.

But, oh, the barbacoa (weekends only)! It is the tenderest, most unctuous smoky beef imaginable, slowly roasted and loaded into the taco in great shredded clods that audibly ooze when bitten. No other ingredients are warranted in this taco, whereas a chicken taco revels in a layer of refritos and a sprinkle of cheese, and a potato and egg breakfast taco reaches heights when generously dolloped with the kitchen's marvelous salsa. Puffy tacos, a San Antonio passion, also are available -- the same ingredients but enveloped in a tortilla that has been fried just enough to swell and soften. And thumbs up to the specialty tacos, made on tortillas that are double-wide. The El Norteno contains sizzled chicken (or beef) with beans, slices of avocado, cheese, peppers and onions. The Fiesta is fajita-grilled chicken with chunky pico de gallo. Meals begin with excellent tortilla chips and that salsa, which I find completely impossible to stop eating until all chips are gone or the main course arrives.

Expect to wait for a table at meal time. The place is tiny and its goodness is no secret.

El Norteno

Barbacoa Taco

Puffy Taco

Fiesta Taco

Menudo (cup)

Picadillo Taco

Gordita

Ice Tea