Chapultepec Mexican Bar and Restaurant, Hallandale Beach, FL

Three brave Tacoteers joined me after a very long day at work as we are getting ready to open a new The Counter in Aventura, FL.  Amber, Ramon, Shinho and I went out and braved the taco world to try make it safer place for people to eat tacos, one tortilla at a time.  Ironically, this taqueria serves only one tortilla, not the normal two, I did enjoy it.  It was a nice surprise.  I get the extra tortilla.  It fills people up, supports the meat, but this was nice.  Really good and surprising touch.  The best part of the night were the two little girls.  There were two young girls, under four, their mom worked at the restaurant.  They were helping clean and work.  It was awesome.  There is a little space with a counter and two tables that looks like a take out window.  Then a small doorway to the larger dining room that has a jute box, bar, dance floor.

Yeah, pretty cool view right?  Ok, if you like that one, how about this one?

Those are the two adorable children I spoke of.  Yes, the stage has seating.  Let me tell you that the sign says they close at 9pm.  We went there well after then, and were served, not rushed, it was nice.  They said they really are closing at 10pm.  Service was slow, damn slow.  I can assure you that they are the same speed all day and all night.  Everything comes, just not too fast.  I like the table set up.  Salt, shaker was empty, then oregano.  It is necessary in so many restaurants on the table and it is necessary.  Kind of a surprise that this place was full service.  It was good though.  Waitress was much more at ease that we ordered and all could speak Spanish.  Yes, being a Californian has many advantages and being able to order tacos under any circumstance is one of the perks.  Lets get into the good stuff, the ratings.

RATINGS:
CHORIZO: 3, this was pretty standard.  It is not going to blow you away, but you won't feel cheated.  Hints of clove, definitely got hit with some aciote powder too.
ASADA: 3, this is about as bare minimum for asada as it gets.  The stuff was tender, but not amazing.  It was good, not great.  I would order it again, maybe?
PASTOR: 2, yeah, it just didn't do it for me.  This is not crisis mode, but causes for some concern.  Please do avoid it.  Way too sweet.
TRIPAS: 3, this is a bit different then most places.  It was not crispy but good, it was fairly sweet and tender.
LENGUA: 3, this is a bit different then most places.  It was not crispy but good, it was fairly sweet and tender.  Wait, what?  Why?  Here's the thing, they both tasted good, but exactly the same.  I really think, and so did my fellow Tacoteers that they were the same meat.  I get why they did it, you will find out later in the blog...
GUACAMOLE: 3, this stuff was fresh.  It was good.  It needed to be mashed just a little bit more.  I love the texture when it isn't over mashed, but pieces were big that it was difficult to get on a chip and in your mouth.
PICO: 4, I won't normally rate pico, but this was pretty special.  Kind of big pieces, but well seasoned and flavored, tender, ripe tomatoes and it had the perfect balance of citrus and sodium.
SALSA VERDE: 5, this stuff was great.  It was spicy, flavorful, was excellent on chips, tacos, or even when I was eating it out of the palm of my hand.  Hey, don't judge, Ramon did it too, well, he ate it out of his own hand, not mine, get your mind out of the gutter.  Try it!
PINA FRESCAS: 4, yummy, delicious fresh beverage that I really enjoyed.  It was fantastic!  Glad I got something other then water with no ice, no lemon, no straw!  Worth a try.

Look at Ramon's pretty hands as he holds up the tacos.  Look at the delicious salsa lurking below anticipating joining the rest of the salsa that is already on the top of the tacos.  That is all of the good, lets talk about the burning frustrations.  First, we tried to order pupusas for the whole table to share, out!  Then we tried to order barbacoa, out!  Last they were out of the melon beverage that Amber tried to order.  This is why I think the tripas tasted like lengua.  I think they were embarrassed to tell us they were out and hoped that we wouldn't notice the difference.  Oh, and the seats, those were the most uncomfortable booths I've ever been in.

This is the spread of our apps.  Good stuff right?  I mean you can tell.  I'm very fortunate to have excellent people with me on this trip.  I'm really lucky to work with such excellent and hard working people.  When you spend 16 hours a day for two weeks straight working with folks, you have to really like them to want to go out, even for tacos.  Clearly, I love it and am very lucky.  Yes, I have the gratuitous picture of the group:

As always, I thank you for reading.  I thank you for re-posting, re-tweeting and telling your friends, please continue to do it!  I look forward to writing about more great adventures here in the Miami area over the next couple of weeks.  Thanks for reading, Stay Excellent!

Fiesta Martin Tacos, Inglewood, CA

I just love this double picture.  It is above the door when you walk in.  Decor in here is nice.  Really nice.  The people here were really nice.  Not over the top or fake, but cool.  The outside of the building leaves much to be desired for, but the inside had gone through and taken something from every big Mexican restaurant remodel.  For example this star use to be in like every El Torito:

Looks pretty cool the way that they put everything together.  This place is on La Brea just before you get into Baldwin Hills.  Just so you know, it is an easy shot from Culver City if you are there an need to grab a bite.  They have a pretty nice salsa bar.  Different options, different flavors.  Good stuff.  They keep each salsa in 1/6 pans, not 1/3 pans to keep the salsa colder.  Nice thinking!  This thing was long.  It had pickled jalapenos, pickled onions, seasoned cucumbers and three different salsas.

 
Salsa bar has some great options.  The menu is good.  It takes a good amount of space, but it does have too much on it.  It is sticking to what they know.  They don't want too much flare, just the good stuff basics.  They have some great meat options.

So lets get to the food.  Nice.  They have some pretty cool ways to enjoy what they make.  The lady taking the order was great.  You order at the counter and they bring the food and beverages to your table.  It was pretty slow when we went in, but it was an off time.  Ratings are going to take sometime, so lets get right to it.

RATINGS:
SALSA BAR: 3, it was good, but nothing that amazed me flavor wise.  Some good stuff, but nothing that blew me totally away.
SALSA ROJO: 2, not very flavorful.  It was okay, not as smoky as it looked like it should be.
SALSA VERDE: 3, good, not great.  Did not blow me away, just kind of a run of the mill type of a thing, but solid.
JALAPENO SALSA: 3, so this stuff was basic.  Not great, but not bad.  It was not too runny which is usually the problem.
CUCUMBERS: 4, these were the best part of the trip.  They were really good.  They were spicy and delicious.  There was a bit of sweetness that was there.  The texture was really fantastic.
PICKLED ONIONS: 3, they were good.  This was a nice touch and they went great on the tacos.
ASADA: 3, it was good, but nothing special.
BARBACOA: 2, clove like.  It was not very flavorful and the texture was off.  It was not inedible, but not very good.
PASTOR: 2, eww.  Not very good.  Texture sucked.  It was borderline crisis.
LENGUA: 2, fatty, greasy.  Not very tasty.  It is just not good stuff.  I like it so much better in so many other places.
TRIPA: 4, yeah, I really liked it.  I think that they fried it.  It was really crispy and really tasty.  The texture was on point, the flavor was great.  It was not at all greasy.
BUCHE: 4, let me say it, this is not as good as Los Cinco Puntos or Tacos el Gordo in Chula Vista.  It is good stuff.  It was crispy, it was not overcooked.  They had seasoned this stuff.

Looks pretty good right?  Cilantro, onions and lime were at that salsa bar.  It worked well here.  I went a little heavy on the cilantro, it made me happy.  Cilantro is good for your kidneys.  Just think about it.  It is a great garnish and it tastes great.  Add it to your diet.  Back to the decor.  The decor is great.  I had to take a picture of the front door from the inside.  It has bamboo all around.  It was really cool.

The best part of the trip was the company.  We've been crazy busy and buried at work.  We had to go from ES to Culver City.  We were on our way to a taco truck, but it moved!  We kept driving back roads to get to the office.  We pulled up to this place, yes, I made four rights to get to the right spot.  We went in and ordered and you read the rest.  I was so proud of us, we actually got through lunch without talking about work, or anyone or anything to do with work, well accept for how glad I am I get to work with Ramon.  Last thing before I go, a gratuitous picture of Amber:

Thanks for reading, re-posting and retweeting, thanks for being a part of the Order and reading.  Stay Excellent Everyone!

Rincon Taurino, Panorama City, CA

They say "the truth will set you free."  Well  my friends, it did.  I was asked by a very good friend, someone I hold dear on where to go for some tacos.  He asked for the best around the area.  I could have told him a more "convenient" place, but I sent him here.  To one of my favorites, a favorite of everyone in The Order of the Taco, Rincon Taurino.  The beauty of this majestic story is that he caught me off guard and asked me to go with him.  Adam is a great dude.  He has been married for a bit and has a great wife.  They are a great fit.  It was awesome listening to him tell stories about the two of them.  Adam is one of those guys that it doesn't matter how long we go, which is never too long without talking, it is like we never missed a beat.  He is super close with our entire family.  He is so great to my wife, kids, brothers and parents.  He is a part of our family that we are lucky to have.  We always enjoy when Adam shows up.  He lives in San Diego now, has for a while.  Like I said, I was really excited when he text me he wanted to stop by, I was even more elated when he said he wanted to go Tacoteering.  Below is a picture of the two of us.  Adam is the one who doesn't look like me:

How do I really describe this place.  I mean it is a top 5 all time.  It is a beautiful place full of deliciousness that should be enjoyed.  It is also right next to an ice skating rink which gives this location some great Order of the Taco street credit.  I have a huge frustration with RT.  They have a burrito created by one of the greatest taco eating minds of our times.  The Buck Monstrosity has what he calls the Perfect Burrito.  I insist on calling it the Bucky Burrito.  It is so fantastic.  My struggle going there is that I always want a Bucky Burrito, but I feel like I'm missing out on some of their other great meat options.  Here's the thing, this trip, we were going to get tacos, but we had to get tacos because it is the weekend and on the weekend, they make their barbacoa.  Yeah, that is a lock for us.  So the Bucky Burrito has milanesa and pastor.  I'm not giving away anymore.  You have to take The Buck Monstrosity their and pay for lunch yourself.  If he feels that you are worthy, he can tell you how to make the burrito.  Yeah, it's like that.

So there is the menu.  Looks bigger then it is.  Pretty simple, pretty to the point, pretty much just fantastic.  Their beverages are made in house, they really do it all the right way.  Decor in this place is second to none.  I love it.  It literally yells: "come eat tacos!"

If that doesn't scream "eat tacos" then I don't know what does.  They have the games for the kids, maximizing space to make money, I love this joint.  This place is the whole package which is what makes it so special.  The food here, like I said is second to none.  They do everything right in front of you, so you know that it is fantastic.

Yes, that is a head that was cooked and they are getting the meat off to serve to you.  It really is a place that you need to go and experience.  It is really fun to watch them work.  They are all very nice and will talk to you about what they are doing and explain why and how.  I love that.  It is educational and a great place for the kids to learn how to cook.  It is important that we use the whole animal when cooking.  There is important minerals and vitamins in all the parts that we need to stay healthy.  These guys get it.  One of the most attractive things for me to see in the world is here:

Yes, that is their delicious Pastor.  Lets jump into the ratings, shall we?

RATINGS:
SALSA: 4, I like this stuff a lot.  They serve you with two.  They are both a 4.  They could be a 5, but they lack the complexity.  They really are the most basic thing that they do here, but obviously they do it pretty damn well.
ASADA: 4, its good.  Its above average.  Its asada.  They really do go above with the perfect cooking.  It is cooked all the way through, but it is super juicy.  Super tender and tasty.   The flavors are on point.
BARBACOA: 5, yeah, this stuff is just done right.  A goat explosion of tenderness and flavor.  It is one of, if not the best barbacoa that I've had.  It is only available on weekends.
BUCHE: 3, just average.  I think it should be slightly more crispy, but it is good stuff.  It is tender and fresh.
SUADERO: 5, holy moly.  Theirs really is top.  It is just good old fashion deliciousness.  Adam loved this stuff.  It was so on point when we were there.
CABEZA: 4, I'm a huge fan of theirs.  It is made right and good every time.
PASTOR: 5, this is a 5 with an exclamation point.  The only place that I've found that really compares is Tacos el Gordo in Chula Vista.  Theirs is off the cone, a little spicy and downright great stuff.  It is so good, you need to finish reading this and head over there to try this stuff.

Consistency is the hallmark of a great restaurant.  My employees are so tired of hearing me say that, but this place proves its true.  I've gone to and rated a number of places that on any given day can be a 5, but are often in the 2's and 3's.  They just didn't bring it those days.  These guys bring it every day, every shift, every hour.  I've never had a meal and been disappointed here, which is part of why they are in the "big 5" of all time for The Order of the Taco.  I've been to a few of their locations and they've all delivered.  I took a picture of their napkin just so you can see where their locations are in case you are going to go by today, take pictures and email them to me, tell me what you think:

Yeah, I know fancy right?  So, if you have feedback about my pictures, let me know.  I was really bad about them when the blog first started, but have really tried to make them better.  Really have them illustrate the story much better then my mindless jabber.  I have started to play with the backgrounds, colors, make them "vintage" or the other named lights and things to try to make it more exciting.  I'm always open for some feedback, so bring it on!

Before I sign off, three things.  First, thanks Adam.  You are the man.  I'm so glad that we got to hang out and got to go Tacoteering.  I appreciate you and your friendship.  I'm glad that we brought tacos home for Melissa, she loved the tacos!  Second, look for the Buck Monstrosity.  If he is there, buy him a Bucky Burrito and he will tell you what is in it so that you too can enjoy some burrito perfection.  Lastly, a gratuitous Adam shot for the road:

Yeah, the look of a taco eating champion.  It was his first time Tacoteering people, give him a round of applause!

Thanks for reading, please continue to tell your friends, re-tweet, re-post, read these things.  Stay Excellent!

El Jacalito, Culver City, CA...Amber Birthday Lunch!

Yeah, this place is pretty interesting.  They left up the awning from Whole Foods, which has been gone for a damn long time.  Interesting place.  They do both Oaxacan and Mexican food.  Separated only by the page on the menu.  Very cool to have the options.  They try to appeal to anyone who is on their way down Washington to Santa Monica/Venice area.  The place doesn't really stand out.  You need to be looking for this place to find it.  If you are not really looking on the street, you will drive by it.  Signage is exactly what you see in the picture above.  Is it pricey?  Yes, the place is not afraid to charge you, be warned of that. It is "special occasion" Tacoteering.  Enough about this place for now, why were we there?  Who was I with, what was going on?

That is one of the many pictures of Amy.  Amy is one of the great folks that I work with.  I guess all that you can really see is her hand, but don't worry, there is going to be plenty of more pictures of her, whether or not she wants. The day before the actual anniversary of Amber's birth we went to surprise her.  Ramon orchestrated all of this.  He did quite an amazing job, but really, when does he not?  We have been buried.  All of us at work.  Have we been having fun?  Yeah, we have, but super, crazy busy.  We met at one of our locations, Built Custom Burgers and were working.  We told Amber that there was a place that I really wanted to go Tacoteering at and it was in Culver.  We definitely took the long way to get there.  We went all over the place.  Had we not used our phone to find the place, we probably would have gotten there in half the time.  We get there and take a seat inside.  Amber, Ramon and I.

Ahh Ramon, he is so cute.  Look at him excited to try his beverage.  I stuck with the same, water, no ice, no lemon, no straw.  Ramon ordered horcata, it comes with ice cream in it and Amber ordered a pumpkin beverage that we had never heard of.

 
Yes, those are the pictures of their drinks.  The inside of this place was simple, pretty cool.  Deli counter was still up and they used it to store their ice cream in.  They had a few flavors, I didn't really look.  We were there for a celebration which automatically means tacos.  This place is a very Mexican place.  Most folks sticking to Spanish.  The reason that I bring this up is because it was hilarious to be in there and then have the TV show Friends playing on the television.  A nice flat screen none the less.

As we were sitting there, we made sure that we were by the window.  We had been communicating with Amy.  She had picked up Danger.  Danger use to be the "office" dog at our home office for work.  When Carly our Graphic Designer took a position with another company, she took her dog Danger with her.  Everyone misses both of them, but Amber really misses Danger.  Danger was everyone's buddy.  Danger would greet everyone at the office, try to steal your food.  Amber went nuts when Amy walked around the corner with Danger.  It was awesome to see Amber get so excited.  She yelled, it was even better to see the confused patrons as Ramon, Amy and I were laughing while Amber is playing with Danger.

This is the excited embrace as they saw each other.  Yes, the look of joy on both of their faces was awesome.  I mean how cool is that?  Carly let someone pick up her dog and let the dog surprise someone else for their birthday?  I loved it.  Really cool to be there.  Again, kudos to Ramon, Amy and Carly.  Ramon and I asked if we could move our table outside to eat with Danger.  She was reluctant but allowed us to do it.  We took the table apart, took it outside and we got set up.  We then had to again take it apart and get it back inside.  So well worth it.  It was pretty cool.

So this is our set up, OOH, another Amy sighting!  Danger couldn't take his eyes off of Amber.  Back to some about the food. The chips they served are bad out of the bag corn tortilla chips.  The salsa they serve was unreal.  It was good.  I look forward to the ratings part.  Ramon ordered guacamole, another great call and the queso fundido, umm, not bad...

Nice presentation, but its about the flavor right?  Well that was not too shabby either.  The place is good.  Not top 10 good, but good.  We went through a lot of baskets of chips.  The salsa was just so addicting, the guacamole was off the charts.  The menu was huge, it took some time to get our food ordered.  Of course, we asked what kind of tacos.  They have Oaxacan and Mexican choices of meat.  The only part I found a bit off, is they normally serve it with lettuce.  Not a fan of that, but of course we just ordered no lettuce.  Ramon, Amber and I ordered tacos, Amy got their Mole.  Great call for all.  It was good to see everything on the table.

That was Amy's Mole, yes that is an Amy hair and purse siting in the photo.  The mole was pretty good.  Let just jump to it.

RATINGS:
CHIPS: 2, they could have received a 1, but they weren't stale and they did try to keep them warm, which is a nice touch.  I think I just love the use of a popcorn maker to keep chips warm.
QUESO FUNDIDO: 2, it wasn't horrible, but so many places do it better.  Cheese coagulated pretty quick, meat was really trapped on the bottom, it was also pretty greasy.
MOLE: 3, stuff was solid, but nothing unreal.  I was surprised that it was so highly recommended by the young lady that worked there.  She insisted that it was the best that they had.  It was not bad, but I was hoping for a solid 4, maybe a surprise 5.  Rice was bland, which didn't help.  Chicken was almost on the overcooked side, but not uncommon for mole.
CHORIZO: 3, nothing special here folks.  Good, nothing to be disappointed in, but nothing to call anyone and tell them about.
CECINA: 4, I thought they did a nice job here.  It was good.  A little more cooked then I normally prefer, but I would order it again.  It was pretty good stuff.  Salted well, but not over salty.  They season this on the grill by the flavor, not marinated, and do a good job.  I clearly liked it.
TASAJO: 3, this is one of my favorite things to order, but they overcooked it.  They tend to keep things over the flame a bit long here in general, but this one was really overdone.  I was a little bit sad.
ASADA: 4, this was interesting.  Might have been one of the better asadas I've had.  It was not chewy, one of the few things that was not at all overdone.  I was very happy with the flavor and the texture.
PASTOR: 4, good stuff.  You get some of that cooked pineapple!  Yum.  The meat was seasoned well, cooked nicely.  You get an explosion of flavors which is what I'm always looking for in Pastor.
GUACAMOLE: 5, never thought I'd see that.  It was a bit chunky, definitely made to order.  It had nice cut up cilantro, onions, garlic and a good dose of citrus.  Tasted like lemon and lime.  Really good stuff.  Worth and order if you ever go by.
SALSA: 5, this was the highlight of the food.  This stuff was addicting.  I had a dream about it last night. I want to bathe in this stuff.  It was spicy, sweet, savory, salty, tasty, smile making goodness!

Great sideways shot of tacos right?  Nice presentation, maybe a bit more cilantro and onions and use of a better quality tortilla?  Yeah, that would be a victory.  

Amber was into it right?  Great shot of how we are always on the taco attack.  It was all about her and her birthday.  Amber is great.  She takes amazing care of all of her friends and is one of the best I've gotten to work with. She is kind, giving, and very intelligent.  She does so much for all of us, we really wanted to surprise her and give her a quick break from the crazy long days that she's had.  Glad Danger made it out.

Yes, Danger made her happy.  It was great to get to see him again and great that he was able to join us for lunch.  Well, Happy Birthday Amber Morales.  You really are a great friend and I'm lucky to get to call you a co-worker.  Amy and Ramon were excellent.  Very cool, very nice job making this happen.  Carly, we miss you at work and thank you for being a stealthy part of this.  Danger, you rock.  

I hope everyone enjoys this story.  It is again a testament to how it doesn't always matter what you eat, but who you eat it with.  The food was great, which is a heck of a bonus.  The journey, the story, the company, that is what really makes it awesome.  Before I go I want to thank everyone for reading, tweeting, posting and following The Order of the Taco.  It continues to take off and the friends that are in this group and the people that are on this blog are amazing and help make my life better everyday.  Before I sign off, I'd like to show you one more gratuitous Amy Chu photo:

Stay Excellent All!

Mr Taco, Roswell, GA

Yes, travels have brought me back to the Atlanta area.  I'm again up in Roswell, GA.  Again, I'm in a place that has better tacos then Houston.  Some of the guys I work with told me to check this place out.  Here's what I'm going to say, I did not want to come here after looking at the website.  It just did not look like the type of place that I belong in.  I will openly admit, I was wrong.  The menu starts with street tacos.  Yes, this put my mind at ease.  Let me tell you, it is cold here.  Damn cold.  It is a beautiful 75 degrees in Los Angeles, and I'm soaking up some of the coldest weather to hit Atlanta in the last 30 years.  I did not want to have to go somewhere else, so I'm very glad that this worked out.

See, the menu is a bit bright for my liking, but legit.  The meat choices are simple, relate-able and good.  They know to do what they know and not try to do everything, I respect that, as I'm sure everyone knows.  The chick that was working the counter was great.  She was so nice, very sweet, very patient.  She did a great job, she's not afraid to up-sell.  I thought that she was great.  My eye was staring the entire time while I was there and while I was trying to order at the salsa bar.  Yeah, it really had me excited.  I could stare at a salsa bar like that all night.

I know, I just want to clap as I look at this picture.  Everything had a cool label I should have taken photos of.  There is hot, extra hot, mild, medium, everything that you could want and need and mild salsa.  The grilled jalapenos were just so good.  I probably should not have eaten as many as I did, but it was just so good.






Sorry, I took a clapping break.  I needed to put some space there and get that deliciousness off the screen.  I had a solid workout after work tonight and don't need to destroy my hard work with eating a second dinner really only to get back to the salsa bar.  I love great salsa and this bar displayed all that they have to offer, nicely done my friends, nicely done.  Lets get to what you all want...

RATINGS:
BARBACOA: 3, clove delight.  They have beef and goat.  I ordered the goat and was not disappointed.  It was good, not over the top, but good.  Check it out if you are around, email me and tell me what you think.
CECINA: 2, yeah, this can only be described in one sound, ehh.  Wasn't solid, but it wasn't horrible.
COCHINITA: 1, ewww!  They screwed it up as much as they could.  There was tons of bones in my taco, the meat was tough and did not have much flavor.
ASADA: 3, good stuff.  Needed a touch of salt, but was good and tender.
PASTOR: 3:  balanced, good, close to a 4, but still gets blown out by some of the great places that the Order frequents.
SALSA BAR: 5, don't act surprised, you knew that was coming!
VERDE: 4, spicy, good, balanced
ROJO: 3, solid, but not unreal
JALAPENO: 3, yeah, sorry, mine is so much better
SMOKED SALSA: 3, nice, but pretty normal
JALAPENOS: 5, why doesn't every restaurant have these?

So, yes, I like the place overall.  The salsa bar got a 5 because it really had great variety and really had something for everyone.  It was clean, well kept and they didn't leave it to have a bunch of empty bowls to make you think that they were busy when they weren't.  Place is clean and nice.  You order from the counter, they bring the food.  I was kind of surprised that the place wasn't busier, but then again it was really cold and getting late.  Sun had been down for a bit and ice was forming out there.

See, looks pretty good.  They did pretty good on plate presentation.  I do not like it when there is not enough or too much cilantro and onions.  They did a great job of having the right amount.  I'm hanging in Georgia for one more day working, then heading to the next stop for a few days.  Yes, I'm staying on the East Coast.  Don't know if I'm going out Tacoteering tomorrow, but I'm thinking about it, stay tuned.

Thank you everyone for reading.  Thank you everyone who re-tweets and re-posts.  I really appreciate it.  Trying to really get the Order of the Taco out there, all the support is appreciated.  Don't hesitate to shoot me an email on thoughts of where you think I do well, where you think I'm falling short.  Just want to make this thing better and better.  Until next time, Stay Excellent All!

http://mrtacoatlanta.com

Daniel's Tacos, Sunland, CA

Have you been?  Place has been there forever.  This is a local favorite.  I've been to Daniel's many times.  More Tacographic memories then this trip.  My first time to Daniel's was a bit before I started the blog.  I called Chris Randall (original Tacoteer) and told him I'd wanted to check this place out.  Yes, it was love at first bit for us.  We loved the place.  They usually have a great little, well not so little, salsa bar set up.  Sadly on this last stop by, it was not there.  If you forgot what Chris looks like, here is his cute mug, he's really thinking about tacos in this photo:

Yeah, he's a really good looking dude and he really likes thinking about and then eating tacos.  He's also really good at eating tacos as the below evidence will show:

He can even smile when he eats.  Really talented individual.  That is the Buck Monstrosity next to him.  Another excellent Tacoteer.  But again, I digress, back to Daniel's.  Daniel's can have some long lines out the door.  People line up to eat here.  It is really good stuff.  I like just about everything that they serve.  I did not take the time to rate their salsas and like I said, my last trip they did not have the salsa bar set up.

RATINGS:
LENGUA: 4, yes, they know what they are doing, and it shows here.  Tender, delicious, nicely seasoned happiness.
ASADA: 4, hands down a 4.  Great, nicely seasoned.  Not too salty, but you can taste the salt.
PASTOR: 3, it was just ok on my last visit.  It is no Rincon Taurino when it comes to Pastor, sorry Daniel, go back to the spit and get it better, but still, not bad folks, not bad.
BUCHE: 3, not crisp enough.  It was a little sad.  It is not bad at all.  The flavor on it is pretty tasty.  A little crispier and this could rival greatest buche of all time.

So, it can be slow here.  It sometimes takes a bunch of time to get your food, which can be frustrating.  Here's the thing with Daniel's, they just do simple, great street tacos and they do them very well.  I really do recommend this place if you are looking for a good taco.  This place also has a veggie burrito which is not on the menu.  I have not had it, maybe I'll check it out during lent, but I hear that it is fantastic.

Happy New Year and welcome 2014!  The Order of the Taco is ready to eat it's way through the year one taco at a time.  Thanks for reading, re-posting and re-tweeting, Stay Excellent!