Wapo Taco, Hallandale Beach, FL

I will reiterate, if you don't already know, I don't tag pastor lightly, good or bad.  SPOILER ALERT, this is crazy good, with reason.  Do me a favor, read Yelp and then make the decision.  This is the Yelp issue.  It "can" be useful, but reality is, this place is misunderstood by non taco educated individuals.  Sorry Yelpers, but that is a fact.  I'd get into the whole story, but reality, I don't know if you can handle it.

Lets start today's story off about Emmanuel, one of the owners.  I can't help but notice a resemblance to James, one of the original members of the Order.

This guy has a great personality, a winning smile and helps make the experience all the better.  He was really quarterbacking this operation.  Here is a great photo of the team hard at work.

The menu itself is great.  Not too much, but great options.  They really stick to what their menu is and don't go for a lot of deviations, but they know what they are making and how to make it.

That is the whole deal!  Pretty sweet.  Lets talk about La Costras.  Manchengo cheese melted with meat cooked and put in there.  The then "burnt" cheese is rolled over the meat and put into a tortilla.  This is a must try.  It comes with some delicious guacamole.  They convinced me to try this and I really enjoyed it.

Tortillas are made in house.  The only thing that was tons more exciting than that is that they literally slice right off the cone into the tortillas.  

OMG, I want more right now!!!  They are seriously cutting from cone to plate, let me show you what I mean...

I literally watched them cut meat straight to the tortilla!  Over and over!  Yes, they do it.  The cut right to the tortilla.  It makes it just that much better.  Once again, some real street credit here.

Well oiled machine doing what they do!  These guys have a completely open concept kitchen so that you can see all that they are doing.  They are all working and not stopping.  The communication is excellent.  Each person does their part but in unison with the group.
RATINGS:
BISTEC: 5, holy moly. This is amazing, tender goodness.  Great stuff.  Tender, fresh, not some left over, over marinated junk that they are hoping you like, there is a plan in place and if you earned it, good for you, you are tasting some greatness.
CHORIZO: 4, this is Mexican, not Spanish like you are use to.  A bit more spicy, a little more layered in flavor depth.  Yeah, you are going to love it.  They know what they are doing with this, here is the hint, La Costras...
PASTOR de POLLO: 4, oh my goodness.  I mean, oh my goodness.  This is something tasty.  It has pineapple, it is sweet, it is pepper, it is spicy.  Yummy.  It would have been a 5, but the pork was well..
PASTOR: 5, yes, you read that correctly.  This rivals, but is totally different than Rincon Taurino.  This damn near shames Tacos el Gordo. Yeah, I too am blown away.  It caught me off guard.  I thought that it would be good, but this is so much better than I thought.  Sweet, spicy, hot, savory, it hits all of it.  You need to get there now.  Literally, right now.  OK, get up and go, it is time.
PICO: 2, please avoid and don't waste your time, it is homemade but almost tastes store bought, no bueno!
ROJO: 5, this caught me way off guard.  I did not believe I would find a 5 until I tasted this salsa.  It was unreal.  It has it all.  Get there now.  There is chiptole, there is tomatillo, there is just vegetables...yeah, go now and eat it.
VERDE: 4, they have two.  The one they give you is tasty and has avocado, the second doesn't and it is super delicious too!

Sweet looking spread, right?  Yeah, this places is so solid.  The people are even better, if you couldn't tell, than the food.  The pastor, and you know how I feel about pastor, is crazy delicious.  Salsa's are not to play with, they are amazing.  Seriously, amazing.  I think that this may have been, arguably, the best salsa that I've ever eaten in any country, state, planet, anywhere.  There is no exaggeration.

This place is a great addition to an area I come to often.  I'm very glad to have a great place to go to!  I want to say a huge thank you to the team of folks that were working on Monday night 11/24/2014 when I went into eat.  I also always have to thank the readers.  The folks that read, tell people, re-tweet, re-post and tell others.  Everyone knows that you are getting a gratuitous photo.  Today's photo depicts reality.  Judy the server, she's cute and sweet with some sass.  Francisco and Emmanuel the owners are there for business.  They are great guys, with amazing vision.  Me? Well, I look like an old Grizzly Bear there to eat and annoy the ones who are making things happen.

Stay Excellent!!!

Taqueria Mexicana Panaderia, Naples, FL

This was such a random stop.  Seriously, straight #tacodestiny.  John Moraski and I are driving from Miami to Naples.  We accidentally get off on the incorrect exit.  We are driving to where we need to go on side streets when I slam on the breaks, pop a U turn and we pull into this little parking lot.  John immediately smiles, nods his head and says "Tacoteering."  Yeah, we made it rain.  It was straight Taco Destiny!  We saw this place and I just had to go.  Not a word was spoken until he said "Tacoteering."  Dude, he was totally right.

We walk up to this inviting, appetizing and exciting window front.  How can you not go in here?  Seems legit, right?  It always makes me laugh seeing myself in the reflections of the pictures that I take.

We were heavy in conversations of Business Development for The Counter.  How do we grow the business that we are lucky enough to be a part of?  How do we push it all forward.  This conversation then got better.  How?  Because it was now over tacos.  Tacos makes everything better.

Menu is pretty simple.  Very easy to read, I dig it.  They have a good enough variety without being too much.  They stick to what they know.  I was pretty psyched to see barbacoa on the menu.  These guys keep it simple and flavorful.

The restaurant itself was pretty simple.  The TV might have been my favorite part.  They had H2 channel on and we got to watch an episode of Ancient Aliens while we ate.  The guy that was working there was awesome, personable, talkative, just a really nice guy.  He took our order, cooked it, and brought it to us.  He was a true one stop shop.  The restaurant itself has three types of chairs.  That made it kind of nice.  I got to pick the style of chair that was most comfortable to me.
RATINGS:
PASTOR: 4, this is about as good as it gets not being on a cone.  The marinade was great.  Heavy pineapple flavor, but real pineapple, not syrup tasting junk.
ASADA: 3, solid, good flavor, but nothing special about it as a standout.  It was not overcooked or tough, just a solid showing of beef.
POLLO: 2, so this was by far the worst showing of the day.  Not very tasty, not very impressive in any way, shape or form.  Don't order it.
CARNITAS: 3, nothing that blew me away, but I'd probably get it again.  They stuck to the basics on this one.
BARBACOA: 4, this goodness was packed with solid flavor of clove, a hint of nutmeg and had a great light salt on it.  I liked it and think you should check it out.
SALSA: 3, pretty basic pepper salsa.  I liked it, went great with their food, nice kick to it.

Nice looking spread, right?  I was happy with it.  John and I did attack this stuff shortly after the picture was taken.  Place does sell some Mexican beers, we stuck to water and tacos, but if that is what you are looking for, they can deliver.  The tortillas were great.  Not home made, but really good.  They were soft and tasty.  They held up to the meat nicely and didn't fall apart.  If you look at the ratings of this place, they know how to marinate!  For sure go after those for nice, layered and complex flavors.

This truly was a story of Taco Destiny.  We just happened to catch the place and won with a great meal.  John and I had some great adventures, compelling conversations, so you are stuck with a picture of him and I for today's goodbye gratuitous photo!  Please keep telling people, reading and eating tacos!

Stay Excellent!

MJ Korean Tacos & Wings, Duluth, GA

The glow says it all about this joint.  I'll save you the suspense, this was a treat.  I was not shocked, but pretty surprised at the taco excellence that I was a part of tonight.  John, new to the blog, Fo, a regular, and I were out and about working a great long day here in Georgia.  We were in the restaurant most of the day, but left The Counter in Roswell to do some Business Development and Field Marketing.  Interestingly enough we were discussing an important part of our business growth, Encore Experiences.  As I look up, I see this street.

Had to snap a blurry photo of the sign.  It played well into our work conversation.  We had some productive and successful work conversations, but we were on a mission to get some tacos to wrap up the day and relish in a bit of success.  We of course were enjoying Elvis Presley Radio.  MJ's came on recommendation from one of Fo's regulars.  We got there, walked in and grabbed a table.

The place is a bit unassuming.  Simple, but eloquent, nice, but casual.  The restaurant was not too big. They got a space that they can fill without putting people on ridiculous waits.  Chairs were comfortable, the tables were nice.  The folks working there are great.  They were so nice and worked the restaurant together.  It didn't feel like we had just one server.  The teamwork was amazing and both girls were very sweet and knowledgeable.

Pretty cool menu, I didn't mind the glare because it just blocked out the not tacos.  If you really want the whole menu, go to the website, I attached the link.  Heed my warning, the pictures on their website will make you very hungry.  The menu is good.  It is affordable too.  Their portions are monstrous.  They are a really fair with the value.

Yeah, check out those nachos.  It is not a pile of lettuce.  The lettuce is thinly shredded, there was a ton of Spicy Chicken below.  I requested extra jalapenos and they really came through.  It was awesome.  I really appreciate a place that is fair, they are.  I will admit that, that entire plate, was crushed along with a bunch of tacos.  Side note about the food before we rank...I wasn't dying of thirst.  I had a fear as many Korean BBQ places are full of sodium.  This place did not make us feel weighed down.  We did not have pound glass of water after glass of water.  OK, here we go:
RATINGS:
NACHOS: 5, these bad boys were good.  They had lettuce, but it is not as overwhelming as it looks.  The Spicy Chicken was chopped a bit extra on the nachos, almost like ground beef, which made it easier to eat on the chips.  The cheese was not overwhelming, but was there.
SPICY CHICKEN: 3, we're already talking about the chicken, so why not.  It was great, it was different, but we have to put all on as even playing field as possible.  Sweet flavors, nice subtle kick, could have been a bit more tender to get that 4.
SPICY PORK: 3, here's the deal, it was really tasty.  I have to compare it to adobada and pastor.  I know, it's different, but its not.  This is good stuff I would order next time for sure.
FRIED MASH POTATO: 4, yeah, that is a slam dunk.  It was really good stuff.  It was so soft and hot on the inside.  These tacos were great.  Nicely done taking a regular item, putting a twist on it and making this delicious treat happen.
PANKO FISH: 3, this is a thin piece of fish, heavy Panko Breading and fried right up.  It was good, I'm really glad that Fo insisted we try it.
STEAK: 5, this blew my socks off.  It was spicy, it was sweet, it was perfectly cooked.  I mean perfectly.  I don't know how they could have done this better.  Slight ginger flavor?  Really put this taco over the top.  The guys and I really fell in love here.
KIMCHI: 4, they offer Kimchi on any taco for an extra $.50.  We opted for some on the side and if you like Kimchi, you need to get this.  It went really well with the fried mash potato and well, everything else.  Made in house for sure, check it out.

Looks are a bit deceiving.  Not as much lettuce as you think.  The lettuce is also tossed on some of the tacos with some of their sauces and it is a great crisp compliment to the food.  I have to say I was psyched to see both regular and extra hot Valentina's on every table, yes, it was used to enhance the meal.  The sauce that they put on the tacos was so good.  Sweet, a bit savory.  They know how to compliment each protein with the correct flavors.  A place dedicated to Korean Tacos, is worth stopping at, seriously, think about it.

A huge thank you to John Moraski for joining this blog and of course it was excellent to get Fo back in the mix.  Fo always makes this thing better and I'm looking forward to some Tacoteering in Jersey with him soon.  Thank you to everyone who's reading.  Please keep spreading the word about the Order of the Taco.  Today's gratuitous photo is of John Moraski, Fo and Miriam.  Miriam was one of the lovely folks that were working there and we asked her to join us as these guys were scarfing down some excellent food!

Stay Excellent!

Villalobos, Montclair, NJ

Let me start by saying that you know I don't like to go into these trendy, more expensive taco joints.  I remind you that I am usually upset by spending more then $2 on a taco.  Every once in a while, a place is different.  A place stands out.  A place is very worth going to, and enjoying.  Let me say that value, is a word I would use to describe this place, and most tacos are $5.  Villalobos, I want you to know, I will be back.  I want to say that the service was second to none, the atmosphere was spot on and the tacos, well, we can wait for the ratings, but they were delicious.

This is the badass decor that you can come to expect.  Seasonal, cool, edgy.  I really loved it.  It is right at the counter when you walk in.  Oh, the hostess stand, yeah, they are there to greet you.  Then don't stand behind some podium and point you in a direction, they are there to welcome you and guide you.  They have a plan on where you are going to sit and they are all over it.

Kitchen was fast and hard at it the whole time.  It is a completely opened kitchen and they have no problem letting you see them rock out some delicious food in a very efficient, timely manner.  Yeah, it was great to see.  Everyone in the kitchen made eye contact with the patrons, they were all smiling, communicating well and seemed to be having a great time being there, and I don't know how they couldn't enjoy being a part of such a well oiled machine.  The owners were there, involved and seemed to genuinely care about each team member that they had as much as each guest in the building.

The Chalkboard Revolution.  I'm such a fan.  Put a chalkboard up and let your guests know what is going on in the restaurant.  It is such a cool thing.  It really is.  I think that it is something that we are all use to from school, it is easy to read, easy to change.  This one is awesome.  Simple, well laid out and to the point!  I love the picture of the wolf howling in the background and on the chalkboard, I really think it makes the place look even cooler.

I'll begin to tell the story.  I got to the restaurant and parked in the parking structure.  A very sweet lady, yes she was cute, was getting into the elevator at the same time.  She had her hands full with a diaper bag and a nine month old who I later found out is named Jack.  She asked me to press the button to get us to the bottom floor.  Being the extra nice guy that I am, I did.  We got off the elevator and she got her heal stuck.  I was there, helped her prior to her hitting the ground and we then found out that we were both headed to the same restaurant to meet friends.   Not the same friends, she was meeting her friends, I was meeting a friend.

When we walked in, it was very difficult to explain to the hostess that this lady and I were not there together as we were both the first in their party.  She got sat, I stayed and waited for my friend.  When he walked in, he knew darn near everyone in there.   It was pretty cool.  We sat down and went through the menu above.  Great menu.  Well laid out, and that is everything that they serve aside from water.

They start you off with these two delicious salsas and chips.  The chips were great.  The presentation was so excellent.  The salsa rankings will be below.  These came out pretty quick.  They were traditionally different, which made this place pretty cool.

Yeah, I could not, not try this.  Villalobos Guacamole.  Sea Urchin Guacamole.  Pretty interesting stuff.  There was a lot of depth to this stuff.  An interesting complexity that was not fishy.  The smoked tomatillos were such a nice touch and really gave it the sweetness that it needed to push it over the edge.  What a different starter.  This may not be for everyone, but it is worth trying, for the record, it is for me.
RATINGS:
AL PASTOR de POLLO: 5, Yeah, this was crazy.  So good, but it made me a little sad.  I really wanted it with pork.  The pineapple was umm, yeah, the aciote was, umm, I can't talk about this without going crazy and wanting more.  Go and try it.
LENGUA: 3, this was really textbook.  It was not a standout in my mind in anyway whatsoever.  It was tender, it was good, it had a slight crisp, but I'm a lengua fanatic and this was good, but not amazing or above the average.
PULPO ASADO: 4, Octopus, yeah I'm going to order it.  It was tender, but could have been a little more tender to be a 5, but this was close.  It was sweet and great.  Nicely done here.
CARNITAS: 2, the only disappointment of the night.  Let me tell you that it was not horrible, but I did not find it very good.  I went back and read the description on the menu but after I took my first bite, I was sad because it tasted like Coke.  If you are into Coke, this is your stuff, but I'm not much of a big soda fan.
VERDURAS: 4, So this has poblano peppers, corn and mushrooms.  I did think it was a bit too much mushrooms, but they were so good that I had to give it a 4.  The flavors were well blended and you almost thought that you were eating meat.  Really good.
ASADA: 5, This asada is a one of a kind.  Oh, and it is HOT!  It was so delicious.  I've been talking to my self since I left asking me if this was my favorite.
CHORIZO y PAPAS: 3, this came highly recommended.  What I loved most is that they make their own chips, I think, and top the chorizo taco with them.  The chips are small, I mean small in diameter chips that are thinly shaved and they are fantastic.  A very nice crunch and texture with good flavors.  To be honest, the chorizo was good, but not as amazing as many of the other things that they create.
CAMARONES: 5, this was again a one of a kind for shrimp.  It was sauteed, for sure not overdone or tough.  Flavors were light and great.
SCALLOPS: 5, brussel sprouts?  I hate brussel sprouts, but I loved this taco and they were good, I'll admit, I liked these.  I've tried them with bacon, other vegetables, steamed, fried, stewed, always disliked them, until this dish.  The tortilla was hot and cheesy.  Really a nice special for them to run and recommend that you don't miss out if this bad boy is on the chalkboard.
PESCADO: 4, fried fish tacos that are really worth eating.  They were fried, but tasted like real fish, not fishy, but they had great texture and flavor.
RED SALSA: 4, sweet and spicy.  A great balance that was tasty and the more that I ate it, the more that I liked it.
TOMATILLO SALSA: 5, this was so complex and so layered with flavor.  It was sweet, but had some real depth to the flavor.  It was unlike a tomatillo sauce that I've tasted, clearly, very impressed.

What a spread!  Clearly this is some of the highest ratings across the board.  This place is great.  My friend and I cut every taco in half and we were very full and obviously very far from disappointed.  The music was cool, the vibe was great.  The demographics were all over the place.  Every age, everything, point being, this place has appeal for every age.  It looks almost more expensive than it is.  It was really affordable and worth every penny.  I expected our bill for 10 tacos, the guacamole to be much more than it was.  The people working there were really fantastic and it capped the meal right off.

Thank you to everyone for reading and for following.  Please continue to tell everyone and to tell your friends.  Today's goodbye, gratuitous photo is of the two geniuses behind this machine.  Adam and VJ.  There could not be two cooler guys that could come together and make such an amazing experience.  The food, the service, the ambiance, the whole thing was brought together nicely.

STAY EXCELLENT!!!