Revolutionario L.A. Foods, Los Angeles, CA

What is this food "revolution" all about?  Is it the ranting of a crazy old chef?  Is it someone trying to use strong words to entice you to come to his restaurant?  What's going on?  I had to go find out for myself.  I know Chef Zadi, that is no secret.  I've gone to street side tacos in Boyle Heights, East LA and enjoyed late night meals on the side of the street, but what is he doing on Jefferson not too far from USC inside an actual restaurant?  I was at work, doing some store visits with Amy.  She's been Tacoteering before, so you should know her.  Anyways, we decided that we were going to grab lunch and I was determined to try this place.  I've been talking about it since it opened.  I was in Saudi Arabia when the doors opened and didn't get back until a couple of weeks later.  I have been busy and not in that area as much.  Being that we were in Downtown LA and headed to Culver City, the opportunity presented itself.  As per the norm, we rocked out to some serious Elvis Radio the whole time we were driving!!

The building itself is unassuming, but don't think for a second that the tacos are.  The plain style of the building is perfect.  It is clean, nicely set-up and very welcoming.  If you look closely, you can see Amy contemplating her taco choices for the day.

What do you eat in this joint?  It says tacos, the chef, Chef Farid Zadi is of Algerian decent, born in the Rhone region France, it is in a neighborhood flooded with fried food options and quick eats.  This guy has been teaching culinary students for years.  His wife is Korean, really where are they going with this food?  What's the inspiration?  What flavors are they going for?  Many great chef's I know, including the amazing and unparalleled Yellow Chocolate, have spent time learning from Chef Zadi.  I'll show you the menu so that you can see what you think.  

Menu is interesting.  It looks like it is almost overwhelming, but it is not.  The menu has some great options but is not too much.  They stick to great stuff.  If you don't know or don't understand, this guy can cook.  He can cook really damn great.  The menu has the options of breakfast type stuff and of course the tacos, quesadillas, burritos, kids meals, it has options.  I love that they have great vegetarian options to go along with perfectly seasoned meats.  The first question is, what did I think of the food?  How did it rank?

RANKINGS:

SHAKSHOUKA: 5, this breakfast style taco combines some great flavors of slow cooked eggs, sweet peppers and tomatoes.  It is sweet, and delicious.  He knows how to cook eggs.  So many people turn the head up and don't allow the protein to properly cook, well done Chef, well done.

CILANTRO YOGURT CHICKEN: 5, this is as good as it sounds.  With the Greek Heritage I love to marinate chicken in yogurt, with my LA roots I love cilantro on everything!

CHARRED VEGGIES: 5, you just can't go wrong with this taco.  It is good stuff.  The veggies are charred just enough to extract and intensify the sugars in them, but they are not burnt at all.  They have a nice sweet flavor to them and pair perfectly, probably the best of all the tacos with the tortillas which were second to none. 

BLACK EYED PEA FALAFEL: 5, I think this is my number 2 of all of them.  This was a delightful treat.  Such a great idea and a nice treat.  The falafel was so good.  Packed with flavor, great texture as you could tell it was properly mixed but not over beaten.  There is a light spice on the end that really was the treat as far as I'm concerned.  

CHICK PEA TAGINE: 3, why was the rating lower than the rest?  It's just my taste.  This stuff was good, by far one of the more creative, for sure it was tasty, but in my humble opinion was not as knock your socks off good as the other tacos.  The moisture in this taco also ate into the delicious tortilla a little bit.  The chick peas were well cooked.  A bit al dente which gave it some nice texture.  I think that I would have liked it a little more if the peas were mashed into a hummus and spread on the tortilla.  

BEEF BRISKET: 5, this is a nice twist on a more "traditional" taco for LA.  You'll enjoy the smoky flavor and great texture on this meat.  It is something nice.  You should be expecting some greatness here, it sure did deliver when I was there.  

SMOKED LAMB: 5, this was my favorite.  Not just because I love lamb, but because there was so much flavor, so much depth and texture that is really unmatched.  There was layers of smoky flavor with subtle salt and a buttery finish that was just unreal.  I will dream about this taco.  

Stuff looks great!  His presentation is simply perfect.  He doesn't try to distract you with silliness, he doesn't try to over do it as many chefs do, he keeps it simple, perfect and focuses on the flavors, not the useless flair.  Don't misunderstand, there is attitude and style, just no unnecessary frills.  

Salsa descriptions are great.  They are accurate.  I enjoyed all of the salsas that he had, the hot is HOT!  I loved it.  It went on everything that I ate.  He has some chips set there for you to try.  These are not chips like you are use to getting, these were like chips from the heavens.  They were so delicious.  They were just perfect in every way.  Made in house, lightly salted, not over fried, but not chewy.  Like I've said, this guy knows what he's talking about.  

Great looking salsa table.  It is inviting and enticing!  We were lucky enough to have the opportunity to get there when they were slow, so we got to bring the salsa to the table, which was very helpful for my hot salsa needs.  These salsas are a compliment, not a garnish.  They are enhancing the flavor, not covering up food like salsas sometimes are.  It is a nice change of pace to what some places do.  

Yes, we had some dessert.  When the owner insists you try something, you try it.  Well I am so happy that I did!  I am not a dessert fan.  It is not something that I am looking for.  I like the spice, I like the earlier courses, not desserts.  Sweets just don't do it for me, this however was an exception.  This was an exception that I'm so glad that I made.  They were Algerian Samsas.  He makes them with cashews and serves them with blood orange jam.  I dare you to go and not try these bad boys.  They combine sweet, with savory, oh goodness! 

Have the questions been answered from earlier?  I think they have.  Chef Zadi and his family are starting a revolution.  They are taking the stand that food can be great, good for you and different.  I'm such a fan of the traditional taco, there is not hiding or denying that, I would never want to.  I will say that this place does it so similarly but different.  The business of my schedule has not given me an opportunity to sit down with Chef and discuss what he sees coming or how he views the revolution, but I can tell you that I see great things coming.  I see this restaurant as a challenge to so many others.  The Zadi family is showing us great ways to eat traditional LA foods in a slightly different way.  The more people that go here, the more people will join.  This is the kind of place that challenges your taste buds and forces you to try new things that you will want again and again.  

Thank you to all for reading.  Please go and check this joint out.  It is a one of a kind type of place.  There are a lot of great taco stands, carts, trucks, everything out there.  This one is unique.  It is not going to be what you think, I hope that I gave you enough of a glimpse to help you understand.  Please re-tweet, re-post and let people know about what is going on right by the Adam's District in Los Angeles.  This place is getting some pretty serious press, my blog is nothing impressive, but hopefully it helps reach a few more people!  If you are bored, follow me on Twitter and Instagram, I post silly stuff and tacos, tacos are the serious part, the rest is pretty crazy.  It is a great way to find out where I am and what I'm doing, cause I know all of you care...

Today's goodbye/gratuitous photo is one of those photos that I love to catch and the people in them hate.  I'm sorry, I just can't help it.  The picture is of Susan, Chef Zadi's beautiful wife.  She is always so sweet and wonderful.  She has a great smile and remembered me as soon as I walked in the door and gave me such a warm greeting.

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!

LAX Tacos, Inglewood, CA

Flying home last night all I could hear was Randy Newman, "I love LA."  Boise, I have taken your taco challenge and just missed LA more and more.  I was thinking to myself as I was coming home, why would people not fight to pick me up from the airport?  It just doesn't make sense, you know I'm going to take you Tacoteering if you pick me up.  Your call if it is somewhere tried and true or somewhere new.  Melissa picked me up last night and I had three places in mind.  We braved the streets of Inglewood, CA to get to LAX Tacos.  The serenading of Elvis Presley on XM radio made the ride all that much better.

LAX Tacos.  This place has been around for quite some time.  This is a no frills street taco serving place.  It is on the North side of Arbor Vitae Street in Inglewood, CA.  Inglewood, CA is a great city for Tacoteers to be born, yes yours truly was born in Inglewood.  I think that my taco destiny played a part.  The taco gods knew that there is many great taco places that I could hit up around there.

Here is the beautiful patio layout.  Perfect for the neighborhood and the restaurant in general.  Tables are easily cleaned and kept, they are not easy to pick up and steal, not that there is any chance of that in this neighborhood.  Parking is a bit tough, there is a plethora of night clubs in the area that take a lot of the street parking and there is not exactly a large lot that is readily available.  The decor fits the place and fits the area inside and out.  The menu is good.  I hear their burritos are great, but we just stuck to some tacos.

Not too many frills, but everything that you need for a late night taco.
RATINGS:
BIRRIA: 2, this stuff should be super tender, it was not.  It was not bad, but not great.  I just expect a delicious tender stew and this was tough.  If you cook goat to hot and too fast it tightens up!  I do like the way they serve it in the bowl with the tortillas, cilantro, onions and limes on the side, but the flavor was still lacking.
CARNITAS: 2, too tough!  Really not that great.  It was kind of chewy.  Maybe a trend of cooking on too high of a heat?
ADOBADA: 2, really greasy.  It ruined the good flavors that I think they were heading towards. Again, I found this meat to be a little bit tough.
ASADA: 4, probably the best thing that they made.  It is their top seller according to the guys working.  Not to shabby.  Good flavor, not tough and not too salty.
LENGUA: 3, textbook.  Nothing that blew me away, but nothing I was disappointed by. Flavors were good, texture on point, but nothing special about it.
BUCHE: 3, man this is so close to a 4.  I was impressed Melissa ate some.  That really threw me through a loop!  It was crispy, but not overdone, tasty but not overwhelming, like I said, I could be talked into this being a 4.

Yeah, I ordered a few tacos.  Look, I really have missed the LA taco scene.  I needed it in my life bad.  It was a warm welcome back to the land of delicious tacos that is Southern California.  It was also nice to see the family.  I have really missed them.  Poor Josh, Fo, Jess and the rest had to try to keep me as sane as I can be.  Phil left after only a few days and my sadness just grew from there.  Just a warning about the tacos, they come with some fiery hot sauce on them.  Really damn good, but hot.  It burned Melissa up!  Overall, I like the place, worth a try.

Thank you again for reading.  I really appreciate you all for reading!  Please keep telling folks.  There are many Idaho adventures that have not been read yet!  Don't miss out on all of the Tacoteering that goes on in other states!  More LA trips to come and I hit the road again soon.  Today's gratuitous photo is of my wife Melissa.  Her at LAX Taco last night Tacoteering like a late night champ because of all the flight delays.  11 years of marriage has taken her on a lot of taco trips, glad she still enjoys them.

Stay Excellent Everyone!

Burrito Box (Vending Machine), West Hollywood, CA

Oh no he didn't!  Umm...yeah, yeah he did.  I went to the future, which apparently according to this billboard is in West Hollywood.  I'll admit it, I've been wanting to try this place for a very long time.  I first heard about it from fellow Order of the Taco Tacoteer, Nate.  Don't act like you are not a little bit intrigued by this.  I've had the two addresses, yes there are two of them in my email since January.  I was finally in town, had a few minutes and was in the area to get to one of them.  The other is in Century City.  Would I be satisfied or happy if this truly was the future of burritos?  No, but I wouldn't be sad either.  Before you make a stupid comment, yes, this was a burrito adventure, not a "Taco Adventure," but the Order of the Taco cannot pass up journeys like this one.  Had to try the vending machine burrito.

Phil, one of the two chefs that I get to work with at The Counter, he's the other Ramon, was with me visiting some restaurants.  We knew that we had to shoot over to this place.  Well, we knew because I text Phil on Sunday night that we were doing some Tacoteering and that it was going to be in a burrito kiosk, vending machine, whatever you want to call this thing.  We went the Mobil station in West Hollywood on Santa Monica Blvd.  We laughed about this as we pulled up.  I'll save you some of the suspense.  There is a Hugo's Tacos across the street and I was much happier at first bite with the burrito kiosk.  Phil is a cool, collective, quiet dude.  We noticed that the empty space next to the convenient store that the kiosk is located has a burrito and a pizza kiosk that are not operational.  Seems to be their "sales office."  Anyways, we went in and approached this bad boy.

Yeah, pretty impressive.  You are reading that correctly.  It has free WiFi.  I mean come on, that is impressive.  Five options to choose from.  Vegan Veggie with Brown Rice, Steak, Chipotle Chicken, Eggs/Sausage/Cheese/Hash Brown and Egg/Bacon/Cheese/Hash Brown.  We had to do one breakfast and one other burrito.  We chose Steak and the Bacon.  They were out of the steak which was sad, we went for the Chipotle Chicken.  $3.98 a burrito.  That is after tax, not bad.  Burritos take about a minute.  Here's the only thing that I really didn't like.  While you are waiting for your burrito they subject you to a "free song."  It was different with each burrito, but both sucked.  I mean I wouldn't expect great taste like Elvis Presley, but I would hope they know that burrito and taco enthusiast have not just a refined pallet, but a keen ear as well.

Yeah, they come out piping hot!  These puppies were on fire.  Credit cards only by the way.  Anyhow, they are in wax paper and seemed to be steamed.  Like I said, takes one minute.  They are then thrown into the orange sleeve and drop out the bottom.  You can add guacamole, sour cream or tabasco for minimal monetary commitment.  We opted to try these burritos in their natural state with no enhancements.  We grabbed some water from the convenience store that this thing is in and headed outside.  They list all ingredients on the outside of the burrito, they also list the calories and ingredients on the screen prior to your purchase.  I thought that was a nice touch, I guess.

Yeah, Phil was so excited that he had to call to tell people what we were about to do.  Yes, that is Dolly.  She was out with us.  I mean, come on, it was hot but beautiful, Dolly was out and about.  It was wonderful feeling my beard flap in the warm air of Los Angeles.  That is one of the hard parts about traveling, I really miss Dolly.  When Phil got off the phone, we attacked.  We split both.  I can't rate them.  It is too much of a curve to be fair.  Here's what I'll say, I would not go to WeHo just to get one of these, but if I'm in the area, you wouldn't have to twist my arm.  I am going back, I really want to try the Steak and I want to try their guacamole.  I mean dude, it's a vending machine.  How can you not be excited to try a burrito from a vending machine, then to find out its pretty good and pretty big?  Yeah, it was good.  Size was good, very fair.  I did paste the website below if you need more info about these things.

So this was a really cool adventure.  Phil in his first of hopefully more to come blogs, Dolly made a return to the blog since she doesn't fit in my carry on to the East Coast and a vending machine burrito.  Phil and I had some fun in between the hard work and good times in the restaurants that we help run.  Thanks to Dolly and Phil for really helping make this adventure a ton of fun.

Thank you to everyone for reading, re-posting, re-tweeting, telling your friends or foes, pending about how you feel about the blog.  I remind you if you are not already, check us out on Instagram, you'll never guess the name.  Of course, I know you already guessed it, the gratuitous photo for today is of Phil in all of his burrito eating glory.  He's not just a good guy, but a damn good looking guy.  Look at that hair, am I right?

Stay Excellent!

http://tastetheburritobox.com/

Phillip's Seafood, Newark International Airport...desperation blog

This blog and it's contents are written solely out of desperation.  I am, was desperate for New Jersey to leave me with a better taco taste then my last blog that shall not be named.  I got dropped off at the airport, and was flying back to LA myself.  The trainers stayed one more day then I did.  I got through security at lightning speed.  I got up to the gate, settled in and finished writing the blog posted yesterday.  A blog of bad food, sad tummies and a sad looking Bethany.  With the hopes of redemption, an attitude of can do, I looked at the menus for both restaurants in the terminal that I was in.  One had "tacos" the other didn't.

I'm a huge fan of fish tacos.  I think that they can be some of the best tacos.  I was hoping when the restaurant is known for seafood and they have Mahi Mahi tacos on the menu that I will be in for some bit of happiness, somewhat of a treat.  I was quickly reminded that I was in New Jersey once I took my first bite.

Where do I start.  Fish tacos that come with waffle fries and a Mediterranean Salad?  Look, I already told you that I was desperate.  I told you that I was backed against a wall and the only way out was a great taco.  Like a midget at a urinal, this came up short.  I love Mediterranean Salads, I love me some waffle fries, I don't love them next to a taco.  Tacos go great with anything, if they are good tacos.  These, were not.  I feel weird even trying to rate, but what the heck.

RATINGS: 
MAHI: 2, incredibly overcooked, poorly seasoned, tough, wood like texture, uneven grill marks.
SLAW: 1, flavorless, wilted cabbage, pre-cut.
WAFFLE FRIES: 2, they were cold, had been sitting in the window
MEDITERRANEAN SALAD: 3, decent, lots of cucumbers, dressing was ok, probably closer to a two, but it was the best thing I ate.
TORTILLA: 1, I don't know what this really was, but it was bad.  Nasty, bad, paper thin, probably not made with masa, it was really bad.

There was no salsa, they did have regular Tabasco which, yeah, is good but yeah, anyways.  Needless to say, I did not finish my meal.  I almost fell out of my chair when I got the bill.  It was seriously like getting robbed.  My food even took forever, possibly longer.

I will look for tacos any and everywhere.  I want them.  But I don't like hitting a streak of tacos this bad in a row.  Tacos are just needed.  I will probably hit a truck or something here in LA today.  Will I write about it?  Probably not.  I just need to heal my taco wombs.  What got me through this meal and my last two experiences were the great trainers that I was with.  I often say it is not where you eat, but who you eat with.  They may not have been at the airport, but they got me a card and it was really nice.  They each wrote a personal goodbye and it was one of the cooler things I've gotten in a while.  I read it over and over as I sat alone in the airport.  It reminded me of the importance of great friends and the connections that can be made through openings.

What?  Did you think that I would show you what was in there?  Heck no, it is not your business, it was addressed to me.  Why did I put this sideways?  Because I wanted to.  OK, because I didn't feel like pressing the button to rotate it.  I know that it says that card has no purpose, but it did.  It was a great thing and made me crack a smile.

Oh yeah, even the bartender, I sat up at the bar SUCKED.  So anyways, don't go there.  Thanks for reading the blog, thanks for taking the time.  Look forward to telling everyone about the great experiences in Tacoteering that I'm going to find.  The photo today is of me.  Tired, ready to get back to California where the tacos are delicious.

Stay Excellent.

Tacos Lupita, Passaic, NJ...its a BURN!!!!!!!!!!

Five blogs in about a two week time period.  We had a bad start, a good middle, with some great and a really horrid ending.  This is bad.  If you haven't read one of my "burns" you need to decide if you are ready.  If you've never read an Order of the Taco Blog, this might not be your best virgin experience.  Here's the deal, I love tacos.  I get that some places are not as good as others.  I have minimal expectations for NJ.  I like the Garden State.  I like tacos.  Why can I not enjoy them together?  Because of places like this that suck more then a drunk coed.  Yeah, I went there and I'm probably going back there.  I've had to try to decompress with the magical voice of the King, Elvis Presley.  Today just hurt.  Work, yeah, it is tough.  I'm non stop, taking, pushing, working, not taking a break, loving it, but worn out like a dirty rag in your Yiayia's cupboard.  Warned you, there are going to be some references.  If you don't get them, go to my dictionary of terms used or ask your friends, if you have any.  Read past blogs, it might explain some of the references.

I often find myself telling people no matter how bad things are, you have to find one positive thing.  I will give it to you.  I will tell you now so that we can get back to the ugliness of this taco trip.  The training team for The Counter in Clifton, NJ.  Our training team did so amazing.  The trainees got better everyday and the franchisee here is a great dude.  We got great support from The Counter.  Alisha and Josh from CA, Bethany from FL, Matt from VA and Fo from GA.  You've seen their pics, you've heard their stories, they really stepped it up, especially in the last week.  They took opening a restaurant to the next level and took care of this crazy, grumpy, bald bear.  When I say they saved lives, I mean it.  I'm telling you they kept me calm, well, calm for being me...Taco Z.

Here's the menu of where we went:

Looks good right?  Not too bad.  Not like a filthy red light district, b player.  Yeah, I mean promising.  Look at the corner.  Yeah, that picture was pretty cool.  Even the women that were with us were checking it out.  Enough about the propaganda.

Lets talk about the journey to get there.  We took back roads from the restaurant that we work in.  I'm tired and grumpy like normal.  Trainers are literally falling asleep in the car as Alisha is driving us per the instruction of the GPS.  We didn't go to a restaurant, we went to a street.  We got there.  We had high hopes.  We had optimistic expectations.  We were all so positive.  We parked the car, put money in the meter.  The folks with us that don't normally go into these areas, so everyone but Josh and I, muscled through it.  We walked in and out of places and said no.  We wanted the right experience.  We walked by Taqueria Brenda Lee from a blog from last week and it was locked up tighter than Fort Knox.  We walked a few blocks, made some jokes, kept Bethany and Matt safe.  No one wanted to see those two delicate kids get hurt.

Amber, Nicole and I almost ate at Tacos Lupita the other day, but opted for Taqueria Brenda Lee instead.  Here's the thing, it didn't look like it would suck this much.  We were all tired, we were all starving.  We got in there and things just went down hill.

Josh started getting scared pretty early.  You can see by the look on his face.  The jute box would randomly kick on which was weird and was incredibly loud, but that is the kind of ambiance that I'm looking for.  The guy behind the counter was confused.  He was totally lost and he was a jerk.  I'm sorry, he is an asshole.  There should be no sugar coating or past tense when it comes to talking about this guy.  Alisha ordered a side of rice and beans three times and never got them, he couldn't figure it out.  We even explained it in Spanish, yeah, that was just as hard if not harder for him.  Fo's food was completely wrong.  He ordered pastor and got pollo.  Everyone had something wrong with their order except for Matt.  Yeah, I don't get it either.  It's not like we had complicated orders here, it was just tacos.

RATINGS:
LENGUA: 2, SUCKED
ASADA: 1, we are pretty sure that this was just cardboard with salt on it.
CARNITAS: 1, I don't know if they know what carnitas is.
PASTOR: 2, yucky
SALSA: 1, if you are going to make it this bad, please just buy something from the store and put it in a squeeze bottle, you have embarrassed yourself.

Here is what my food looked like:

We were all so sad that this was our last experience in New Jersey.  It was pretty heart breaking.  Bethany was so sad, we had to carry her to the car:

Josh is so nice.  Look at that winning smile.  What was the saving grace for our bellies?  Hot dogs.  The hotel had hot dogs and we all went back and we ate hot dogs.  So one last thing about this moron working at this place.  He could not give us a receipt.  Not a handwritten one, not a register one, he had like seven kinds of pointless retarded excuses.  He was so dumb.  I don't like him.  By the way, it was a HUGE rip off.  Way too much money.  I'm so sad for anyone that even has to walk near that place or drive by it.

Thanks for reading, please proceed near there with caution.  Thanks for the brave Tacoteers that risked themselves by going in there with me and enduring junk.  Thank you to everyone for reading, thanks for re-tweeting, re-posting.  Please don't forget to follow OrderoftheTaco on Instagram!  Live up to date pictures of tacos all over the US.  I'm at Newark Airport, so I may be done Tacoteering in New Jersey, then again, I may not be...

Today's gratuitous photo will depict how sad we all were with this taco experience and Bethany is here to show you:

Stay Excellent!

Taqueria Brenda Lee, Passaic, NJ

I've been challenged so many times, I'm beginning to wonder how I find some of these places.  So we are still in Clifton, NJ working.  In NJ for about another week and a half, probably more to come from The Garden State.  Anyways, I've had my fill of people and needed to get some tacos for the safety of all that were around me.  Done and done.  Yeah, this place is legit.  Tucked away in a neighborhood that scared the salsa out of Nikki P, was a gem.  A diamond in the rough.  Taqueria Brenda Lee.  Here is a shot of the street that it is on.

See, I don't get it either.  Why was Nikki nervous?  I just don't get it.  If you don't remember Nikki from a Florida blog, she is a friend.  A great colleague.  She is the GM for the Times Square location and though she had been Tacoteering previously, this was like the first time for her.  She looked in awe and fear as Amber and I went into attack Tacoteering mode.  Oh man I'm missing the delicious salsa.  Here is a picture of Nikki P so that you know what she looks like through the rest of this blog and forever.

I know exactly what you are thinking.  There is a bench chair from an old van behind that cute mug.  Yes, there is.  It is quite comfortable, but we'll get to the weird furniture later.  This is a true family operation.  It was great.  There was a delightful young man, probably about 4 or younger running around playing.  Dad was working.  Really neat.  We probably accounted for most of their sales for the day.  We did get a TON of tacos.  The decor is pretty neat.  The kitchen fits them so well:

So yes, those two pictures are of their kitchen.  Each side of the line.  I love it.  The restaurant almost looks abandoned when you go in there.

Why yes, that is Nikki and Amber.  You can see the entire restaurant in this picture.  Pretty neat right?  Not any wasted space, but big enough to get done what they need to.  English is not the second language in here.  They do not speak anything but Spanish. If you get turned off by that, I totally get that you don't like great tacos and you are just really missing out.  This is the right neighborhood to go Tacoteering by the way.  I mean the Order of the Taco could do a straight up full day taco walk and stay within a few blocks.  Seriously, great spot.  I was getting way too excited driving around this place.  I was like a puppy in the back seat of this rental car jumping around as I saw places.  One quick shot of Amber, in case you forgot who she is before the ratings:

Winning smile.

RATINGS:
SAUDERO: 3, good, solid.  Nothing amazing, but what you should expect. It was some good stuff.
CECINA: 2, not a huge fan.  I know that it is salted beef, but this was really heavily salted.  Also a little tougher then I think it should have been.
BISTEK: 3, nice steak redemption here.  Tasted good, well, seasoned.  I was happy with this.
BUCHE: 2, it was really just not cooked enough.  I'm a sucker for it to be crispy, but this was just not that great.  I was pretty sad.
LENGUA: 4, two thumbs up.  Amber and I were both really happy with this.  It was just good old fashioned yummy stuff.
CARNITAS: 5, HOLY CARNITAS!  This was just so good.  It was soft, flavorful, juicy, just downright delicous.  I love this stuff.  I will dream about this stuff.
SALSA: 4,  this is some of the yummiest I've had. It was a jalapeno/avocado salsa that was think, chunky, spicy and downright delicious.  I could not ask for a better salsa here.  Really happy with it.

Those are just two of the kinds that we tried, whoa.  So good. I did over order.  By more then a few tacos, but I just couldn't stop ordering.  It all looked so good.  I also really needed tacos.  It has been the tough, long opening hours and this was the cure that I needed.  For me, this was like getting more cowbell.  I just couldn't get enough and wanted more and more.

I've been told a few times lately that there is just not enough photos of me in the blog.  That people want to know what I really look like.  I feel like there are tons and that no one really wants to see what I look like.  Here's the deal, I'm not easy on the eyes.  I have opted to put a picture of me in that great van bench seat that was behind Nikki.

I know, not very impressive, but that is who I am.  Yes, I already know that I'm bald and I do love my beard, but y'all probably already know that.  That is the guy eating all these tacos.  Much less impressive then you thought huh?  I agree.  Here is where your head is at.  Wait, he ends each blog with a gratuitous photo, is this the photo?  Nope!  Every once in a while you have one of those team members.  One that really stands out.  This guy did.  He wore glasses with no lenses, pranced, yeah, a true stand out.  She would only call me boss man.  He was completely terrified of me.  She loved being in photos and Fo, our photo ninja got a great shot of him and sent it to a number of co-workers.

Thanks for reading, thanks for spreading the word, keep it going!  I want this thing out there more and more.  It entertains the heck out of me, hopefully it does the same for you.  Without further a due, Quadir:

 Stay Excellent!

Los Gueros Taqueria, East Rutherford, NJ

Alright New Jersey, we came in for round one and it was not your best showing.  I will not put readers in suspense on this one.  Was it Houston bad, no, by no means was it that bad. This is no Los Angeles, no San Diego, not California, heck, not even Virginia.  Will I go back to this place?  No.  Will I give NJ another chance?  You bet I will.  They don't have a choice, I'm coming.  This is part of the beauty of all the travels.  Different tacos, different places.  This place is a converted Baja Fresh.  They took it over and turned it into a taqueria.  They have multiple locations in the area and this is their latest addition.  Easy to see this by the design.

They brighten up some of the colors which is cool.  I do like the design.  Very inviting.  If you look closely in the back corner, I'm sure you'll know why we came here.  There was mixed things said about this location, but their other locations have glowing publicity and reviews.  I think that the biggest hurdle this location has is folks were trying to get to Baja Fresh and this joint is no Baja Fresh.  Did you see it yet?  Do you know what I'm talking about?

Winner winner, Pastor for dinner!  Yes, they pride themselves on cooking on the cone.  If you don't know, then you don't read this blog, but I'm a huge sucker for pastor.  Especially when it is done right on the cone.  The melded, marinated flavors with the sweetness being pulled straight out of the meat into your mouth, yeah, I love pastor.  Does is remind me of gyro?  Yes, of course.  It is said that pastor was first made in Central America with Lebanese workers.  After the Lebanese started making their gyro rip offs when they were working in Central America and Southern Mexico, they combined the local flavors with their style of cooking.  Pastor was born.  Yeah, I tear up just thinking about the story.  OK, back this joint.  They have a salsa bar with what they say are a variety of salsas and heat to each sauce.  Their is no variety.  Everything is hot.  You know I love hot.  I love that crazy spice.  It makes me get excited, it makes me want to go back.  This place was just hot though.  No flavor, no excitement, just really spicy.  I can eat and enjoy eating just plain peppers whether they are raw, smoked, roasted, whatever, but this was just hot.  Not enjoyable, just hot.

The picture of the place looks good, but I can assure you that there is better use for kale then garnish on a sub par salsa bar.  Their really is no reason for this.  We have evolved and realized how good and good for you kale is and it was just insulting to see it on a salsa bar.  Lets get to it.

RATINGS:
CARNITAS: 2, it was just not very good.  It was not too moist or flavorful.  I was disappointed in mostly every way.
CHULETA: 2, this just had pepper on it.  Yeah, it was not good and I really was shocked at how disappointing this was.
ASADA: 3, about as run of the mill as you can get.  It wasn't bad, but I would not go back for it.
POLLO: 3, this was pretty normal stuff.  Not too good, not too bad.  Don't get excited by that three, it is really not that great.

HORCHATA: 1, yeah, this was nasty.  It was put in a big jug and looked like it was fresh made, but I can assure you that this is not the case.  It was horrid.  If it was at least rancid I could understand, but it was just really poorly made.
SALSA BAR: 2
SPICY ROJO: 2,  it gets the two instead of a one because it was really hot, but not at all enjoyable.  That made me sad.
MOCAJETE: 2, yeah, umm...
AVOCADO: 3,  it was spicy, it was ok.  The consistency was not great.  It did not blow me away.  It wasn't bad.  Basically it was the cream of the crap.

It doesn't even look that awesome, because its not!  Dude, here is the kicker.  Here is what really got me even more pissed off.  I get my bill and see that they took off the avocado and pico which is INCLUDED!  Are you serious?  You don't just take avocado off of someone's tacos without speaking to them first.  I mean damn!  Have you no manners?  Have you no integrity?  Really chaps my hide.  This place just made me unhappy in every way, except for my company.  I was not sick, but did not feel well all night.  My stomach was unsettled and I was just miserable all night from this.  What would an Order of the Taco Blog be without a gratuitous photo?

The amazing Amber Morales!  BOOM.  One of my favorite fellow Tacoteers.  Amber is a great friend, a great colleague and a hell of a Tacoteer and trooper.  We've eaten many tacos in many places in many states.  Thanks for being there and a part of the journey of a taco life Amber.

Thanks for reading folks.  Thanks for telling people via conversation and social media.  Keep it coming, keep reading.  Really, thank you.

Stay Excellent all!