Tacos Al Carbon, Lake Worth, FL

What a great message for kids to hear.  I mean, is there anything that rings more true?  Is this from Confucius?  Socrates?  Plato?  Sadly, the tacos are not as good here as the sign is.  This place came so highly recommended by so many folks that we ran into.  Here's the back story.  The people of West Palm Beach have been duped.  These guys started with a truck, it grew into a covered tent in front of the truck and then it broke my heart.

This is the original, this is what you walk up to after parking in a dirt parking lot.  Ya know, it's so sad, the dirt parking lot, looking at this when you get out of that rental car gets you excited.  I mean, the place shows some serious promise.

They had some other stuff, but this is the tacos, the important part.  Someone in our outfit tried the nachos and it was the Smart and Final nacho cheese.  There were just some interesting things that this truck does.  Really, I think that they might have been better, but seem to have lost their way.

Here are some upgrades to the menu.  I love the up-selling approach in restaurants, but think this one leaves much to be desired.  I'm sure that you can better use a piece of paper and maybe make the upgrades sound a bit more appealing.

Here's the crew ordering.  They are so funny and excited.  It is great to see Tacoteers in their element.

This is the water station.  I went for the watermelon and it was just OK.  Really nothing too tasty or delicious.  It made me sad thinking about places in Miami, not too far away, and El Placio de los Jugos, or many of the amazing places in California.
RATINGS:
BARBACOA: 2, being that this is the only truly identifiable "meat" I gave it a 3.  It was OK for barbacoa, oh heck, I'm trying to hard, just changed it to a 2 like it deserves.
CHICHARRON: 2, well, this soft, tasteless delight.  I can't make it sound OK, sorry, not good.
PASTOR, BISTEK, ASADA, CARNITAS, FAJITA:  1, what the heck?????  So Josh and I make sure that we are trying everything.  Well, all of these were the same.  The individual working there tried to explain to me which one was which, but they all tasted the same.  There was some slight variations in how they looked, but really?  You can't diversify enough to give people a meal, an experience, an option?  Just put "Beef Like and Pork Like" on the menu and stop deceiving people.  You are not impressing me or anyone else.  This was like a sick joke or a prank that went way too far!  Knock it off and make some tacos.

I think back to the opening photo and I've never been the one to do drugs, I'll tell you that the deceit of this place made me feel like I was on drugs.  What is wrong with them?  I was getting teary eyed trying to wonder how someone could do this to taco lovers everywhere.  I was then more concerned that people were showing up for it.  Look at this photo, can you tell them apart?  Of course you can't.  Those jalapenos were extra???  Insanity!  Lets take this a step further, everything for them is not onions and cilantro, they want to throw cheese and tomatoes on everything!  Gee, what you covering up steak central???  Your tortillas are too thick and chewy and all the meat tastes the same.  Damn I'm still fired up about this and this was three countries and a week ago.  I'm fine with cheese on a taco if your place fits it.  For example, Tito's in Culver City, that makes sense.  This does NOT!

I tried to take a step back and I look at this picture and am reminded, it's not what or where you eat but who you eat with.  I'm on a long, crazy trip and I do miss the family, but this crew was pretty great to dine with.  Amberlin is on the far end with her cool pink hair.  Cyle, yes, he misspells it that way is next to her and y'all know Fo.  Said goodbye to Fo the other day when I left Florida.  It was tough, really going to miss that guy.  I love and appreciate Fo and all of the adventures that we've had.  His haircut sucks here, but Josh fixed it a night later.  On the other end is Cathy she wanted to avoid the camera.  Next to her is Delaney.  She is another new one to the blog with Amberlin and Cyle.  Josh is of course on the end and beginning and the real end of this blog.

New Tacoteers are always fun.  It is great to see them try to get their taco footing.  I do wish that I had more time to groom these folks in the way and get them to try new tacos and enjoy the taco experiences that are out there.  It is like teaching a kid how to walk, pretty fun stuff with great rewards of pride and happiness.  I remember just a few weeks ago watching Cassie order.  She even got the good stuff, not just Asada and Pollo.  I'm getting teary eyed with happiness thinking back with my Tacographic Memory.

Special thanks to the three new Tacoteers in this blog.  I hope that everyone enjoyed this read and is out there eating tacos somewhere.  Please keep reading, telling people and eating tacos.  Next blog will be about Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.  Eat tacos and have a great day.  If you are in California, please go eat a taco for me.  Post it, tag Order of the Taco.  I miss California tacos and California Tacoteering.

Today's goodbye/gratuitous photo is the way this blog started, with Josh and me.  We are posing in front of the Palm Beach Gardens Mall.  We were doing our last domestic opening together.  Somehow this journey continues for me, Josh and I are doing Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with our man JJ, then we head straight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to open their second location.  Lucky to have such a great friend when traveling like this.  It also just feels right to finish the blog with the same two guys that appear in the opening picture.

Stay Excellent!

Rocco's Tacos And Tequila Bar, West Palm Beach, FL

A few wrong turns on a night when we were all exhausted brought us to Rocco's for dinner.  This beautiful photo is of one of first sights you will see when you walk in.  On of the best parts about Rocco's, dim lighting, worst part, damn it was loud.  I know they are attracting that young, crazy, party crowd but man it was loud in there.

Pretty dark and cool inside.  I really dig the ambiance.  They hit their crowd in a great way.  Our server wasn't good, he was 10 steps beyond amazing.  I watched the service around us and have to say that the service was pretty amazing.  The basketball playoffs were on and all the employees were watching but it didn't distract them from their job.  I'll tell you, I love it!  I wish they could have actually watched more.

Up towards the ceiling of the bar, this is what you see.  Like I said, ambiance here is killer great.  They make it fun, cool, hip but not stupid and cheesy.

So this chalkboard was the second hottest thing in the building after Josh (pic to come later).  Pretty sweet deal and the team members there sold it.  They really told us how awesome the taco deal was.  It was totally worth it and if I ever wander back to this joint again, I'm going to have the same thing, yes I'll wait to go back on a Tuesday, if I ever go back.

As promised a picture of Josh in all of his hotness.  Look at his command of that plate.  Look at the power he wields while he holds tacos.  It is beyond impressive.
RATINGS:
MOLIDA (GROUND BEEF): 3, a far cry from Taco Bell ground beef.  It is well seasoned and tasty.
COCHINTAS ACHIOTE: 3, this is some decent stuff.  Worth a try if you are doing the Taco Tuesday deal.
CAMARONES: 3, these weren't too bad.  If I had to rate all the threes, this was the tallest of the short stack.  Good seasoning, not over cooked and not rubbery.
ASADA: 3, This was some decent stuff.  Wasn't excited, but I sure didn't lose sleep over it.
POLLO: 3, this is pretty standard chicken inside of a tortilla.  It did not excite me.
CHORIZO: 2, I don't know what happened here, but it is probably a one and I'm probably being too nice.  This was not good stuff.
PESCADO: 2, dude, you're in Florida, get better fish and prepare it better.
HONGOS: 3, mushroom tacos.  Thought they'd be a little better, but I admire the creativity.  They needed a little more flavor.
CHIPS: 4, these were some of the best chips that I've eaten.  Don't know if they make them in house, but they sure taste like they are made in house!  They were fantastic.
SALSA: 1, yeah, I am going to let your mind wander with this sad excuse for a score.  EWW!
GUACAMOLE: 5, this table side treat brought tears to my eyes.  I was skeptical that it was worth the price, but it was worth more.  I think that angels started singing when I took my first bite.

They look more impressive then they really were.  I can't say enough, A+ on the creativity and appealing to the market.  The service in this place was second to none.  They were all nice guys and gals, they all worked their tails off as one unit.  The place is well managed and a great fit for where it is, however, for the true, faithful Tacoteers out there, I would say that this might not be the stop that you are looking to make.  I want to reiterate, the food is not bad, just not the kind of tacos that we are after in our adventures.  This fits the area and it fits the place.  I am still sad there is no corn tortillas here!

Look at these guys making the guacamole.  Let me say, this is the best guacamole I've had.  I am a guacamole fiend and it is worth going in there just for the guacamole.  It was flavorful, spicy, rich with citrus and sodium.  They really have mastered the art of guacamole and it is worth every penny that was paid for it.  Ya know, if I were to go back in time with Doc Brown, I might get just the guacamole and forgo everything else.

Yeah, looks tasty on that chip doesn't it?  They make it right in front of you, so if you want to turn the heat up, they do it with these delicious jalapeno's that they let me have on the side so that I could turn the heat up on all that I was eating on the table.

Man a plate of jalapeno's like that really turn me on.  They look as delicious as they tasted.  Just to waste a moment of your time, here is their menu, well, their tacos:

A great big thanks to the new Tacoteers that went on this trip and are unnamed until the next adventure I need to catch up on.  Sorry, been crazy busy and traveling a ton.  I'm actually writing this in Riyadh and already went on an adventure out here with Josh and JJ today.  Please keep reading and please keep eating tacos!

Today's goodbye/gratuitous photo is me with my beard purple.  I told the trainees that if 90% of them passed their test on the first try I would dye my beard purple.  I never thought it would happen, but kept my word.  Thank goodness it was back to black and white by the time I got to Riyadh!

Stay Excellent!

Taqueria La Hacienda, Phoenix, AZ

This is what it looked like when we got out of the car.  Bright lights, a truck, people lining up and now insert some true Tacoteers.

We walked up like normal people, well, all of us except for Diane who was really excited.  This place is unique.  The cover was not built for the taco truck, but fits pretty darn well.  tables are lined up, chairs were some of the worst folding chairs I've been in, but oh well, we didn't go for the chairs.  I know what you are wondering, who is that strikingly handsome man standing next to Diane?  Let me introduce you to Jimbo.  Jim is the VP of Operations for one of the franchisees and he is one heck of a dude.  One of the nicest, genuine, knowledgeable people I've had the pleasure of working with.  Roxy looks lost, JJ looks scared and the other dude looks stoned in his tie-die shirt.  I don't know him, even if I did, I'd make sure to forget him.

Look at the excitement of Big Jim and Yellow Chocolate.  I can't say what Phil is laughing at, but I'm happy that he is happy.  Jim was a champ on his first Tacoteering adventure.  I will say that he traveled quite a distance to go for tacos with us.  He lives in Anchorage, Alaska.  He must really like tacos because I think the only reason that he came to AZ was to go Tacoteering with us.

There is the menu.  Yes, that's the whole thing, and you know I'm digging it.  Keeping it real, keeping it simple.  Place is set-up nicely to execute a fabulous menu like this.  Here is how it has been recived by our team:

Cassie couldn't stop chowing down.  Nicole had to make a hair appointment.

Diane and Roxy are mouthful eating and Phil is clearly judging them.

Now Diane is talking with her mouthful to Phil and Roxy is still eating.

I didn't want to embarrass JJ anymore than he already is embarrassed on this trip.  I mean, who wears a Giants hat?  Sad...This is the picture of JJ that you get, for now at least.

So, what's everyone eating?
RATINGS:
TRIPA: 3, I love me some tripa.  This stuff wasn't too shabby.  It was left in pretty big pieces which I'm great with, would have liked a little more char, slightly more cooking with this one would have pushed it over the edge to that coveted 4.
CHICHARRON: 1, eww.  It was just burnt, nasty burnt pieces of meat, if it was meat.  It tasted like carbon it was so burnt.  Don't order it unless you like to eat things that suck.
BUCHE: 4, this won me over.  Tasty, tasty stuff.  Flavors were on point, presentation was good.  I have no complaints.  It was cooked pretty well, but wasn't overdone.  It has a nice salty flavor to it with some subtle pepper flavor on there.
CABEZA: 3, this was not too bad.  It was good, not slimy or under cooked, not crispy or burnt.  The lack of seasoning hurt them, but a little salt and salsa did the trick.
LENGUA: 3, this is a buy the book lengua.  Not shredded, but small pieces, good flavor, pretty salty, but not over salted.  Worth trying, I'd stick happily with this if I was a lengua beginner.
ASADA: 3, textbook stuff here.  They did nothing different from the basics that you would expect in the asada realm.
PASTOR: 3, this made me homesick for real pastor.  I mean the good stuff that I rarely find outside of Southern California.  It was fine, nothing bad, nothing to complain about, but it didn't blow my mind, and I love it when pastor does this.
CERVICHE: 2, maybe I'm a cerviche snob, but this was unimpressive.  It didn't have the flavor, texture or depth.
SALSAS: 3, this was basic average stuff.  Nothing amazing, nothing that was bad.  It was some fairly bland flavors, not spicy enough, but not bad.

CERVICHE TIME!

That's the spread right there.  Those serranos were so delicious.  They really might have been my favorite part.  Tortillas at this place were good.  A bit tough, but not bad.  They stood up well to all of the meats, but could have had a sweeter flavor.  I would say to check this place out if you are in the area.  The ambiance is pretty great.  The food is not too shabby.  If I find myself in the area soon, I'll probably go back unless I get lured away by some gorgeous tacos from somewhere else.

This is our group eating together.  It was great to break tortillas with these guys.  I've done a lot of openings over the last few years and there are a few on here that I've gotten to do a few openings with.  It was great to get them in the blog one more time.  Nicole is in two blogs in a row, so is Phil, but that's fairly common for Yellow Chocolate.  I do love having a first timer in Jim and am glad that JJ is back in the blog.  He's a hell of a Tacoteer, friend and traveling buddy.

This is a blurry picture of the moon.  I put this on here for no reason at all.

Special thanks to the training team.  The fact that they continue to indulge me on these taco adventures means a tremendous amount to me and it is going to be something I'm really going to miss with the possible changes coming up in my life.  Thank you to Jim for joining the blog and Nicole for being two in a row!  As always thanks to everyone for reading, posting, re-posting, re-tweeting and telling their friends.

Today's gratuitous/goodbye photo is of Nicole and Yellow Chocolate.  These two have been part of the Home Office team for a little over a year and I've had the pleasure of being on their team.  They are amazing friends that I love and respect so much.  Their talents, hard work and dedication to the greater good is beyond awesome.  Getting to have the two of them with me on the first half of this final long trip is pretty special.  The photo is of them after the tacos.  They went to BK to get some soft serve.  I went for the walk and entertainment.  A true reminder it's not what or where you are eating, but who you are eating with.

Stay Excellent!

Corner of N Soto and Alcazar, East Los Angeles, California

"True love is your soul's recognition of its counterpoint in another."  How about a shout out to the movie Wedding Crashers for predicting the Tacoteering adventure that I got to be a part of in East LA the other night?  Damn, they nailed it on this one.  That cone alone proves that true love does exist.  That cone was, well part of the tastiness.  I can't help it, I can't fight this feeling, I have to show you another beauty already...

OMG!  I'm freaking out just trying to write this thing.  This place was that good.  No, is that good.  I have not been able to stop talking about this place, I mean, yeah, it was that righteous.  Enough is enough, lets start the story, so you know how we got here, why we got here, aside from taco love, and let you know how all of this went down, you will then see the ratings, wrap up and goodbye/gratuitous photo.  

This is a well fed cast.  Everyone knows Josh, Nicole is the girl next to him, I'm obviously the large, bald, bearded Tacoteer in the middle.  That hot guy next to me is Yellow Chocolate, who everyone should know by now, then Amelia is sporting that big smile that she takes everywhere and I'm telling you, I don't think it ever leaves her face.  

Meet the two first timers.  Amelia and Nicole.  See the excitement for just the horchata.  That isn't even the tacos yet.  I'm a lucky dude to work with these two crazy gals.  They are two great people who can always bring a smile to your face and they are strong willed enough to endure watching Big Hungry eat all day when she is in the office.  They really are talented great people and I'm so full of joyfulness to have them as friends.  Anyways, they have been on me about us all going Tacoteering.  I mean, you know I always want to.  We made these plans a couple of weeks ago, confirmed last week.  A few days before, they wanted to go and they wanted a place with margaritas.  I was down.  I have been wanting to do a write up on El Cholo for sometime, so that was going to work out just fine.  I was on the phone with them early in the day as I was training for a new restaurant opening at LAX and they said they were ready to ditch the margaritas and wanted a real, true Tacoteering experience.  I was so happy that I did the dance of joy from Perfect Strangers.  Sadly, no one did it with me, so I looked even more ridiculous.  I was excited to see what kind of Tacoteers my friends would be, and they sure did not disappoint. 

How did we get to our destination?  The van.  We carjacked Melissa's van right from the front yard and drove the Silver Sled to taco bliss.

This place powers it up in a very cool way.  These guys kicked it old school on this night keeping the place lit from the car.  They are all over it and made sure that the place was very inviting.  

When we got there, they were still setting up.  They did a pretty amazing job getting set-up so fast.  While we wait for them to set-up, let me tell you a bit more about them.  So, I have heard of these guys.  They are like semi-underground in the taco community.  They have a Facebook page, but it doesn't always seem to be up, which is honestly really cool.  I have attached the link to the blog.  Worth checking out.  I wanted to go here.  I've been waiting for the right time.  When the girls said they wanted somewhere different and cool, this was the only place on my mind.  I was a bit nervous that they wouldn't be there, it was rainy and they don't really have "hours of operation."  Anyhow, we decided to go and I told the girls I'd get them from the office.  I was obviously even extra psyched that Phil and Josh were going but was bummed some other folks, like Big Hungry didn't make it.  She was working out with her new trainer to bulk up.  

Oh good, they are set-up now.  So, they are on the corner of North Soto and Alcazar.  Often they are across the street from where they were on this evening.  It amazed me how much meat is coming off that tiny grill.  These guys work their tails off.  We also noticed that they enjoy a quick burrito if the line sort of dies off.  Aside from the gill, there is the cone that is pictured in the beginning and the large pot with the meats staying nice and hot stewing in their juices.  They don't just do a great job of flavoring and seasoning, but also of keeping the food hot, fresh and continuing the marinating, flavor process.  

The creation of their mulitas.  These little mules were pretty amazing.  I did not partake as I had for sure had my fill, but I can assure you that my next trip will include one of these.  They looked amazing.  Nicole scarfed one, but who could blame her?  They kept that grill hot and made sure those tortillas were a bit crispy.  Just another great option to showcase the diversity of these guys.  

Ahh, the final product in all of it's glory.  Looks righteous, doesn't it?  Please don't try to call this a quesadilla, you are embarrassing yourself, frustrating me and offending the food itself. 

RECORD, most pictures I've ever put in a row on this blog without my whimsical dialogue!  Look how sad she is that she is down to only one more taco at the end.  You can see the happiness exuding from her from the beginning through the first few, then you see the sadness when she only has one taco left.  
BUCHE: 5, where do I begin?  What do I say.  This was delicious.  Some of the best that I've had ever.  It was so good, texture on point, a bit of a bite to it.  Not slimy or under cooked.
SUADERO: 5, I mean, this thing reads pretty similar to the buche.  Really nice stuff here.  This was served so hot and man was it good.
ASADA: 4, slightly above average here.  It was good.  Really subtle flavors, great texture.  Cooked, but not overcooked, hard or chewy.  Really enjoyable.  
LENGUA: 5, holy guacamole this was some good stuff.  It is all that lengua should be with texture and flavor.  They will cut it right in front of you, so if you can't handle that, look away right after you order it.  It is in small pieces, then just shred and melts right into your hot, delicious tortilla.  
TRIPA: 5, write this down, people, best tripas I've ever had.  Yes, you read this correctly, best tripa I've ever had.  It was so good.  It has a slight kick to it, it is seasoned perfectly, it is soft on the inside with a nice sear from the grill.  You will be forced to enjoy this if you put it in your mouth.  If you've wanted to try tripa but you weren't sure if you would love it, this is the place to try it.  Both Josh and I commented immediately from tasting this candy-like treat.  This was my favorite of the protein choices that I sampled on this adventure. 
PASTOR: 5, this ranks with the best.  Put it in the hall of fame.  This is RT good.  This is Tacos el Gordo yummy.  Yeah, aciote, pineapple, clove, chili powder in a symphony of flavors that really made my day.  I want people to go and try this.  I want people to get excited and enjoy this.  You will be happy, you will thank me.  I know I said the tripa was my favorite, this one is tied with it.  I did go back and have a second of one taco, it was this one.  I had to see if it was as good as I thought, it might have been better.  Please try for your tasting pleasure.  
CABEZA: 5, I just love cabeza.  I go nuts for great cabeza, and this was it.  It has become one of my favorite choices when I'm tacoteering.  Problem is so many places it is slimy and lacks the enjoyable texture.  This place was right on point, yes, right on point.  
POLLO: 4, I stole a piece right out of Amelia's taco.  It was good.  Nice flavor, nice texture.  Why is it above a 3?  The flavor was consistent with the rest of the meats, out of this world.  Really nice flavoring on this chicken, you will be pleased.  
HORCHATA: 5, never would have thought I'd rate horchata, but this was creamy goodness.  I think it is a bit more milk than most, and man is it yummy!  It was a great wash down from the delicious tacos.  I shared one with Josh and Phil, not just because we wanted to, but because it felt more romantic for us.  
SALSA BAR: 5, this bad boy was packed with flavor and excitement.  There was a traditional red, green and an avocado.  Nothing disappointed.  They had heat, they had flavor, they were not overwhelming and they were an unreal compliment to their delicious meats.  The cilantro, onions, radish, cucumber and limes were all fresh and everything was cut by hand.  Really impressive set-up and the guys were right there talking you through your decisions in perfect Spanish and English.

I feel as though I've worn you out with the thoughts about this food.  Plain and simple, it was good, damn good.  They do a nice job of giving us some great options, a good variety and the service was great.  The guys working here were joking with everyone and seemed to be having a pretty awesome time.  The  burrito looked pretty amazing, I want to get Jason the Juggernaut here to see if it meets his high standards.  One of the impressive things to me, was looking into the pot where much of the meat was being kept hot.  I unfairly assumed that it was going to force much if not all of the meats to taste really similar or the same, well it didn't.  Food was really good and it all kept it's own distinct flavor and texture.  Again, these guys really do know what they are doing.  Very rarely have we had a place that ranks this high.  NOTHING below a 4?  Pretty impressive.  I loved the fact that as we were eating Josh looked at me and said "I can't find anything wrong with their food."  Phil and I totally agreed that this was a pretty epic meal.  

I'm a huge fan of the self service prep area.  You can choose your own adventure with the lime, cilantro and onion ratio.  These guys have a fantastic set-up.  They give you four amazing salsas that are all full of flavor and pack a little heat, but not too much.  They want you to enjoy the flavors but not get eaten alive if you are a wimp.  If you want some spice in your life, they have peppers and onions there for your enjoyment.  The fresh cucumber and radish is an appreciated touch that fits in nicely with what they are doing.  
I was thinking, we took and showed a bunch of pictures of Amelia eating, but what about Nicole?  Did she eat?  Did we get food action shots there?

You bet your buttons we did.  

One more shot of this awesome crew of people, it is actually a separate picture from the one above, taken by a very great person who was there eating tacos with her husband.  Good man Charlie Brown, take her for tacos, she will always appreciate.  

Well I can't say thank you enough to the Tacoteers of this adventure!  This was such an epic trip.  The tacos and the company was amazing on this one.  It is great to have new folks, especially cool ones like Nicole and Amelia but it is also so awesome to have shared so many great adventures around the world with Josh and Phil.  These guys are pretty fantastic and they are chefs.  They know food and we always break down how things are made, why and what we would do differently, which in this case is bring more cash to take food home for the family's to try.  I cannot wait to go back to this place and try it again.  I just want to bring more and more people with me.  This place is totally worth checking out.  As always, thank you for reading, re-posting, re-tweeting and telling your friends if you like the blog or telling your enemies if you don't.  The publicity is appreciated either way!  

Today's goodbye/gratuitous photo is a thing of beauty.  The look of true excitement as someone is biting into their taco.  That raw childhood innocence as you are about to indulge in deliciousness inside of a tortilla.  The anticipation of all of that goodness is so exciting for anyone and everyone.  If you really want to break down the excitement, look at the left of the photo.  Josh is excited for Nicole.  It is fantastic to see not only the eater, but the audience anticipating the excellence of a bite.  If you were wondering from the old commercials "where's the squirt?"  We found it, it is right behind Nicole being drank by some guy enjoying these most excellent tacos.

STAY EXCELLENT!!!