HUNGRY HUNGRY HIPPOS

All You Knead1466 Haight StreetSan Francisco

2008-03-11T14:06:00.000-07:00

Me and my friend found ourselves on the Haight after a tattoo session at Braindrops and decided to catch a grub after words. We decide to forge the usual pizza and burrito joints and look for something new. Which is how we came upon this spot.

There is mad seating in this joint and the service is aight. I started off with a PBR (effen hipster) and ordered the roast beef sandwich with a bloody mary to boot. That piece was brought out on a 7" toasted sweet rool with a onion and tomato combo that tasted alot like pico de gallo. Sooooooo gooooood. and the bloody mary, while not a Zeigiest BM, was pretty good. I gotta feeling I will be making a few trips back.

Torta Real 13th and taylor

2008-02-02T13:39:00.000-08:00

Its been a while since Ive blogged. Havent really com across anything new, after a while all tacos start tasting the same. Last Friday i was on a solo lunch mission craving for a phat steak, i made some wrong turns driving around and gave up the steak craving. I ended up rolling down 13th street, I saw a Mexican Super Market called El Sol and saw a big sign saying TACOS, and my taco craving begun. I pulled in parked my ride and walked inside the store asking for tacos, dude at the register directed me to the taco truck parked outside a little mexican lady was in there i didnt notice she was there at first. I scoped the menu and saw they had a whole array of Tortas (mexican style sandwiches), I'm not into tortas to much so i went for the tacos. Each taco cost $1.50 and basically they give you meat and a tortilla. They have a little salsa bar with lemons, red sauce, green sauce, cabbage, and jalapenos with carrots. My order was called and when i got my tacos i noticed they were not the tiny ones but 2 full size tortillas and alot of meat. I dressed them up with some green and red sauce, sprinkled some cabbage on top and began the attack. First bite is always the best bite, you know wheter you should continue or you made a huge mistake. I wash shocked, my taste buds were dancing the meat in these tacos was some of the best meat ive tasted in a long time (no gay jokes please). It was tender and not dryed up like some taco places tend to be. I was in love. I totally recommend it. I gotta try a Torta one of these days to see how those are.

Puerto Azul Restaurant1072 Lincoln Ave, San Jose, CA 95125

2007-11-30T14:46:00.000-08:00

I use to frequent this joint up the street from here that shall remain nameless, Tlaquepaque, they serve good food and a gift from the gods called a Chavellas. Then the place went all facist on us, rules rules rules, they seemed to come up with a new one ever week. No seperate checks, No alcohol till one order, no seating till everyone in your party is there etc. etc etc. not to mentian that their service was suspect.

Well along comes Puerto Azul. This place has one of the friendliest staffs i've come across. Always on top of things. ready to refill your drinks, hook you up with more salsa and chips, willing to put up with your drunken party with a smile, solve algebra problems for the kiddies, answer lifes questions and so on. you get the idea.

I'm not going to sit here and lie to you the tacos and the burritos are your average fare. but just about the rest of the food is off "le hook", as ze french would say. I've had the Ceviche for dinner. This is not your traditional style ceviche. This piece was soup bowl size big. Massive prawns in cooked in lime juice with onions tomatoes and a ring of cucumbers. Sooooo good. Of course my dum ass thought that wouldnt be enough, judge from other place of gotten this at, I ordered 4 carne asada tacos, which were q-ed up outside, ON A GRILL. with a side of grilled onions and peppers.

I've also devoured the Chicken Enchiladas In Mole Sauce, and as the Gay Volture would say "Dalin they are to die for."

Be sure to peep out their lunch buffet. Ceviche for days kid!

Enchiladas In mole Sause

Chavellas Suck It Tlaque!

Enchildas Get Their Close up.

Omogari Korean 154 Jackson St San Jose, CA

2007-08-01T12:10:00.000-07:00

GAAAAAAAAAAANGSTA!

Chavez Supermarket2327 Mckee Rd.

2007-04-27T15:53:00.000-07:00

that's right! i finally hit up Chavez Supermarket for some Tacos. i was warned that the price per Taco was about $2.50 a piece, and they were right. so i was bored last night and decided it was time to hit up Chavez Super. i walk into Chavez and order one Taco de Carne asada..just to give it a shot. they give me my Taco and i take a seat to enjoy the mountain of a Taco i was given. luckily they give you two tortillas because the Taco was piled with CARNE!! i put some of the food on the other tortilla and start to put the grub on. the meat is cooked just right and loaded with flavor! they put beans in my Taco too but, that was optional. I should have orderd two because that was one mean Taco. i will definately hit this place up again...next time i'm going to get 2 Tacos though. hey, even cooler, i killed two birds with one stone...i did a lil grocery shopping after i ate my Taco. :)

thanks for the tip Frank!

Tacos Al Carbon1733 Story Rd

2007-04-27T15:24:00.001-07:00

Yo! whaddup parrrdy people!? long time no blog, eh??
well, since my partners in crime have fell off the face of earth, i guess i'm the last man standing. don't think i was slackin in my mackin though...i was scopin out spots to throw the grub down!! i took some recommendations and hit up a spot i was familar with. Yo, Paul, what was the name of that place again? sorry, you know my mind is cloudy...but yeah, i'm lookin to blog that spot next!

so, let's get down to business!
Tacos Al Carbon has been a long time resident of San Jose's very own East Side. you can't talk about the legendary Story and King roads without mentioning Tacos Al Carbon. it's been a late night spot for years, and if you don't know, now you know! me and my buddy Mike were going to hit the town in search of some fine featherd females and good times, when my other homie Darlene calls me up. she tells me, "Danny and Raphael ditched me!! those fuckers went to Portland without me!!"...after i laugh that one off, i ask her if she's down to chill with me and Mike. she's game...so, we all head out for a night on the town. after a lil bit of driving around we decide it's time to get some munchies. we searched around and landed at Tacos Al Carbon. we get seated and they hand us the menus. upon inspection i notice the prices on the menu...jeebus this place is pricey!! $13 duckets for a shot of cognac...$30 for a sixer of Coronas...$3 bucks a Taco...are you guys nuts!?! well, Darlene reassured me that the price was because of the atmosphere...that's pretty much what you're paying for here. the place is big, nicely decorated and LOUD! they either have live mariachi, a live band or both. the place can get jam packed so its actually pretty cool if you're looking to parrrdy like a mexican! the food was actually good, and i got a good laugh seeing two guys being serenaded by the mariachi..ahahahaa. i asked Darlene to be a guest blogger for this place, so here is her run down of Tacos Al Carbon...

Darelene:
It was a couple of Fridays ago at about 11:30pm. I was chillen with my homie CRISPYPATAS and one of his boyz. We were Downtown, ready to get our drank on when all of the sudden we get a wiff of some good smellin tacos. We're on South First Street and as all of you San Jose'ers know, there isn't a taqueria, taco truck, or taco stand in sight. We can't get the aroma outta our heads. So, plans start taking a drastic turn, for the good of our stomachs. Gettin our drank on now takes a back seat to the hunt for some late night grub.

Our late night mission leads us to the King and Story area. We take a quick look around as we're driving and decide to head into and old school spot called Tacos Al Carbon. We walk in, seat ourselves and soon notice two guys in the corner, gettin serenaded by mariachis. It seems kinda odd to me but the waitress distracts me with a menu. As I open the menu, I notice that the prices are pretty steep and I only have a twenty on me. So, I order two tacos, one of carne asada and the other of carnitas at a pricey $2.95 (due to the homemade tortillas).

As we’re waiting for our order, we notice that we haven’t been offered chips and salsa and staring and laughing at the two guys getting serenaded again. I ask CrispyPatas, “Hey, do we get free chips and salsa here?” He doesn’t seem to know, so he asks the waitress first if they are free and we get an order since they are. The salsa is has a good flavor and has a decent amount of heat. This place is really loud and we’re yelling at each other, acting like we can hear what each other says. It was a atmosphere though.

Our order is served promptly. The guys get their orders (Super Burritos) before me. That wasn’t cool. I finally get my tacos. They look and smell good, served with onions, cilantro, and chile on top and a lime on the side. I comment to the guys “My tacos look really big” and Marcos asks if that is all I’m having. From what I can see, two tacos were just right. They were packed with meat and did I mention the tortillas were handmade...yeeaaaah! These tacos were worth the price due to the amount of meat, the spices and the tenderness of both the asada and carnitas.

**sorry no picts of the place at this time...the outside is under reconstruction and i cant find the pict of the Taco...grrr...**

Aloha Kitchen1041 E Capitol Expy

2007-03-22T14:32:00.000-07:00

Whaddup parddy people!? I scoped out another spot for all you foodies out there. This time around I hit up some Hawaiian Cuisine. Where you ask...Aloha Kitchen, that's where!! I seen this place the first week they opened...about a year ago. I walked in around 11:45 and checked out the inside. I had looked over the menu while I was there and everything sounded so tasty! I spoke with the manager and he took my email addy down to send me a menu via email. i had already eaten twice before i came, so i picked up some Hopia, just to try it out. That Hopia was damn good!! it was like cocnut jell-o, but way better...i highly recommend you try some.

Fast forward a year later and I'm hearing good things from a few people that actually ate there...some cousins, and a few friends from Hawaii that were staying out here in SJ. My Hawaiian friends even gave this place two BIG thumbs up. So, I made it a point to visit the place myself and blog it!

Last friday, after running an errand, I was driving around looking for a place to put the grub on. I was close to Aloha Kitchen, had my camera in hand and decided it was time this place got blogged. So I enter Aloha Kitchen and order up some Breaded Mahi Mahi, Fried Shrimp and Chicken Katsu. While I'm waiting for my grub one of my cousins who told me about the place walks in...very good sign! My order is up and they gave me a styrofoam plate (there is a reason behind the foam plate, check their website for more details!) loaded with 2 big scoops of rice, a scoop or macaroni salad, and a bunch of deep fried MEAT! the portions were way worth the price...it's like they were trying to fatten me up for Thanksgiving or something! The Mahi Mahi was on point, and so were the large shrimps. I didn't know Katsu was fried as well, or I would have ordered the BBQ Chicken. The Katsu was great, but it was too much fried food for one sitting. I had to give my cousin half of my chicken, it was so big! Check out the amount of food in the pict, and the prices aren't bad either for the amount of food they give you. They also give you tartar sauce and some teriaki-ish type of dipping sauce, both were excellent compliments to the food. I am mos def going to hit this place up again and again and again. Here is a link to their website...Aloha Kitchen...check it out. They even have a spot out in San Leandro. Oh, one other thing I forgot to mention, they're open til midnight...in case you get them midnight munchies!!

look at all that FOOD!!

El Taco De Oro Some Random Ass Street In Alviso

2007-03-15T14:37:00.000-07:00

Ive been hearing about this Taco Truck for years, literally. I was really beginning to think the damn thing was an urban legend. That is until today. Jesse here at work brought up the joint and I said "Fuck it, lets see what all the hype is about".

I cant even begin to tell you where this peice is at because we made some many rights and lefts that I lost my sense of directions, but when we got there it was all worth it.

I ordered 4 super tacos de carne asada. Them the meat is cooked just right, not that like that stuff that borders on gum like quality you get at other joints. They came topped with cilantro, onions, sour cream, and shredded cheese, which set that shit off. i washed it all down with an ice cold mango Jarrito. Just one word somes up this place, LEGIT!

Las Tinajas 2338 Mission Street, San Francisco CA

2007-03-01T16:15:00.000-08:00

Have you ever found yourself in the City By The Bay and wondered "Is there such a thing as spanish speaking asians?" on top of "Where can one feed a cow size hunger?" Well today is your lucky day cause I know a place where you can kill 2 birds with one stone!

La Tinajas in the Mission is just the place you are looking for. This Nicaraguan joint is run by a Chinese speaking couple it it fuckin holds it DOWN! Youd think they have a cattle ranch out back judging from the amount of carne asada being ordered and the massive portions they hook you up with. Bistro introduced me to this spot a few years back and it has become one of my favorite joints in the City. I usually oreder the Carne Asada Estilo Nica. Med rare. The plate comes with a heart helping of beans and rice, fried bananas, a carmelized banana and a salad, which on this trip i was not hooked up with, but no matter cause i couldnt finish the damn thing. Bistro odered something similar but it came mixed with pork and beef and the same fixens. He got his salad. Bastards.

Notice Something Missing? Yeah Im Still Bitter.

Someone got there salad. DAMN!

Deserts off the hizzy.

So are the drinks.

Guess what guitar Im buying when I start my band.

Meng's BBQ3309 San Felipe Rd

2007-03-01T14:39:00.000-08:00

oh, you thought i was done, huh!? nope! i have another post for you foodies! This time around it's Meng's BBQ. yeah, Mengs, like when Manolo from SCARFACE say, "Aye, meng...i want my name on the back of chics asses". anyway...let's get on with the show.

so, i'm driving around downtown Evergreen looking for a bite to eat. I am sick of fast food, so i'm looking for something good. i couldn't find anything that tickled my pickle, so i call up manang Chrystelle. "Aye, sexy manang", i say. "i need some food for my belly, where should i eat?!" manang tells me i should hit up Mengs, since i'm in the area. i get the directions and mosey on down to Mengs. this place is a real hole in the wall, but as soon as you walk in you're greeted by an elder manang with a big smile and the smell of fresh Philipine food. the first thing i spot was a tray loaded with pancit...my favorite!! well, next to shanghai, pancit is my favorite Philipino food. (is it philipino, or filipino?! idunno.) my tagalog is limited to words like bomba, sexxxy manang, mamone, puto, and some other words which i dont know the meaning too...see what happens when you work around a bunch of crazy filipinos!! hahaha...ok, ok...anyway...so i go for what i know...i order some pancit, and some BBQ meat on a skewer. i take my food to go and hit up my secret lunch spot. (see photo below for the wonderful view i get while eating lunch) i get to my spot and proceed to inhale said food. i thought it was beef, but it turned out to be PORK! well, that pork sure was good, cuzz i smased both skewers!! the pancit wasn't as great as i thought it would be though, but that's me. i got spoiled when my ex-company would have pot lucks and someone would bring in some homemade pancit. i think the next time i go here, im bringing some filipino folk with me to help me order. there's nothing but manangs behind the counter, so you know the food is authentic. i just never seen orange pancit...usually its white. they did throw in some lemon, so they know whats up. i dont know of many Philipino spots besides Goldylocks and JollyBee...so it's kind cool to find a nice lil spot. if any of you know of a good Philipino spot, let me know...i have a hankering for some good pancit.

the grub a dub dub

my spot...not yours.

Taqueria Lorenas854 N 13th St

2007-03-01T13:59:00.000-08:00

Whaddup parddy people!!?? Long time no Blog!
Well the wait is now over! Here's a fresh post for all you foodies.

About 10 of us went to Disney on Ice this weekend, and right after the show, we decide to hit up Taqueria Lorenas. "Cool!" I said. I had my camera and a nice appetite, perfect way to get my Blogg on. This was my first time eating here, so I didn't know what to expect. They have a pretty nice sized menu, with a large variety of meats to choose from. The Tacos are $1.48 each...not too bad. I had my kids with me, so I order them both a chicken quesadilla de harina (flour). I ordered my self 3 Tacos...1 carne asada, 1 lengua and 1 CHORIZO! The Tacos were served up with chips on the side. They have a salsa bar, but they asked me if I wanted everything on my Tacos, so they put the chili on it themselves. The meats were not bad, nothing speacial, but not bad. The lengua was a lil bland for my taste. I do have to point out that they threw in large chunks of RED onion on my Tacos. I like onion, but not so much. They also threw a buttload of chili on my Tacos. All that extra onion and chili really made my Taco experience a bad one. The onion and chili taste stayed with me until the next morning. I should have orderd my Tacos naked, since they have a salsa bar complete with lemon, cilantro and onions anyway. Other than that, the Tacos were not bad. My son was so busy playing with his cousin that he forgot about his quesadilla. I wound up taking it home and eating it the next day. The chicken inside that quesadilla was pretty good. I can see myself coming here again, but now i know how to order my food when i do.

Beer available everywhere excepthardcore muslim nationsand parts of utah

2007-02-26T09:30:00.000-08:00

The Nectar Of The Gods...Now if I have to write a review about one of my top three favorite things on earth, im a gonna throw a bottle at you...and it wont be empty...just kidding...it will...cheers!

Taqueria Cancun2288 Mission Street San Francisco, CA

2006-12-29T11:34:00.000-08:00

Whos that gangsta wearing glasses?

Ah Taqueria Cancuns...A diamand in the ruff is what i would venture to call this place. An thats not stretching it either. The Mission late night is Gnarlssssssss. Bistro and I happened upon the place once back in September but being that I was in a drunken stupor I didnt remember much about the spot other than the grub was FUCKIN AMAZING. Let me repeat FUCKIN AMAZING. i cant tell you how much i was craving for a burritto after that first encounter...well i got my chance this last friday.

The Bist and I found ourselves on the Haight around closing time and decided to catch a grub at this place, being that i was pretty sober compared to the last time we where there, i knew i would have a better opinion of this place.

We strolled up after having searched high and low for a parking spot, which almost takes an act of God to do in the City. The spots has one of the loudest decors on earth, your assualted with like a million colors the second you walk in. That and the sound of Mexican beats coming from the juke and the smells of the grill cooking up some marvelles grub.

I went ahead and upgraded my burritto this time to a wet burritto (no racist jokes here people, Im brown and proud beatch!) The carne asada is grilled to perfection and wrap in a store bought flour tortilla with all the trimmings and then the burritto is thrown on the grill once more, for what? dont know dont care. It is then topped off with off with enchilada sauce, melted cheese, pico, crema, and guac. Scarfed that bad boy down in seconds and washed it down with a modelo. damn!!!! The chips and sauce...if you forget to ask for some your playin yourself. top 10 material saucewise.

Oh almost forgot to bring up the natives. You get an assortment of characters at this location, there are three, well at night anyways. The thugs, hustlers (me), pimps (me), hippsters (JRNO) and trannys (JRNO) and so on. Shit we got to see some cat hang cuffed, layin on the sidewalk, surronded by cops, in a pool of his own blood! Hows that for realness!!!

La Virgen watch over all.

Sliders1645 W San Carlos Street San Jose CA

2006-11-18T18:43:00.000-08:00

When we first agreed to change our tacoteam blog to the hungry Hungry Hippos, Crispy Pata suggested that he was going to blog Sliders...my response? FUCK ALL THAT. Thats my joint. It was a race against time to beat PatasUno but me and Bistro represented kid!

This place is run by Koreans and let me tell you they can hold it down burgerwise son! Hey Clarks. Kirks. You should come down, these cats hold clinics everyday. There menu consists of burgers, steak sandwiches, chicken sandwhiches and the such as well as some rad extras like my personal fave fried eggs.They use only the freshest quality meat and their condiment bar is second to non. They have this rotating grill going that cooks them bad boys up lovely.

I odered the 8oz combo with chilli cheese fries and a hienieken. I had them throw a fried egg on my burger for a bone more. What?! how much was this meal fit for a king? 8 bones playa. Beat that Clarks. So mossie your bellys down there and judge for your self. Oh and they sell fried chicken too.

La Guadalajara Market #11661 Alum Rock Ave.

2006-11-17T21:34:00.000-08:00

Ok, my last post was pretty heinous. To make up for it I decided to scope out a more familiar spot. La Guadalajara is an old school spot in San Jose. It's been around for years. They offer many different Mexican staple dishes on the menu including Tacos, Burritos, Tamales, and chili rellenos but, I was here for Tacos.

They have a pretty big selection meats, all in front of you so you can see what's going into your Taco. I ordered up 1 Taco de Asada and 1 Taco de chili colorado and my cousin orders 2 Tacos de carnitas. We took them to go, and when the lady asked me if I wanted "con todo" (with everything), I kindly replied, "si, en la lado por favor" (yes, on the side please). I get home and open up the box to find my Tacos intact, salsa on the side, and ready to eat! The carne asada was on point, chopped just right, and very tasty! The chili colorado was chunky, tender, and flavorful too! The Tacos also come with rice and refried beans, making this a very hearty Taco. If you don't like beans and rice, you can ask them nicely and they won't put it in there. My cousin made the mistake of eating twice before he came, so he couldn't eat his other Taco. No problemo cuzzo...I got your back! So, I smashed that Taco as well. The carnitas were on point too! For $1.99 a Taco, you really can't go wrong. Two Tacos are like a meal wrapped up in two tortillas. (each Taco is wrapped with two store bought, but tasty, corn tortillas) I would highly recommend this spot if you are looking for delicious, fairly priced, Authentic Mexican food. The service is excellent, and pretty fast too! Great spot for lunch!
look at the size of these bad boys!
nice selection of meats and foods
they sell many authentic Mexican products too
they also carry Pan Dulce, in case you want a lil something for the sweet tooth! :)

La Esperanza Market1201 E Julian St.

2006-11-17T21:33:00.000-08:00

Ok, people...not every place I review is going to be a good one. Here is a perfect example. I walked into La Esperanza Market looking forward to some dollar Tacos but, I was stopped dead in my tracks when I witnessed something very terrible. I saw the cook chopping some meat, turn around and whack that same knife on the edge of the garbage can. my first thought was, "OMG Chase, that's freakin naaassssty!!!" I turned tail and hauled ass outta there. I don't care if that can was used solely for Taco scraps, that's just bad practice. That was a BIG NO-NO in the food industry...the cook might as well have been smoking a cigar while prepping the Tacos. Eat here at your own risk!

Taco Bell

2006-11-17T21:32:00.000-08:00

Whaddup people! Your boy is back with another round of Taco Posts. The Taco Blog appears to be neglected but, that's not the case at all. I've been gathering content for the Blog in the meantime so, I'm back with a few places to speak on. Oh, last night I added a new pict and some info about La Toluquena #2. It's a must see! Now, let's get this started...

You should have seen this one from a mile away! For this post I decided to review the one, the only, Taco Bell. Why, you may be asking? Simple..Thee name of this establishment has the word Taco in it and I had to put it to the test.

Let me clear up one misconception about Taco Hell..I mean Taco Bell. This is NOT authentic Mexican food. You will NOT find Mexican Pizza's, Enchurritos, or Chalupas south of the border...sorry to bust your bubble. This is the Americanized Fast Food version of Mexican cuisine. You can find a Taco Bell in almost any part of the good ole' U.S. and A. They're basically a chain restaurant like Mickey Deez, Burger Kang, and KFC. If you're looking for authentic, quality Mexican food, you might want to refer to one of our other Taco posts.

The Tacos at Taco Bell consist of a crunchy Taco shell, "just-add-water-ground beef", shredded cheese, and shredded lettuce. You have a choice of Hot suace, Fire sauce, or Mild sauce...each one comes in a tiny lil packet. This Taco tastes like a Taco, it even looks like a Taco that you see on a box of El Paso Taco Shells. They're not too bad, but it's nothing like a real Taco from a local Taqueria. They do offer soft Tacos but, they come with a flour tortilla, not corn. flour bad, corn good. Taco Bell is sorta like a guilty pleasure for most people. You know you shouldn't be eating it, but sometimes it does the trick. You can go ahead and eat here if you don't care about the quality of food you put in your belly...I'd rather have some real Tacos though.

Hungry Hungry Hippos

2006-11-15T13:20:00.000-08:00

So... as you can tell, it's been dead for a while. It's not that we don't like tacos anymore it's because we eat other things besides tacos. Our passion for food has inspired us to turn a new leaf in the history of the The Great Taco Blog. We have officially converted the Taco Blog into (drum roll please...) HUNGRY HUNGRY HIPPOS! Yes, we will now blog about all the different food encounters we have in our travels near and far. We think this will add diversity and new weekly content to our beloved blog. So stay tuned and come along with us on our adventures in food.

Btw... in a few days the URL of the Taco Blog will change to hungryhippo.blogspot.com

El Grullense1175 E Julian St # 5

2006-10-16T16:49:00.000-07:00

Some of you might be saying, "It's about time!" Others may wonder why. El Grullense is like the 7-11 of Taquerias in San Jose. They're everywhere, literally. There is about 3 or 4 (maybe more) within a 5 minute drive from my house. El Grullense (or El Grullo as many have dubbed it) has been around for as long as I can remember. Does anyone know what a Grullense is? Last name maybe? I've eaten at a few of them during my lifetime. Today I will review just one.

This Grullense sits in a lil shopping center on Julian and 24th, right next to San Jose High School. This one has been there for a while too, not sure how long though. I came here for the sake of the blog. I already know where my money will be well spent, but I like to live dangerously.

I walk up and order my usual...1 Taco de Asada, and 1 Taco de Lengua. Before I could walk into the spot, I got a call from my daughter...she wanted me to pick her up, so I took my Tacos to go. I took Bistro's advice and asked for the salsa to be put on the side, "please". (remember your pleases and thank yous people, you'd be surprised how far being simply courteous can get you!) I sat down to wait for my Tacos and snapped a few picts of the inside. The place is well kept, nice mural on the wall and even has a jukebox to bump some rancheras while you eat. My Tacos show up a few minutes later and I'm off. After going to pick up my daughter and driving home, I open up my plate to find that my Tacos are in perfect condition. No greasy wet mess, no soggy Tortillas..just warm Tacos waiting to get sexy for me. So I dress up my Tacos and dive right in. The Carne Asada was a lil fatty, but had a nice flavor. The lengua was cooked just right and also had a nice flavor. The price tag wasn't too bad...I paid $2.80 for that late night snack. I wish the Asada wasn't as fatty as it was, or I would recommend eating here. I would recommend this place after suggesting somewhere else first, but that just my opinion.

Tacos all dressed and ready to go.

the layout of the place, not bad.

Taqueria Eduardo #31657 Mckee Rd

2006-10-16T14:48:00.000-07:00

Hey all, I've been away, but I'm back with a double Taco post. I had a 3rd, but I will save that one for my next go round. First, I'd like to make a note that my last post had an error. I forgot that I ordered 1 Taco de Asada, and 1 de Lengua. The Lengua was cooked in a red sauce with onions, which is very rare. I've never seen it cooked in a red sauce personally. Usually Lengua is just salted and boiled till its tender. It must be a family recipe or something because they cooked the Carne Asada like that too. I might have to try their Tacos one more time.

Ok, now that we have that squared away, let's get back to this post. Taqueria Eduardo #3 just recently moved into my neighborhood about a year or two ago. I had never tried it before Friday night. I didn't even realize it was a Taqueria Eduardo until the other day too, I just knew it was a taqueria. If you guys remember, TruthMhz' first review was on Taqueria Eduardo #4. I am now on the hunt for Taqueria Eduardo #1 and #2.

I walked into this place with high expectations, and they were met. The place is small, but it's well kept and friendly. I ordered 1 Taco de Asada and 1 Taco de Lengua, for dine-in. They have a warmer with fresh tortilla chips...Dude offered me a small bag instead of the lil trays you see there...Now that's hospitality! Right next to those warm, crispy chips was a condiment bar! I get a lil bit of the pico, sneak a few picts and sit down to wait for my Tacos. While I wait, they're cleaning up the joint...good sign! My Tacos show up in a few minutes and it's chowtime. I like how they added a fork to my plate...so I can enjoy every piece of meat that falls off my Taco. I used the fork to sample the meats first. The Asada was very flavorful and grilled just right. The Lengua was also flavorful and cooked to perfection. The Taco de Lengua had the same red salsa as the Asada, which is kinda rare. Usually Tacos de Lengua just come with green sauce, cilantro, and onions. No big deal, the Lengua still tasted good. I don't think the tortillas were homemade, but they were still good too. The damage is $1.35 a Taco...and that's not bad at all. They even offer Tacos de Chorizo!! I would recommend hitting up this spot if you're in the area and want some really good inexpensive Tacos.

mmmm...tacos

the golden chips...bling bling!

all the salsa

I love how they decorated the place!

La Taqueria15 S 1st St. San Jose Ca.

2006-10-04T14:39:00.000-07:00

I was going to blog La Taqueria today but upon entering this fine establishment my eyes popped out of my head Bugs Bunny stylee upon peeping the price. $3.50 a taco!!!! Fuck all that!! Man, no love. So I settled on a burrito with carne asada, cheese and avocado. While waiting for my feast i got a chance to glance over the top of the counter to check out the goings on back there. I noticed they use some pretty fresh products and that the meats are grilled on an actual grill... and i peeped the fact that just about everyone in the spot is ordering tacos, which by the way are some pretty big tacos, and I begin to wonder if I made a mistake for go astray of the Taco Blog. I grab my meal and bite into what has to be a top ten burrito in my mind. Thats about the time I realize the taco gods are telling me "you fucked up playa". I gotta remind myself to kick my own ass for this folly after work. Needless to say the next trip to La Taqueria will bring Taco Blog joy to all our fans...stay tuned kiddies...I wont let you down this time. My Apologies to Truth and Crispy, Bistro made me do it.

I was going to put up pics of the burritos and me grubbing on them here
But that would be blasphemous.

Stupidest advertisment ever...

Vicky's Restaurant1536 W San Carlos St, San Jose

2006-09-27T14:17:00.000-07:00

You know there is a little rule that states if the spot your about to hit up is pretty much as deserted as the Torttellis resturant was in the Goonies, chances are you should stay away, just look at what happened to Mikey and the gang. Bistro and I found out the hard way, but hey in the proffession that we have chosen, we have to take one for the team from time to time.

The joint was actually pertty nice, cool murals on the walls, not to bright, cool waitresses, and a nice salad bar. We sat down a went over the menu a few times and got down to bizwax. I ordered and the different types of tacos. 1 regular carne asada, 1 super pollo, and something called an Alambre. Bistro hooked himself up with 1 carnitas and 2 carne asada. The carne asada taco was warm at best and was covered with a gang of cilantro. The pollo was mirinated in a mild hot sause, which I dint real dig, and was covered in cheese, lettuce, guace, and sour cream. The Alambre was something else. It was carne asad with onions, bell peppers, and carrots all cooked in cheese. I was ready to grub when bistro dicovered the Crack Jack prize came with his order! He got a fat ass clump of hair in his tacos. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Holy Shit hairy taco!!! Needless to say our appetites took a pretty hard hit after that. Hey but the service was amazing!

Oh and one last thing, I noticed something pretty strange...I didnt hear a grill going the whole time we where there!!!!!(eerie music plays in the background) WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT!! Man I hope I dont get mud butt.

The Cracker Jack prize!!!! Congrats Bistro!

Burrito Factory 463 Blossom Hill Rd

2006-09-26T10:14:00.000-07:00

Burrito Factory is the South Side hot spot, they have a couple locations around San Jose but the one on Blossom Hill is the original and probably the best one. The thing about Burrito Facotory is not their burritos, one time i ordered a Carne Asada burrito and was given a burrito with Chicken and Carne Asada inside. I dont know about mixing meats like that but i took it back. The tacos here are pretty good, standard small tortilla, chopped meat, cilanto, and onion. They give you a red and green salsa which both are good i like mixing both in my tacos. Now what this place has that not many other places carry are GORDITAS. They are like pupusas but stuffed not only with cheese but also your choice of meat. Very good and very tasty, also their breakfast burritos are good, packed tight and your choice of egg with whatever you want. Anyways if you find yourself in the south side and have a taco craving hit this place up it does a body good.

El Abuelo Taqueria 1005 Lincoln Ave

2006-09-18T16:05:00.000-07:00

El Abuelo Taqueria is located on the other side of Lincoln for those of you who know what im talking about is past all the boutique ritzy stores and more into the ghetto side. I used to frequent this place alot just dont find myself in that area too often plus its close by to TLAQUEPAQUE and a bunch of other taquerias around there so i have to choose my places wisely. El Abuelo is a good taco place i know most of you have heard that saying "the hole in the wall places are the best", and this place is proof its small and its grimy but the food is excellent and very affordable. Tacos go for $1.50 for the regular, I got my usual 2 carne asada and 1 carnitas. The taste reminds me of Las Vegas and La Bamba wrapped togheter. Both places are really good and this place captures the essence of both of them. The offer a salsa bar with chips on the side same as Las Vegas. The only weird but good thing is the pickled onion, peppers also have slices of potatoe in them and they are really good. I totally recommend this place everything on the menu is fresh and perfectly cook

Look at these sexy tacos waiting to be devoured:

La Toluqueña #2 updatedCorner of Mckee and King

2006-09-15T14:33:00.000-07:00

So it's friday night..a lil past 1am...we just left an art show, and my posse is hungry. My homie Anna suggests we get some Tacos...Sheeit, you know I'm down! We hit up a few spots that might be open and all but this one were closed. La Toluqueña #2 sits on the corner of McKee and King Rd. They just sorta showed up in my hood recently..and I havn't had a chance to try their Tacos yet, so this was a great opportunity. The set-up they have going on is pretty cool...ambient lights (heh heh), a sit-down eating area in the back of the truck and a lil dvd player in the back to watch movies...sweet! I orderd 2 Tacos de carne asada. The tortillas were store bought, which didn't bother me at all. The meat was cooked well, and had a nice flavor to it. They topped my Tacos with grilled onions and cilantro. The table had a condiment box with limes, radishes and an onion/cilantro mix. The damage was $1.50 a Taco...which is fair, since it was 1am. They weren't the best Tacos I ever had, but they will do the trick if I find myself fixin for a Taco on the late-late night tip.

Tacos cold chillen

menu and people ordering

anna and zena waiting for their food with some strangers..haha

the V.I.P. lounge!

the other day i was out late. i stopped by this place to pick up some more Tacos. i orderd a chicharon Taco and a carne asada Taco...the chicharon was the pickled chicharon...YUCK!! I think they should let you know it's pickled and not the real deal meaty/crunchy kind of chicharon.

abiddy abiddy abiddy, that's all folks!

Savoy1144 N 4th St, San Jose, CA

2006-09-13T14:24:00.000-07:00

$2.25 Tacos = No Way Jose

MI Pueblo Foods235 E Julian St. San Jose

2006-09-07T13:05:00.000-07:00

OK, I know this is off topic...but i gotta throw it out there...this place is the FUCKIN best for Mexican BBQ meat. Oh your down with Mercado Mexico? Chaves you say? Well I say yous a fool son!!! This spot holds it DOWN! Dont sleep.

Back to the task at hand kiddies. Me and Bistro decide it was taco time. We headed to a spot called Casa Vickys, but that spot did me dirty twicw. TWICE!! Not the mud butt dirty but the wet burrito dirty. Who the hell throws lettuce in a burrito that your about to throw in an oven! BLEH!!! Your trippin JRNO. So we high tailed it to Mi Pueblo.

Walking into this joint one may get the feeling of being in Mexico. Thats pronounced Meh-He-Co kids. The smells, the Mexican products, the all purpose pharmacy, and all the damn Mexicans walking around. We mossied up to the countered and ordered the usual. 2 carne asada tacos and one chicken. The carne asad was grilled to perfection and topped with cilantro and onions. They had a salse bar to the side that had slim pickens but it was all good. Now the chicken was something else. It was simmered in a red sauce with onions and tomatoes...damn thing melted in your mouth. Amazing. Tortillas = Not homemade. The only strike on this place.

The East Side location off of King and Strory really holds it own. The spot is split into 2. The taco stand rest acroos the street from the market. But the market has a full scale Mexican meat section and bakery. Plus a car insurance spot, DMV section, cowboy boot and hat spot, jewely store pharmacy, damn they probably got a cock fighting ring in there for all i know. Check em out.

Oh, Garcias = Jessica Alba look alike waitress...Im just sayin yo.

Garcia's Taqueria1390 Oakland Rd

2006-09-01T10:19:00.000-07:00

Garcia's Taqueria is a nice little mexican restuarant close to our work. Its located right next to a hotel, you really gotta look out for it when you drive by because you can miss it. We used to frequent this spot a while back but its been a while. The thing about this place is not their food not their drinks but their waitresses. Iheartjapan, Mick-Dog and me went on Tuesday and we were not expecting to see the same waitresses still working there and boy were we suprised. The 2 cute waitresses still there and still looking cute. I ordered up my usual 1 Carne Asada, 1 Chicken, and 1 Carnitas. They stepped up their game because the chicken was excellent. Im usually not into chicken tacos but these were good. Nicely grilled and had a fresh taste to them. The carne asada good also and carnitas also good. The down fall was their tortillas. Iheartjapan commented on the tortillas being not fully cooked, and i noticed that they did seemed like they were heated up in the microwave. You guys know what im talking about when your in a hurry and throw a few tortillas in the microwave really quick just to get them soft. Tacos are $1.50 for regular and $2.50 for super which include beans and other crap on them. Also they have chavelas here and not as expensive as Tlaque. I think i will be hitting up this place alot more often, i do recommend it also. Its not a place that leaves you amazed but its good to get you taco fix filled
Special B-Day Shout out to our taco blogger IHEARTJAPAN thanks for keeping it real all these years

Blue Monkey Taco Lounge1 E. San Fernando St.

2006-08-28T22:37:00.000-07:00

Thats right The Blue Monkey Lounge serves tacos and they are dam good tacos. I met up with TruthMHZ at the monkey. The tacos are Freshly prepared to order. Hot off the grill. $1.50 each on the small tortilla. I ordered up 1 Carne Asada, 1 Chicken, and 1 Al Pastor (the pork on the wheel). All were cooked on the spot as we ordered them, my favorite was the carne asada. The chicken was good not dry but not my favorite. The Al Pastor was good, taste was decent, they put a chunk of pineapple in the taco really didnt do much for me.
So after finishing up our tacos we grab our drinks and head upstairs. The place is nice, layout is kick back, we chilled till we finished our drinks and got ready to go. Walking downstairs TruthMHZ runs into one of the hot bartenders there and as he chopped it up with her, I noticed the taco cook was looking at us all crazy, I see him talking to a guy that works there and pointing at us. And thats when I remember WE NEVER PAID FOR THE TACOS, we paid for the drinks but never for the tacos. TruthMHZ paid for the tacos (thanks dude next ones are on me) and we took off. Another taco experience well done

Taqueria La Bamba2058 Old Middlefield Way

2006-08-27T16:37:00.000-07:00

Located in Mountain View this taqueria joint is one of the best. Its actually Salvadorean meaning they have tacos but Salvadorean style. The difference to me between these and your regular Mexican tacos is the meat. The meat is marinated and has a taste on its own, i would not actually mind just getting a plate of meat it is so good. But also they sell Pupusas here which are kinda like quesadillas except WAYYYYYY better. They are like cheese filled pitas fried. I got 2 carne asada tacos and 2 pupusas TO GO

TACO TIP:
When ordering tacos to go make sure you get them without any salsa, doing so will definetly keep the tortilla from falling apart on you and making a big taco mess. And also when getting them to go you can ask for salsa, some spots give you a hand full of salsa so you can add as much as you want when you get to where your getting.

Naked Tacos
Back to the review:
I opened up my tacos when i got home, cracked open a Saporo i had chillin in the fridge and it was on. I poured the salsa over the tacos and dressed my pupusas with the pickled cabbage they gave me. So good this place definetly gets 2 thumbs up i recommend it to everyone if you are going to IKEA its close by also going to the city or coming back stop off and tell them Bistro Beef sent you...

Sexy Tacos

Super Taqueria 911 McLaughlin Ave. San Jose

2006-08-24T09:32:00.000-07:00

OK, I dont know about you, but when I order a carne asada taco I excpect it to be loaded with meat, like half a cow or something. I dont know maybe its because the place was mad packed or something, but this spot didnt do much for me. I order my usaul carne asada plate, and headed for the cleanest seat in the house. Upon inspecting my meal I come to find out that the tortilla were not cooked to well. They added like a brick of jack cheese on top of it, with a GRIP of whole beans. It was like a super bean and jack cheese taco or something. They added a drop of pico and some massive slabs of avocado, with just a hit of carne asada, which was pretty good by the way. Nicely seasoned and grilled to perfection. What really got me though was the way these bad boys where wrapped. It was like a funnel.you start with filling nad end with tortilla and cheese. Damn! Whats that all about? you know i got a feeling the whole reason that I have to diss this joint is the fact that there were like 1,000 people in the place. Literally. Ive heard so many good things about this place, so I may give the place another shot. Pleas stand by. Oh yeah, Ive been getting some negative feed back about my spelling and such, I sucked at english class, shoot me.

Taqueria Tlaquepaque #2 721 Willow Street. San Jose

2006-08-23T10:55:00.000-07:00

Alright...Ever since we started this blog ive been going off on how the best super tacos Ive had are either at El Buen gusto or Tlaque. People want me to choose between them. THATS LIKE ASKING ME TO CHOOSE BETWEEN JESSICA ALBA AND JESSICA BEIL!!!!!!!!!!Its just not going to happen!!!! So Stop. Please

Which reminds me...we havent done a a review on Tlaque yet. so here it is...

Tlaque has three locations I believe...the squad and i tend to stick to the one in the Willow Glen are...the place is mad spacious and dimly lit. The service is notoriously slow, but thats niether here nor there, beside at the end of the day youll praise us for recommending this joint.

2 super tacos at this place is like grubbing on a super buritto kid! I went for 2 carne asada and 1 chicken supers. Them bad boys come on 2 large tortillas with a combonation of jack and cheddar cheese, which is topped with whole beens and massive amounts of thinly sliced beef and large chunks of shredded chicken. All topped off with some Pico and large slices of avocado. they only have one type of hot sauce here...what?...why? Because when you have what is probably the best hot sause on earth, why the hell would you need more? Jesus. Oh Oh...dont forget to order yourself a Chavella...if the gods do drink nectar...these is probably what it tastes like. Oh yeah, you see how i ordered tres super tacos? I dare you, no I double dog dare you to do the same...may God be with you. Peace.

Chavellas!!!

You Can Make Another Taco Out Of The Crap that Falls Of your Other Tacos

Jack in the Box UPDATE 9/21/06

2006-08-23T00:21:00.000-07:00

In case you forgot, it's Taco Tuesday! For today's post I'm going to review a Taco I know many of you are familiar with, Jack in the Box Tacos (2 for 99¢). You're proabably saying, "dude, that's not a Taco!", but it is a Taco. Saying this Taco isn't a Taco, is like saying a poodle isn't a dog. The Taco has a hard shell tortilla and a filling, qualifying this tasty piece of work as a Taco. The Taco filling seems to be some kind of meat stuff that somewhat resembles ground beef. It also has a nice helping of lettuce and tomato salsa. The shell is usually very crunchy around the edges and gooey in the middle (where the meat stuff is!). Jack in the Box also provides extra salsa in lil convenient packages. There's also a Monster Taco (99¢) for a seriousTaco fix! The over all taste of the Taco isn't too bad...In the wise words of Crocadile Dundee, "it tastes like shit, but you could live off it".

I know it's not the healthiest choice, but the food at JITB will satisfy my tummy in a pinch. I also know I'm not alone when I say it's the best stuff on earth after a night of hard partying/clubbing!! Jack in the Box, aka Jack in the Crack, has a pretty diverse menu. There isn't many places you can roll up to at 2a.m. and order a milkshake, jalapeno poppers, some eggrolls, and a hashbrown. So if you see me stuck in that long ass line of hungry nightowls...hoooollllleerrrr!!

**SPECIAL UPDATE submitted by DosEquis and his Bro**

The Jack Taco 411
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Jack in the Box tacos, a permanent menu item since the mid-1950s, have developed a loyal, almost cult following among guests. Consider these taco facts:
Jack in the Box is the first major hamburger fast-food chain to offer tacos in all its restaurants.
600 Jack in the Box tacos are eaten each minute, a total of 315,360,000 tacos each year.
Jack in the Box uses 16 million pounds of fresh, stone-ground, US-grown corn each year to make tortillas - that's approximately 2,500 acres of corn.
The pattern of brown flecks on the taco shell, a distinguishing characteristic of Jack in the Box tacos, are grill marks resulting from the chain-linked conveyor belt that moves the tortillas through a 700-degree oven.
Jack in the Box hands out 136 million packets of taco sauce each year.
Jack in the Box purchases 11 million pounds of beef each year just for tacos.
Placed end to end, the number of Jack in the Box tacos sold each year would reach a distance of approximately 28,500 miles, more than once around the earth.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Thanks to my bro for the info..
Keep drinking the brew -XX-

*********

Thanks again guys! Taco Power!

Las Vegas Taqueria 1417 N. Milpitas BLVD.

2006-08-20T15:05:00.000-07:00

After a long day of shopping at the Great Mall in Milpitas with my girls, the hunger pains started to kick in and the kids were complaining about being hungry. Mall food isnt all that great and i didnt want to spend too much money on a sit down restuarant. So whats the best next thing TACOS. Im familiar with a place in milpitas called Las Vegas Taqueria. We often go there on our lunch breaks so we headed on over there.

Now a little history on Las Vegas Taqueria. We started going there about 2 years ago when a friend of ours recommened it, it had just opened. Food was excellent, the cooks were on point things were good. He used to hit it up about 2 to 3 times a week. Then as business started booming, the owner decided to open up a sit down restuarant in Fremont and payed less attention to the taqueria. They fell off, tacos werent that good anymore it was sort of a let down for a while even though the locals around there still packed it in during lunch.

So I decided lets check it out for the sake of the blog. Today they were on point. I got 2 tacos Carne Asada and 2 tacos Carnitas. I get them without salsa because they have a salsa bar and i like to mix my own. They packed them with a mix of cilantro and onion and store bought tortillas. The meat was tender not too chared but still had some crunchy pieces that gave it flavor. The Carnitas also nicely grilled and not to greasy just the right consisantcy that it needs. I totally recommed this place to everyone the also have a vast selection of delicious plates and you gotta try the Carne Asada Fries, picture nachos supreme but instead of chips they have French Fries, so good. If you frequent there they hook you up with free refills on Horchata i got a large and between me and my girls we killed it quick and they gave us a free refill on it thats $2.69 they didnt charge us for. All in all we were satisfied and left with our bellys full and smiles on our faces.

Future Taco Bloggers

La Salsa (not the chain restaurant)California Ave. . Palo Alto

2006-08-17T14:35:00.000-07:00

So I convince my co-workers to hit up a local taco joint for lunch. Being able to go eat out and review at the same time is the best thing ever, as the saying goes; it's like killing two birds with one stone.

Anyways, we head to La Salsa, not to be confused with the chain restaurant, on California Avenue in Palo Alto. This one is sort of a hole in the wall spot, sorta. As I walk in, a friend and I notice that the place is extremely clean and it looks very promising, but you can never judge the food by the appearance of the restaurant, especially taquerias.

So I scope the menu and you get 2 tacos for 4.99. You can't buy them separately you have to buy them in pairs, which I thought was odd. The choices of meat are steak and chicken, and that's it. No lengua, no carnitas, no al pastor just steak and chicken. I was starting to really doubt this. So I head to the counter, order my 2 steak tacos and an icy cold glass of Horchata. I get my food pretty quick, I say within a couple minutes of waiting. The taco plate contained my two tacos on flour tortillas which from the bland papery taste it probably was store bought. The cubed steak that was spread over them was pretty dry and the taste was very flat, it didn't seem like they added any spices to the meat or even marinated it, the cubes were a bit too large so when you bit into it you would always end up leaving portions of your taco empty. The cilantros, onions, lettuce, tomatoes and cheese bordered the plate. The ingredients looked very fresh and newly cut. The good thing about having the condiments to the side is that you get to regulate on how much you want on them.

Overall I wouldn't recommend going out of your way to go here. The flour tortillas were bland and they tasted like paper topped with dry flavorless meat for 4.99 a pair. That's almost the price of 5 tacos from recent reviews at other taquerias. Actually, I wouldn't even call this a taqueria, it was missing all the different types of meat you would find at the real deal spots. Especially with a small menu, a very clean place and a nice patio area you would think that the food would even taste half as good, too bad it doesn't.

Los 3 Reyes Taco Truck Old Oakland and Rogers . San Jose

2006-08-17T13:49:00.000-07:00

On my way to work today i stopped off at a Taco truck by my work. It is located of Old Oakland Rd and Rogers, We always drive by it and always wonder how their tacos are so today i stopped and got 2 tacos to go. They cost $1.50 each. I only had 4 bucks on me cash so i got 2 carne asada tacos. I got them to go and while on my way to work i could smell the sweet smell of the tacos making hungry. I came up to my department and unwrapped them the aroma of the carne asada tantilized my co-workers sending them off on a taco run themselves. The carne asada was you regular chopped up meat, the sauce they use is an orange sauce i didnt care for it. They provided grilled onions and a jalapeno, radish and lemons. It was okay, looked better than they tasted.

Coronas 601 N 4th St. . San Jose

2006-08-17T13:08:00.000-07:00

If you walk out of this place talking about how much it sucks, YOU SHOULD BE PUNCHED IN THE FACE! First off they make their tortillas in house, which as I mention in the past, is the way to go. They even have the masa flating machine thing there to prove it to you naysayers, which in the taqueria biz that counts as street cred kids.

I hit off this session with 3 carne asada and 1 chicken...each a buck 45. Damn this must be some small portions? Nope these bad boys are a pretty cool size for the price. The carne asada and chicken are seasoned, diced up, grilled just right. They top them off with the house sauce, cilantro, onions, and a hearty helping of guacamole. Or you can get them plain and grab your own blend of toppings from their condiment bar.

Now I dont know if this is the norm, but the service, although really friendly, was rather slow. But its all good. Its like when you were a freshman back in the day and you make plan a day out at the mall with that special someone, you show up on time, he/she lags, you keep looking over your should, and eventually that spepecial moment arrives, you get your little picture booth on, holding hands, little smooches and bid each other ado. You just leave wanting more. PEACE!! and Im out!

La Costa1805 Alum Rock Ave. . San Jose

2006-08-15T14:46:00.000-07:00

Hey, its Taco Tuesday! Today, I took my happy butt over to La Costa, 1805 Alum Rock Ave. for a quick bite to eat. La Costa is a favorite to many people inside and outside of the Alum Rock Ave. and King Rd. vicinity. When La Costa first opened the Tacos were a dollar and the Horchata refills were free! Who would'nt like to eat at a place like that!? The Tacos here are pretty good for the price, $1.10 each Taco, and boy dothey pile on the CARNE!! I picked up 2 Carne Asada Tacos and 1 Taco de Lengua (beef tounge). The tortillas were store bought, but you can't blame La Costa...this place is a high volume Taqueria. Like I mentioned earlier, they didn't skimp on the meat...The Lengua was really tender and had a nice flavor to it. The Carne Asada was cooked well, and had a basic flavor to it. I took my Tacos to go, so I only got 1 lime piece and a radish. If you ask for extra whatever they will give it to you atno extra charge though...except Horchata refills, I think they're like 50¢ now. Not bad for inexpensive semi-fast food. If they would let me put on my own condiments, I would be happier than a pig knee deep in his own shit! Check out La Costa if you're looking for some Tacos and you just so happen to be in the area.

El Grullo797 S. Almaden Ave. . San Jose

2006-08-14T13:50:00.000-07:00

Today I hit up El Grullo on Almaden and Virginia. Its a nice little resurant to get your taco fix for the day. They have tacos for $1.00 the small tortilla ones. They are great for when you are in a hurry and dont have that much cash. I got the Carne Asada and Carnitas. They where both good. The Carne Asada is great chopped up meat really small but with a good flavor to it. The Carnitas are excellent also not to salty and just the right amount of crunchy-ness. So if your ever in the neighborhood hit it up and see for yourself. They also have a full menu but the tacos are the best. I take my daughters there and they love it, its the only place where they will actually eat the food and not play with it. Chips and salsa are provided free if you sit down inside. They also have a patio section in the back where you order tacos only and they provide all the fixings like grilled onions, beans, onion and cilantro, 2 kinds of sauces the red and green ones, and grilled peppers. You can pack it all into your taco and really get your moneys worth.

Tacos El Rancherito1729 McKee Road . San Jose

2006-08-13T02:50:00.000-07:00

And so the adventure begins...at about 10:45pm I was searching for a quick bite to eat and landed at Tacos El Rancherito. I was drawn to this place for a few reasons. Number one reason, the Taco Blog. Second reason, the Tacos are only a buck...cant beat that! Reason number three, I was super hungry after a long session and this place was open and close to home. Tacos El Rancherito can be found @ 1729 McKee Road in San Jose, CA. It sits in the same plaza as Renatos Pizza, 7-11 and Valero Gas. El Rancherito has been there for many years...the Tacos have always been a dollar too. I orderd 4 carne asada Tacos. I'm not sure if the tortillas were handmade, but they were small, soft and flavorful. The meat was tender and it had a decent flavor. The onions were the size of nickels for you onion lovers. I could have used a lil more cilantro but thats just me. The plate was garnished with radishes, limes and soft carrot slices. I should add that the salsa was fiery, bold in taste and didnt take away from the flavor of the meat. The Tacos really hit the spot after a long night. El Rancherito has a modest sized menu with full size platos, mariscos, sopes and of course Tacos. There was a small juke box hanging on the wall pumping some rancheros while i was waiting for my Tacos. If you're looking for some quick late night Tacos for under $5 bucks this may be the spot for you.

El Buen Gusto II1710 Berryessa Rd. . San Jose

2006-08-11T12:58:00.000-07:00

You remember that scene in Pulp Fiction where Uma Thurman is in the JackRabbit Slim's ladies room snorting a line of the finest powder this side of the hemisphere and she jumps up and proclaims "I said GODDAMN! GODDAMN! GODDAMN"... well thats how I felt after sampling the tacos at this next establishment...

El Buen Gusto II is located in a little strip mall off of Lundy and Berryessa. The place is mad clean and the service is quick and friendly. From the looks of things this place is a popular lunch time hang out cause they are adding like twice the space to it, including a marisco bar.

Today I ordered my usaual carne asada tacos, but I opted for 1 super and two regulars. The regulars came packed with thinly sliced carne asada, with beans placed on top of home made tortillas. Homemade is the way to go kiddies.The Pico De gallo was some of the best I've had in awhile, just the right mix of onions, tomatoes, and cilantro. Doesn't over power the taste of the meat and beans. The super came the same as the regular except they added melted cheese and two slices of avacodo. Mm Mm Mm. Washed all that down with a cup of Jamica and I was good to go.

Bistro had carnitas...said they were salty...Heh Heh Heh
Walt had a burrito...whats that all about.

Oh yeah, they sell pretty good pastries too...so grab a desert on your way out.

You get paged to pick up your order here.Satisfied customer!Imperio has advertising!
This was next door.

Imperio Liquors and Taco Stand203 S. King Road . San Jose

2006-08-10T12:47:00.000-07:00

Bistro and me where hankering for some tacos the other day. So we high tailed it to an old east side institution...

Located on the corners of San Antonio and King on the good old East Side of San Jose lays Imperio Liquors. Home to some of the best tacos this side of Cali. This spot is the very definition of a dive spot. A taco stand that doubles as a liquor store, (sorry unlike La Costa there is no drinking on the premises), mad traffic, the occasional drunkard, and the menu is a bit sparse meatwise, but you wont regret it. My personal favorite is the carne asada. Which believe you me, they pile on. With just the right amount of cilantro and onions. The salsa is amazing, but here is where you are taking a shot in the dark cause it can be mild or freaking hot. I guess its on the sadistic cook on duty at the time. Either there way you cant go wrong with this spot. I ordered up 5 tacos and just couldnt get through them. I had to bid the last one a teary goodbye as i chucked it in the trash. Oh, watch out on Friday and Saturday nights... this place gets packed like a mother!!!

Taqueria Eduardo255 Race Street . San Jose

2006-08-09T23:30:00.000-07:00

So here is my first review. I've been dying to post this because I actually got to revisit a pretty good taqueria in my area. The taqueria is called Taqueria Eduardo. It's located at 255 Race Street in San Jose, California, in between Burger King and a Seafood Market. This was actually my 3rd trip here this week. Yes, 3RD! I went to Eduardo's for the first time exactly last week, but I had the Super Tacos and this time I had the Regular Tacos. All in all I prefer the Regular Tacos instead of the Super, just because with the Regular Tacos you get to taste the true flavor of the meat. The Super Taco had too much guacamole and it over-powered the taste. The Regular Tacos on the other hand are fabulous. I suggest eating at the location just so you can taste the freshness of the tortilla without it getting soggy from being wrapped up and taken home. Don't get me wrong, it's still pretty good taken home it just doesn't have the fresh tortilla taste. The Regular Tacos were topped with onions, cilantro and a bit of salsa. All though this time the salsa was put on a bit sparingly but it didn't really matter because they had a cart with all the salsas and radishes to the side with free chips. I had the carne asda and I must say that the beef was tender not chewy with its own distinct flavor. The onions and cilantro were just enough to accent the flavor of the meat and not over power it because we all know that onions and cilantro are very powerful flavors indeed. Taqueria Eduardo gets a score of 3 1/2 stars. It would easily have gotten a four if they added a bit more salsa and tried a bit harder to make a distinguishable one. Overall, I'd say come down to Eduardo's and try one or two or three for yourself. By the way, I heard their wet burritos are pretty good too.

BTW... I forgot to add the price, the Regular Tacos are $1.75. A true bargain.

Taco History UPDATE

2006-08-09T15:38:00.000-07:00

A taco is a traditional Mexican dish comprising a rolled or folded, pliable maize tortilla filled with meat (generally grilled beef, picadillo, fish, chicken or pork), and optionally, a wide variety of vegetables and/or sauces. Common additions include chopped onion and cilantro, chili-based salsa, guacamole, and garnishes such as pico de gallo. (Dishes made with wheat tortillas are generally considered tacos only in northern Mexico.) There are many traditional subvarieties of the taco, and most of them have a certain set of traditional fillings. However, care should be taken when using the word taco outside of Mexico. The word can mean many different things depending on the country in which one is in.

A taco is normally served flat on a tortilla that has been warmed up on a comal; since the tortilla is still soft, it can be folded over or pinched together into a U-shape for convenient consumption. In the variant known as the taco dorado (fried taco) or flauta (Flute in English, because of the shape), the tortilla is filled with pre-cooked chicken or barbacoa, rolled into a cylinder and deep-fried until crisp.

United States
Having cheese, lettuce, or sour cream on a taco is uncommon in Mexico, as is the use of ground beef for the meat — this is more often seen in American fast food chains such as Taco Bell, Del Taco, or Taco John's. Also, hard-shelled tacos (where the tortilla is heavily fried to give it a crisp texture) such as those seen in American fast food are almost non-existent in Mexico.

Mexico
Authentic Mexican taquerías (taco vendors or restaurants) serve many cuts of meat not often seen in some cultures, including stomach, head, and liver meat from cattle. One example of such fare are tacos de cabeza, which are actually made out of the head muscles (including the tongue) and brains of cattle. Mexican tacos are more likely to feature chopped onion and cilantro as condiments, as well as red and green salsa or pico de gallo. Lime slices are also sometimes offered to squeeze over the dish.
One speciality found at many taco stands across Mexico (and a particular favorite in Mexico City) and Texas is the taco al pastor. As the name pastor suggests, they were originally made with lamb or mutton, probably adapted from shawarma which was introduced by Lebanese and Syrian imigrants to Mexico. Now, the main ingredient is spiced pork, which is cut in slivers from a rack of meat standing on a vertical spit in front of an open flame; the method is similar to that used to prepare Döner kebabs and gyros in the Mediterranean. The cooked meat is then placed on a maize tortilla and garnished with chopped cilantro, onion, and a wedge of pineapple, with a dash of salsa as a finishing touch. Since tacos al pastor tend to be among the cheapest tacos, they are the mainstay of many a visit to the taquería.

The authentic Mexican taco is not to be confused with the traditional California taco handed down by the Mexican population of old California. It consists of an over-sized (approximately 6 inches across), lard-fried corn tortilla (not a taco shell) filled with seasoned, bean-diluted ground (or shredded) beef, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce and diced tomato. Most California supermarkets sell oversized corn tortillas for this purpose. However with the influx of recent Mexican immigrants to the rest of the United States, these tacos are hard to find outside of the Southwest; immigrant Mexican restauranteurs tend to emulate the hard-shelled, fast-food version of this taco mentioned earlier in this article.

In the Mexican states of Baja California and Baja California Sur, and the U.S. state of California, along the Pacific coast, the fish taco is quite popular, and is served in many seaside taquerias. These tacos contain chunks of either grilled or battered and deep-fried fish, a white, creamy, milk and mayonnaise based sauce and shredded cabbage.

In northern Mexico, tacos are usually offered in both wheat and maize tortillas, although the former is prefered, with the exception of the above mentioned fish tacos, carnitas and barbacoa. The first dated account of the Taco was written by Bernal Diaz del Castillo in 1520 in his chronicles called A True History of the Conquest of New Spain.

Thanks Wikipedia!

*UPDATE*

CrispyPata added:

I would like to add to the history of the Taco by adding a lil info about the main component of the Taco...the Tortilla. (I'm one of those people that prefers home/handmade tortillas over mass produced tortillas) There is a difference in taste if the tortillas are freshly made. I will eat store bought, but I prefer homemade...yes, I am being a tortilla snob...get over it. :) I'm not sure how many taquerias make their own tortillas, but it shore will be fun finding out. I do know of a few spots that make their own tortillas, and I will review them here later.

If you think I'm the only one going nuts about tortillas, think again. There's an article about Tortillas quickly replacing White Bread in America.

The Tortilla is like the Black Lion of Voltron...its what holds everything in place. A Taco would not be a Taco without the Tortilla. Here's what Wikipedia has to say about the Tortilla...

Tortilla

The Spanish language term tortilla [torˈtiʝa] can be used to mean several different dishes, depending on the area. In Mexican and Mesoamerican terms, a tortilla is a kind of unleavened bread, generally made from maize (corn) and with the introduction of wheat by the Europeans, also with wheat flour. This is the most common usage of the term in English.

In Spain, tortilla stands for omelette, and is thus made up of battered eggs, with other ingredients added at will. The terms Spanish tortilla, tortilla española or tortilla de patatas all refer to a common recipe in Spain, an omelette with stir-fried potatoes and chopped onion, often served as a staple food in Spanish bars and cafés.

As an easy solution to both the problems of handling food in microgravity and preventing bread crumbs from escaping into delicate instruments, tortillas (of the American flavor) have been used on many NASA Shuttle missions since 1985.

Tortilla making

The traditional tortilla has been made of corn or maize since Pre-Columbian times. It is made by curing maize in lime water, grinding and pre-cooking it, kneading it into a dough called masa nixtamalera, pressing it flat into thin patties, and cooking it on a very hot comal (originally a flat terra cotta griddle, now usually made instead of light sheet-metal).

Soaking the maize in lime water is important because it liberates the vitamin niacin and the amino acid tryptophan. When maize was brought back to Europe, Africa and Asia from the New World, people left out this crucial step. People whose diet consisted mostly of corn meal often became sick with the disease pellagra, which was common in Spain, Northern Italy and the southern United States.

In Mexico, particularly in the towns and cities, most corn tortillas are nowadays made by machine and are very thin and uniform, but in El Salvador or Guatemala they are still often made by hand and are thicker. Corn tortillas are customarily served and eaten warm; when cool, they often acquire a rubbery texture.

Traditionally throughout Mesoamerica from Pre-Columbian times into the mid 20th century, the masa was prepared by women using a mano (a cylinder shaped stone like a rolling pin) and metate (a stone base with a slightly concave top for holding the corn).

Most people agree that the traditional stone-ground, hand-made tortillas taste better, but these have been supplanted by cheaper, less labor-intensive, machine-ground corn flour tortillas. Most restaurants proud of their traditional fare, however, will have at least one person bent over a hot comal, turning out an endless stream of piping-hot, hand-made tortillas.

The wheat flour tortilla was an innovation after wheat was brought to the New World from Spain while this region was the colony of New Spain. It is made with an unleavened, water-based dough, and pressed and cooked just like corn tortillas. These tortillas are very similar to the unleavened bread popular in Arab, eastern Mediterranean and southern Asian countries, though thinner and smaller in diameter. In China, there is the laobing (烙餅), a pizza-shaped thick "pancake" that is similar to the tortilla. The Indian Roti, which is made essentially from wheat flour, is another example.

Tortillas vary in size from about 6 to over 30 cm depending on the region of the country and the dish for which it is intended.

Among tortilla variants (without being, strictly speaking, tortillas) there are pupusas, "pishtones, gorditas, sopes, and tlacoyos. These filled snacks can be found in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. They are smaller, thicker versions to which beans, chicharrón, nopales or other ingredients have been added. They are customarily cooked on a greased pan.

In Argentina, Bolivia and southern Chile, the size of the tortillas is smaller, and they are generally more salty, made from wheat or corn flour and roasted in the ashes of a traditional adobe oven. This kind of tortilla is called Sopaipilla (not to be confused with a puffy fry bread of the same name common in New Mexico, United States). In Chile and Argentina it may also be sweetened after being cooked by boiling in sugar water. In commercial production and even in some larger restaurants, automatic machines make tortillas from dough.

Thanks again Wikipedia!

Welcome!

2006-08-09T01:41:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome to The Great Taco Blog where we search high and low for the greatest tacos ever made. You'll find our adventures and reviews here. So stay tuned and if you have any suggestions for us, please feel free to comment. Thanks!