Perfecto Taco de Sacto

Jalapeños

2011-11-02T10:40:00.000-07:00

The Location: Jalapeños, 1413 21st Street Sacramento, CA

The Taco: "Tacos Special" 2 crispy carnitas tacos with lettuce cheese and sour cream served on a plate with beans and rice.

The Price: $6.95

The Verdict: The menu clearly states no substitutions, however, I was able to order my carnitas just the way I like them. Carnitas on a crispy shell with lettuce on top. I seemed to have received a double portion of rice, since I asked for no beans, which was alright by me. The rice was pretty typical of what you'll find at most taquerias, fairly dry fluffy orange rice with nothing special added to it. Specifically, just the way I like my taqueria rice.

The staff was extremely friendly and the gentleman that took our order also brought us our food. He even noticed we hadn't helped ourselves to the silverware so he brought us forks and knives even though our table was just behind the self serve station.

Upon first impression, the tacos looked small, but it was late, I was hungry and I had a long night ahead of me. In the end they did fill me up, but I was not stuffed. The taco shells were perfectly formed so you could get a clean crisp bite every time. The carnitas meat was fried really well. Crispy edges, juicy meat in the middle. I did have one bite in one of my tacos that seemed overly fatty, but we'll just chalk that up to them being carnitas after all.

Now, I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Salsa can make or break a taco restaurant review. I noticed when we walked into the small establishment with just about 7 tables there was no salsa bar. Each meal came with one tiny cup of really thin red salsa, not a lump of tomato or jalepeño to be found. The salsa was so thin, it didn't seem to have much flavor at all, on top of that, it was relatively spice-less. It's no wonder they keep Tapatío on every table.

I marked deductions for the salsa (or lack there of) and the less than perfect carnitas meat.

The Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)

Taqueria Garibaldi

2011-06-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

The Location: Taqueria Garibaldi, 1841 Howe Ave, Sacramento.

The Taco: Crispy taco. Chicken, carnitas.

The Price: $3.10/each à la carte

The Verdict: When I drove by this restaurant with a vaguely Italian name I thought maybe I had stumbled upon some kind of cosmic Italian-Mexican mashup. Carnitas ravioli? Fettucine al pastor? Sadly it was not to be. (Note to the internet: please work on this).

Instead I found a typical taqueria with the usual burritos, enchiladas, and, yes, tacos. I opted for two of the crispy tacos - one with carnitas and one shredded chicken. Each one was loaded up with sour cream, guacamole, salsa cheese and meat. Speaking of meats, they offer at least eight different choices on the menu as well as four different types of tacos (regular, super, crispy & vegetarian); a return visit would definitely be required in order to sample every possible combination.

As for the tacos themselves, I found the shredded chicken to be pretty bland. The carnitas was chewy and had a hint of crisp on the outside, just about right — but it suffered from being a bit too fatty. Fat is flavor, but there can be a fine line between flavorful and over-fatty. The crispy shells were obviously freshly prepared and were not too greasy, a plus. For my taste the tacos were too heavy on the sour cream and not heavy enough on the guacamole but that may be a personal preference. Overall, I found these to be average – definitely an edible meal but one that could have been much more enjoyable with a few tweaks.

The Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)

Sacramento Mobile Food Festival

2011-05-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

The Location: 1st Annual Sacramento Mobile Food Festival. Fremont Park.

The Taco: Chando's Tacos & Tacos La Piedad.

The Price: $2/each (Chando's), $1.50/each (La Piedad)

The Verdict: After a long hiatus from writing reviews we ventured out, along with most of the rest of Sacramento, to the 1st Annual Mobile Food Festival in Fremont Park at 16th & Q. The local news stations are reporting that there were close to 10,000 attendees and I can believe it.

We waited about 25 minutes at our first truck stop - Tacos La Piedad, usually found in the vicinity of Northgate and Peralta Ave in Natomas. We sampled the carnitas tacos here which came loaded up with meat, caramelized onion and serve-yourself helpings of salsa, cilantro and lime wedges. The carnitas had a good juicy flavor with just a hint of chewy crunch and the chunks of caramelized onion were a nice touch that added a kick of sweetness. A delicious bargain at $1.50 each.

By the time we hit our next stop at Chando's the festival lines had swelled to immense proportions. I dug in and waited out an almost 2 hour line to sample both the chicken and carne asada tacos at this truck. Chando's restaurant location on Arden Way has been receiving rave reviews so I went in with high hopes. By the end of the line two hours later I probably would have eaten anything put in front of me, but Chando didn't disappoint as both the chicken and steak tacos were excellent with a good spice kick from the generous amount of salsa splashed on top. I look forward to trying their restaurant location soon.

Overall we were very satisfied with the food at the Festival, hopefully the organizers can find a way to control the lines next time (perhaps Sacramento needs a monthly or even weekly food truck event?) because waiting up to two hours for a taco is a little extreme, no matter how good they are.

The Rating: Food - ★★★★ (out of 5). Wait time - ★

Tacos La Piedad:

Chando's:

524 Mexican

2010-08-04T11:23:00.000-07:00

The Location: 524 Mexican. 524 12th St, Sacramento

The Taco: 3 item combo. One chicken & two carnitas tacos, plus rice and beans.

The Price: $11.49

The Verdict: We hit up 524 Mexican after reading some good reviews expecting to find the greatest gift to Mexican food since the flour tortilla. Unfortunately, we left sorely disappointed. I tried the chicken and carnitas crunchy tacos and found both to be bland and uninspiring. The meat had little flavor of its own and I encountered several inedible bits of gristle in the carnitas tacos. The reviews had led me to believe that the food here was consistently excellent and delicious, so either we ended up at the wrong restaurant or they were having an off night.

The Rating: ★★ ½ (out of 5)

El Mariachi

2010-07-02T11:10:00.000-07:00

The Location: El Mariachi, Davis - Farmer's Market stand

The Taco: Large Taco

The Price: $7.50/plate (includes rice & beans)

The Verdict: We found this taco plate on a recent trip to the Davis Farmer's Market where a number of food vendors set up temporary shop on Wednesday evenings throughout the summer. This one came from El Mariachi whose regular storefront can be found on G St in Davis.

I ordered the "large taco" with carnitas, and it was prepared quickly in the little tent and served steaming hot. As far as tacos go, this was definitely on the large side, stuffed full with lots of meat as well as a dash of pico de gallo and… well, frankly I don't know what else because it was almost all meat. Thumbs up! My only complaint was that the meat was a little on the dry side. No doubt serving from a temporary tent in the middle of Central Park isn't the most optimum kitchen environment, so I will give them the benefit of the doubt and look forward to giving them a second chance at their bricks and mortar location sometime soon.

The Rating: ★★★ ½ (out of 5)

Taqueria Davis

2010-06-16T15:42:00.000-07:00

The Location: Taqueria Davis. 505 1/2 L St, Davis

The Taco: Carnitas crunchy tacos

The Price: $2.89/each a la carte

The Verdict: Straying outside our Sacramento boundaries isn't unusual (we just hit up a few choice spots in San Francisco) but we try to keep this blog as locally-focused as possible. That said, Davis is just a short trip over the causeway and we will always have a soft-spot in our hearts for the hamlet and it's many taquerias. On this most recent trip I found myself at Taqueria Davis for the first time. It is tucked away in a somewhat rundown mini shopping-center sandwiched between a pizza place and 7-11.

After hearing warnings that the soft tacos were too small I decided to sample the crunchy tacos. I ordered mine with carnitas, and after a wait which seemed a little longer than it should have been they appeared at our table. Each taco was loaded up with meat, lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, salsa & cheese. The tacos themselves were a good size so the previous warning may only apply to the soft shell. The toppings were plentiful and while the taco was satisfying it wasn't particularly memorable. The meat was flavorful but not outstanding and seemed to be a little lost among the pile of sour cream and guac. A little more focus on getting everything arranged in the right proportions might have given this one a chance to earn an extra star.

The Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)

Trader Joe's Pork Al Pastor

2010-05-17T19:21:00.001-07:00

pork al pastor from trader joe's
Originally uploaded by jenniferjpan

The Location: Anywhere with a stove

The Taco: Trader Joe's Pork Al Pastor

The Price: Varies

The Verdict: I spotted this at TJ's recently and decided to give it a try in the name of science. It comes in a handy frozen package that you can prepare in just a few minutes. The contents of the bag are pretty much just meat with some seasonings so to round it out I grabbed some ingredients that I already had in the fridge -- a handful of diced yellow onion sautéed briefly, tomatillo salsa and a dash of guacamole with some corn tortillas to hold it all together.

Overall I give this dish a few points for ease of use. It literally only takes a few minutes to heat up on the stove with a microwave option also available. On the other hand, the flavor left something to be desired. I wasn't expecting miracles from a frozen entrée, but I found the meat to be pretty bland and not a very good representation of what true spicy pork al pastor should be.

As frozen tacos go, if you're in a hurry you could do a lot worse but as a substitute for a good example of pastor? Not so much.

The Rating: ★★ ½ (out of 5)

Super Taco (Laguna West, Elk Grove)

2010-05-01T20:56:00.000-07:00

The Location: Super Taco 4720 Laguna Blvd , Elk Grove

The Taco: 2 Taco Combo Dinner Plate (1 crispy chicken, 1 crispy carnitas)

The Price: $7.75

The Verdict: We've seen the "Coming Soon" sign for months and finally Super Taco in Laguna West has opened up. Once inside we come to find out they have two other locations in/near Elk Grove already.

When you first enter there is a counter to order at but we went for the full sit down dining experience. The paint on the lovely decorated chairs was so fresh you could still smell it. We were started off with an amazing array of salsas served with a piping hot basket of chips. The salsas included one house (chunky red with cilantro), one green (very thin and drippy), one red (spicy and thin) and the last was interesting. It was habanero peppers, onion and lime juice. If you like spice, you will like this combo!

My tacos were standard issue corn tortilla shells stuffed with the juicy meat I ordered, topped with lettuce and tomato. They come with cheese but I left the cheese off. The carnitas meat was perfectly shredded with a nice meat flavor but it definitely needed some salsas on top. It was also missing that pan fried crisp to it, but that didn't take away from the lovely flavor. The chicken was shredded with a nice marinade. I added salsa to this one as well. The side servings of rice and beans were plentiful. (Note: I always skip on the beans and order double rice because that's how I roll.)

Overall it was a pleasant dining experience with great food and excellent salsas minus the exceptionally long checkout time. We were done and we couldn't flag down our waiter for the check. I think the 3 waiters were overwhelmed on opening weekend. The place was surprisingly busy for its first Saturday!

The Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)

Taqueria El Festival (Downtown edition)

2010-04-28T21:49:00.000-07:00

The Location: Taqueria El Festival. 906 J St, Sacramento

The Taco: Super Taco (1 carnitas, 1 pollo)

The Price: $3.10 / each

The Verdict: I had just stopped in at El Festival's other location on Folsom Blvd only two reviews back and had left wanting more, so when I found myself downtown with some time kill today I decided to make a return trip to see if their new spot on J lived up to the same high standards. All in the name of science, you understand.

This time I ordered two of their Super Tacos, one each of carnitas and chicken. The super comes loaded up with meat, cheese, cilantro, sour cream, guacamole, and pico de gallo. These tacos live up to their "super" name with all the toppings being piled high, making them a delicious drippy mess to eat. Just as on my visit to Folsom Blvd, the carnitas was moist and flavorful with just a little chewy crunchy crust. The chicken was well marinated and had a good flavor.

All in all not much new to say here that hasn't already been covered, the line at this one was also out the door by the time the lunch rush was in full swing. It's always good to see that a separate location is living up to the reputation of its sibling.

The Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)

Luis Jr.'s

2010-03-08T15:06:00.000-08:00

The Location: Luis Jr.'s, 2901 K St.

The Taco: Carnitas Taco Dinner

The Price: $10.95

The Verdict: After spying Luis Jr.'s while driving through midtown looking for a different restaurant we decided to change our plans and stop in. Despite having no obvious parking the restaurant was doing swift Friday night business (there are a couple of meters across the street, and a gas station — I honestly have no idea where you are supposed to park. We got lucky at the meter). Even so we were able to sit down right away and got to work inspecting the menu. I opted for the carnitas dinner plate which comes with two crispy tacos, guacamole, pico de gallo, rice and beans.

No complaints about the portion size — the tacos were loaded up with meat and while the sides appeared small they were dense and very filling. I found the taco shells to be a little greasy for my liking. I can assume they were freshly made, so maybe a little more time to allow the grease to drop off would have been warranted. The carnitas itself was nicely shredded and had that pan-roasted crust that seems so difficult to get right, BUT overall it was too dry. A little more of the carnitas' natural juices and a little less flavorless grease on the taco shell would have gone a long way towards earning this one an extra star. In summary, this one probably has the potential to be very good but, at least on this trip, it just missed the mark.

The Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)

Taqueria El Festival

2010-03-01T09:48:00.000-08:00

The Location: El Festival. 8345 Folsom Blvd, Sacramento

The Taco: Taco plate - two tacos, rice and beans.

The Price: $5.99

The Verdict: Having found myself nearby, I acted on a recommendation from reader David and headed down Folsom Blvd. to check out El Festival. The restaurant was nearly empty when I walked in just before noon although the jukebox was going strong blaring out some spanish-language tunes.

I ordered the taco plate with two carnitas tacos. The food arrived quickly and was hot but not scalding - perfect. The carnitas was juicy and flavorful with just a hint of chewy pan-roasted crust. The toppings were minimal and traditional — salsa, onions and cilantro. There's not really much to say about these, they tasted good and were exactly as described on the menu. All taquerias should be so lucky! The sides of beans and rice were nothing remarkable (the rice was oddly neon), but they were a fine complement to the meal and certainly nothing to complain about.

Overall, my feelings about this restaurant can probably be summed up in a couple of sentences: I liked the taste of the food so much that by the time I finished my meal I wanted to go back and order some more items just to sample them. Unfortunately, by then there was a line out the door! Clearly I'm not the only one that thinks the food here is worth stopping for.

The Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)

Chevys Fresh Mex

2010-02-25T09:44:00.000-08:00

The Location: Chevys Fresh Mex, multiple local locations

The Taco: 3 taco combo. One Original Salsa Chicken, One slow-roasted Carnitas, One Picadillo Beef served with beans, rice and sweet corn tamalito.

The Price: About $12

The Verdict: What is there to say about Chevys? We've been there a number of times, but as I recall it has been a few years since we last tried them out. It's a major national chain, and as such has to cater to the broadest possible tastes. Unfortunately, that means that the food is not particularly authentic.

Getting straight to the details: the meal was delivered luke-warm. Not acceptable at a large, well-established restaurant like this. The beef taco contained some ground beef which lacked any interesting flavor. It tasted like something I could make at home in 10 minutes with powdered taco seasoning.

The chicken taco was slightly better, but it was too dry. I had to dump some salsa on just to liven it up a bit. I don't know where they get the name "Salsa Chicken" because the taco did not seem to have any salsa anywhere within.

The carnitas had a strange smokey, almost BBQ-like flavor. Very different from what I would traditionally expect from carnitas. With some complementary side dishes and a tweak to the seasoning it could potentially be sold as an acceptable bbq taco, but, as is, it was out of place at Chevys.

Conclusions: The simple taco should be the cornerstone of any mexican restaurant, especially one with years of experience and tens of thousands of customers a year. Somehow, Chevys managed to disappoint three separate ways on this trip.

The Rating: ★★ (out of 5)

Ay Jalisco

2010-01-11T10:00:00.000-08:00

The Location: Ay Jalisco, Jefferson Blvd

The Taco: One each of carnitas, carne asada and al pastor (not pictured)

The Price: $1.89/each

The Verdict: Ay Jalisco has been tempting us from its location just off the freeway in West Sacramento for years, and we've been meaning to stop by to check it out. After reader AJ wrote in to recommend it, we knew it had to get bumped to the top of the list. I tried one each of the carne asada, carnitas and al pastor tacos. Each one was topped with a traditional onion and cilantro mix with a little salsa thrown in for good measure.

The carnitas tasted fine but was nothing special. It seemed to essentially be shredded pork without that extra bit of chewy caramelized texture that good carnitas should have. The carne asada was tasty with a good marinated flavor that wasn't overwhelming. Of the three my favorite was the al pastor. Typically al pastor is served thinly sliced, similar to a gyro, but in this case it came chopped into small cubes. The flavor of the marinade (which is really the key to al pastor) came through nicely, with a good spice that wasn't too strong.

Overall, I rate this as a respectable three and a half stars.

The Rating: ★★★ ½ (out of 5)

Grilled Pork Tacos

2010-01-04T13:53:00.000-08:00

We made some home-made pork tacos the other night, taken from a recipe at Culinary Grace Notes. The recipe calls for home-made guacamole and pineapple salsa, but I decided to forego that in favor of The Trader Joe's versions of each. A big time saver, and the TJ's versions are delicious enough. A squeeze of fresh lime across the top, and these are ready to go.

The marinade recipe is rather long, but it only takes about 15 minutes and a quick zip in the blender, then marinate for a couple of hours (original recipe calls for only one hour, but I say the longer the better) and throw the meat on the grill. I ended up charring the meat a little too much, but despite that these tacos were delicious. We threw the toppings inside some Chipotle tortillas from La Tortilla Factory (via Raley's) for an easy dinner. If I was rating my own cooking, these would earn 4½ stars, although I do tend to grade myself on a curve.

Eva's Mexican

2009-12-31T16:12:00.000-08:00

The Location: Eva's Mexican, 242 Vernon St, Roseville

The Taco: Chicken Taco Lunch Special

The Price: $5.45 for one taco with rice & beans

The Verdict: Last taco of the year, and last review of the decade!

Eva's is tucked away in old Roseville across the street from the Magic Circle Theater. I stopped in this morning for a quick bite and I was happy to find a very reasonable selection of lunch specials that could be had for only a 5-spot and change. There was, however, only one taco selection amongst the specials; though it can be had with either chicken or beef. (There are some other taco choices elsewhere on the menu for a few bucks more). I chose the chicken taco, and it appeared at my table in just a minute or two. It featured shredded chicken which was moist although not extraordinarily flavorful, topped with lettuce, a big mound of cheese, and a slice of tomato. While I didn't find it to be remarkable, it was a perfectly acceptable light lunch and priced reasonably for a sit-down restaurant.

The Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)

Los Primos Mexican Food

2009-12-23T11:59:00.000-08:00

The Location: Los Primos on Sheldon Rd

The Taco: Two taco combo (chicken)

The Price: $7.19 (including rice & beans)

The Verdict: Los Primos is located next to a gas station on Sheldon Road. Well, not so much next to the gas station as attached to the side of it. You enter through the gas station convenience store to get to the restaurant (they also have a drive-through). Not being ones to let the lack of a formal setting stop us in our hunt for the perfect taco, we ventured in with the family.

The restaurant is small, with seating for perhaps a dozen people, but the menu is relatively large with everything from soups to tortas and plenty of burrito and taco choices. I went for the chicken taco combo plate that includes rice, beans and two crunchy tacos. The tacos came loaded with lettuce, cheese and meat but unfortunately not a whole lot of flavor. Even after dousing them in one of the several available salsas they just didn't pack much more than a bland taste.

While there was nothing wrong with them per se, and certainly the threat of the gas-station taco could have been far worse, there was nothing special to remember. At another more traditional restaurant these would have been more disappointing, but given my somewhat lowered expectations of the locale I am letting them off with a 3-star rating.

The Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)

Centro Cocina Mexicana

2009-12-14T19:38:00.000-08:00

The Location: Centro Cocina Mexicana 2730 J St, Sacramento

The Taco: Taco de Carnitas y Taco de Pollo.

The Price: $10.75 for 2 taco combo dinner plate served with rice and beans (though I ordered my plate sans beans)

The Verdict: Upon arriving I dove straight into the chips and salsa. The chips were warm and fresh and there were two blended salsas to choose from, one red, one green. I enjoyed both immensely. Neither were particularly spicy, but had plenty of flavor and a tiny kick. When we got around to ordering our waitress told us the tacos from the combo plate were small, and she was right. This entree certainly needed the sides to go along with it to complete the meal for me.

I was disappointed when my plate arrived and the rice was only long grain white rice instead of your traditional orange spanish rice. The chicken taco was advertised as "seasoned chicken" however I could not find the seasonings. The meat seemed bland and boring with no flavor. My chicken taco was loaded with cabbage though and I thought that was an odd selection, as opposed to the more standard lettuce topping. The meat in the carnitas taco was really good. It sure was crispy and had great pork flavor. It wasn't too chunky and I quite enjoyed that taco. Though both tacos advertised salsa on them, I did not find that it was nearly enough so I made sure to dump some from the chip dipping bowls to spice up my tacos a bit more.

Overall since I did not enjoy half my meal, I cannot give a glowing taco review.

The Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)

El Novillero

2009-11-22T13:02:00.000-08:00

The Location: El Novillero. 4216 Franklin Blvd, Sacramento

The Taco: #23, Carnitas Taco Dinner

The Price: $11.95 for two tacos plus rice & beans

The Verdict: El Novillero celebrated its 40th year of operation this year, and as I've said before, any business that manages to survive that long must have something going for it. They have racked up three "Best Mexican Restaurant" awards from KCRA, not to mention being specifically recommended to us by an acquaintance as "the best mexican food in Sacramento", so we made our first visit expecting greatness. The restaurant itself has enough charm to go around and inside you could just as easily imagine yourself in Mexico as Sacramento.

I ordered the carnitas taco plate which came with two well-stuffed tacos and a healthy portion of rice and beans on the side. The tacos were filled with plenty of meat, a generous layer of guacamole and topped with some lettuce, cheese and sauce. The meat was juicy and flavorful and had just the right amount of chewiness. I found the sides to be acceptable, but not great. The beans were tasty but a little dry. The rice had a pronounced tomato flavor that I didn't find overly objectionable, but I would have enjoyed a more subtle flavor.

Overall, this is a taco blog and I did enjoy the tacos. By the stated criteria, this was a delicious well-prepared taco that I would recommend to friends. Maybe we encountered a fluke but the side dishes, would not earn as much of a recommendation.

The Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)

La Fiesta Taqueria

2009-11-10T15:02:00.000-08:00

The Location: La Fiesta Taqueria, Sacramento

The Taco: Plato de Carnitas

The Price: $9.80

The Verdict: La Fiesta Taqueria is a Sacramento Mid-town lunch time favorite! When I stopped in today at noon the line was out the door. This line continued my entire half hour in the restaurant. This also meant lines for chips and salsa, which are self serve bars whether the food is for there or to go. The salsa bar is diverse with blended salsas to chunky pico de gallo and slices of lime.

Not knowing what I was getting myself into, I opted for the Carnitas plate. I got exactly that. A plate with a very generous portion of Carnitas meat, rice, guacamole, sour cream, a little bit of ice berg lettuce topped with a gigantic slice of tomato. It comes with beans as well, but I chose double rice instead. I received 4 tortillas in a separate tortilla warmer. I had a choice of corn or flour and I chose flour.

Next, I got building! I built a gorgeous soft taco. The carnitas were scrumptious. They were soft and juicy but crispy in spots on the outside, practically perfect. I topped my taco with all sorts of goodies from my plate and then... I got full. I had to bring half my plate home with me.

Note that La Fiesta Taqueria does not take credit cards and they charge 50¢ in ATM fees. My plate combo did not come with a drink so after I ordered my drink and paid my ATM fee the total for my lunch was $13.34. The portion size was most definitely dinner worthy.

The Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)

Sacrag & Tacramento: BFFs!

2009-09-29T21:36:00.000-07:00

Sac Rag has a new favorite blog, and what do you know, it's us! Thanks guys! Welcome to all the readers heading over here from that neck of the woods. Keep the suggestions coming for your favorite local taco joints and we'll do our best to check them out!

Feel like writing your own review? (We can't keep up with every taqueria in town, no matter how hard we try). Send us your notes, following the established format, along with a decent quality photograph and we'll post it up and give you the the credit! Contact is at the top of the page there, so get going!

Agree with one of our illustrious and well-written reviews? Think we're morons who wouldn't know carnitas from caramel? Leave a comment and let us know.

La Favorita Taqueria

2009-09-26T20:16:00.001-07:00

The Location: La Favorita Taqueria, Sacramento

The Taco: Carnitas Super Taco

The Price: $3.60 each taco. ($2.50 extra for rice/beans combo)

The Verdict: La Favorita is tucked away off Florin Road behind a Del Taco, but it couldn't be any more different than its neighbor. When I stopped by there was Futbol on the TVs, plenty of guys in cowboy hats in the restaurant, and a vendor outside selling churros from a cart.

I decided to sample the Super Taco with carnitas. When they say "super", they're not kidding. The tortillas were completely covered with lettuce, tomato, sour cream, guacamole and plenty of meat. And not just any meat, they were filled with moist, chewy, unbelievably flavorful chunks of carnitas. The tacos were so huge that they almost demanded a knife and fork but I managed to persevere in the way nature intended a taco to be eaten with plenty of napkins close by.

The portion of rice and beans was also delicious, and like everything else on the plate steaming hot and obviously prepared just moments before. By the end of the plate I was stuffed and satisfied. (But not being one to pass up a good Churro, I saved room so I could stop at the cart on the way out. $1 well spent!)

I almost hesitate to say it, because we haven't rated a 5-star taco yet and my standards are so high, but this one deserves a top spot. Highly recommended.

The Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)

Baja Burrito

2009-09-19T17:34:00.000-07:00

The Location: Baja Burrito, Elk Grove

The Taco: Carne Asada soft taco

The Price: $1.79 each

The Verdict: A simple taco for a simple price. This taco features choice of meat, with onion/cilantro mix and guacamole. While there was plenty of carne and it was tasty enough it didn't truly wow me. Just a little extra seasoning or flavor to the meat would have gone a long way. Liberal application of one of the several fresh salsa choices (all excellent) did the trick for me. The onion and cilantro mix was well proportioned but the guacamole almost went unnoticed underneath. For the price though, I don't exactly expect half an avocado on there so this is about as expected. During happy hours when the price drops by $0.50 these would be an even better value for money. Overall, a good quick bite at a good price that just misses the mark of being excellent.

The Rating: ★★★ ½ (out of 5)

Valencia's Carniceria Taqueria

2009-08-17T11:33:00.000-07:00

The Location: Valencia's Carniceria Taqueria, Citrus Heights

The Taco: Carne Asada two taco plate

The Price: $5.99

The Verdict: If you want atmosphere, this is it. Valencia's Taqueria shares space with a Mexican grocery and carniceria where you can pick up any number of packaged food items or prepared meat from their counter. Overhead there is a continuous stream of upbeat mariachi music playing over the speakers and scarcely a word of English seemed to be spoken while we were there. My spanish being a tad rusty, I did run into a little communication breakdown with the young man working the register at the time we came in for lunch but that was soon resolved and didn't end up being a problem. What the restaurant has in character however, was somehow lost in translation to the plate. The tacos in my carne asada combo were small and mostly unremarkable. The doubled-up corn tortillas were overly greasy and while the small splash of red salsa had a good flavor, the meat itself wasn't especially flavorful. The included beans and rice arrived on a separate plate about 5 minutes after the tacos. While my dining partner and I both agreed that the salsa verde from the small salsa bar was very good, it seemed a bit too little too late to save my rating. If given a choice, the far superior El Forastero directly across the street would win out over this place even if it means I have to give up the mariachi music.

The Rating: ★★½ (out of 5)

Free Jack In The Box tacos - today only

2009-08-04T09:01:00.000-07:00

They're not exactly gourmet, but if you just gotta have a free taco today then check out your local Jack In The Box. Be sure to bring along this coupon to get two free tacos.

Emma's Taco House

2009-07-27T17:27:00.000-07:00

The Location: Emma's Taco House. 1617 Sacramento Ave, West Sacramento, CA

The Taco: Carnita[sic] Tacos

The Price: 11.99 (with rice, beans, tortilla & soup or salad)

The Verdict: Any restaurant that has been in business since 1950 must be doing something right, and this little out-of-the-way spot on Sacramento Ave is a case in point. I got what was listed on the menu as the "Carnita Taco" plate which included two tacos, rice, beans, choice of soup or salad and an extra tortilla plus chips & salsa. Despite a warning that it would take about 15 minutes for a to-go order, they had it ready in less than 10. The tacos were stuffed with huge chunks of juicy and flavorful carnitas as well as lettuce, onions, cheese, and green salsa. Guacamole and pico de gallo were provided on the side.
My only complaint is that the best carnitas has a crunchy pan-seared outside, and this particular recipe did not, or at least I didn't get any chunks with the crunchy caramelized coating. But for that minor detail these would have scored an easy four-and-a-half. Overall, top-notch tacos, worth a repeat visit.

The Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)

Los Arcos Cocina Mexicana

2009-07-17T11:24:00.001-07:00

The Location: Los Arcos Cocina Mexicana, Elk Grove, CA

The Taco: Carne Asada Taco Plate

The Price: About $8

The Verdict: As per usual I give points for size – there was a generous portion of carne in each of these tacos. Other than that, they were tasty but not spectacular. After I dumped two different salsas and some hot sauce on top there was a good flavor, but the meat itself could have done with a bit of a flavor upgrade so that I didn't have to add to it. Despite the ride home in a takeout container the food stayed nice and hot and was none the worse for the journey. Overall, I'd get these again for a quick lunch bite if I was in the area, but I probably wouldn't go out of my way.

The Rating: ★★★ ½ (out of 5)

El Forastero

2009-06-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

The Location: El Forastero, 8027 Greenback Ln, Citrus Heights

The Taco: Carne Asada Taco Combo

The Price: $8 (or slightly more or less depending on choice of meat)

The Verdict: If nothing else, this restaurant wins big points for value for money. For $8 I got two of the biggest tacos I've ever seen, stuffed to overflowing with carne, chunky salsa and fresh guacamole as well as a huge portion of rice and beans. I usually have a pretty big appetite, and two tacos are rarely enough to fill me up, but after two of these bad boys there was no way I could plow through all the beans and rice on the side as well. Seriously, I've had smaller burritos!

The tacos were made and brought out to my table within what seemed like no more than a minute, and they were steaming hot - enough that I couldn't pick them up right away. There's no doubt that these were freshly prepared. The salsa, while a little chunky for my preference, was excellent as was the guacamole and they made up a very simple but tasty 3-ingredient taco. Free chips and salsa, if you have the appetite for it, are also available.

This restaurant is in a former Jimboy's location across from the Sunrise Mall, and is a nice upgrade from that previous occupant.

The Rating: ★★★★ ½ (out of 5)

Todo Un Poco

2009-06-24T15:59:00.000-07:00

The Location: Todo Un Poco in Elk Grove

The Taco: 3 Tacos with Rice and Beans

The Price: $10.95

The Verdict: I can't believe we've lived in Elk Grove for three years and this was our first trip to this little gem! This restaurant offers a variety of food choices including soups, sandwiches, Italian fare, as well as Mexican foods. Don't be fooled by the variety thinking they don't know what they're doing in that little cocina, because they do!

I ordered 3 hard shell carnitas tacos with no cheese and no beans. The tacos were crunchy and full of exquisitely cooked shredded, but chunky pork, topped with fresh shredded cabbage and two types of salsa. The green salsa was sweet and the red salsa was spicy, a perfect combination. In addition to the side of rice, I was surprised to find a miniature spinach salad topped with yellow corn and red salsa on my plate as well. The combination worked rather well. I had a few bites of the rice and enjoyed it, but I was there to eat tacos and by the end of the third taco I simply didn't have room for the rice.

Bonus tip, Todo Un Poco had a coupon in the 2009 Entertainment book so we received $10 off our order with the buy one get one free coupon.

The Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)

Chipotle Mexican Grill

2009-06-05T10:02:00.001-07:00

The Location: Chipotle, Elk Grove, CA

The Taco: Barbacoa soft taco

The Price: About $6.50 for three.

The Verdict: Unless you've been living under a rock you have no doubt come across the Chipotle chain. They offer assembly-line tacos and burritos in a faux modern brushed metal dining room. I typically categorize Chipotle as "Mexican-style" more than it is traditional Mexican, as the choices are clearly catered to the big-appetites and americanized tastes of the US consumer. On the other hand, there is something to be said for the assembly-line method: you can customize your meal exactly the way you like. Chipotle has even tapped into that theme with its most recent round of advertising. I ordered my tacos with hot salsa, corn salsa, cheese, lettuce and barbacoa meat.

The tacos managed to hold their shape pretty well despite the to go order. The hot salsa has a good kick to it which made them plenty spicy and each of the ingredients were well proportioned. The meat itself was tasty, but I found it a little salty. It may be just the combination of spices they use or maybe I got a bad batch, but it overwhelmed the other flavors in my opinion. Otherwise these were pretty typical chain-store fare, nothing spectacular but certainly edible and freshly prepared.

The Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)

Salsa Tacos

2009-05-26T19:54:00.001-07:00

The Location: Salsa Tacos, 910 W Capitol Ave, West Sacramento

The Taco: Two item chicken taco plate

The Price: $7.26

The Verdict: Tonight was a return trip to Salsa Tacos which has previously served us up some tasty bites (in the pre-blog era). This was my first time through their tiny drive through, and the service was quick and efficient. Once I got home I found the crunchy tacos a little soggy but I'll blame that on the unfortunate circumstance of a 20-minute drive home and won't subtract any stars. The tacos were otherwise very tasty, with juicy meat and a substantial amount of filling stuffed into the shell. Quick tip if you like it spicy: order the hot salsa and pour it on liberally. It has a good flavor as well as a good amount of heat that manages to be hot enough without burning the taste buds into oblivion. As for the side dishes, both the rice and the refried beans were delicious. I'm not sure if the beans are prepared from scratch, but they tasted like it.

This small restaurant is tucked away on W Capitol Ave directly adjacent to a Jim Boy's Tacos. If you have the choice, I recommend you go for Salsa Tacos over the chain store every time.

The Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)

Taqueria Maria

2009-05-19T15:39:00.001-07:00

IMG_0416
Originally uploaded by ptelford

The Location: Taqueria Maria, Roseville

The Taco: Crispy Taco

The Price: $2.25/each

The Verdict: This little restaurant is hidden away behind a gas station, and if you're not paying attention you might easily miss it. That would be a shame, because the food is delicious. The menu is extensive with at least a half-dozen types of meats to choose, several taco choices and all the usual burrito, enchilada, etc. options too. My taco came with a generous helping of pastor (spicy pork), guacamole, sour cream, lettuce & pico. Everything about it tasted fresh and the meat was tender & flavorful. At the risk of ruining my appetite for dinner, I would have happily consumed several of these well-stuffed tacos.

The Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)

Fish Tacos

2009-05-13T07:48:00.000-07:00

(Image credit: Sacramento Bee)

There's an article in today's Sacramento Bee about fish tacos and other cuisines of Baja California. Several recipes, including one for fish tacos, included.

Fish tacos are just part of Mexican food tale

http://sacbee.com/1174/v-print/story/1856580.html

Lyla's Mexican Grill

2009-05-05T15:08:00.000-07:00

The Location: Lyla's Mexican Grill, Elk Grove, CA

The Taco: Crunchy Carnitas

The Price: About $8

The Verdict: Today I ordered the 2 Carnita's combo plate. Typically this taco is served on soft corn tortillas with sides of rice and beans. I ordered my carnitas with crunchy shells, no cheese, no beans and Lyla's was happy to accommodate! The meat was very well shredded, easy to bite as big or as little as I desired with little to no mess. The pork had great flavor, however most of the seasoning seemed to come from the green salsa and cliantro they put on top of the meat. The salsa they use has a lime flavor to it and it's fabulous. My order was prompt, hot and perfectly crunchy! They served us chips while we waited for our entrees and there was a fresh salsa bar with great salsa's to choose from.

Being the bargain hunter I am, the last time we were there we used the buy one get one free coupon from the 2009 Entertainment book. I went online for an additional printable Entertainment book coupon of 20% off the total order for today's visit. Even though I'm out of coupons, I will be back to Lyla's!

The Rating: ★★★ ½ (out of 5)

Rubio's Fish Tacos

2009-05-04T14:36:00.001-07:00

The Location: Rubio's on Truxel Rd

The Taco: Carnitas Rajas Taco plate

The Price: About $7

The Verdict: Normally I wouldn't review a chain store here, other than to add the occasional rant, but my co-blogger argued that a taco is a taco, and that they all deserve a fair shot at fame. So, just in case you can't quite decide whether or not to patronize your local mall taco stand, here goes.

This taco was overflowing with ingredients with a good portion of carnitas, grilled peppers, onions, lettuce as well as some cheese and taco sauce thrown in to the mix. While I'd usually expect to find the peppers & grilled onions on a fajita or a burrito rather than a taco, they were still a welcome ingredient. The onions were sweet and not overpowering, but the peppers were a little soggy. The carnitas were moist and flavorful and exceeded my expectations. The tacos were a little overwhelmed with lettuce which adds nothing to the flavor and is probably there just for looks. Also, I must add that the cotija cheese is not one of my favorites, but that is more personal preference than anything else.

Overall, this taco scores points for flavor but I subtracted a half-star for over-abundance of filler (lettuce). If I found myself stranded in a mall I would be willing to order this again.

The Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)

The Jimboy's Problem

2009-04-29T18:57:00.001-07:00

Jimboy's Tacos, Auburn, CA
Originally uploaded by gpshead

If you've lived in or around Sacramento for any length of time you've probably seen Jimboy's around, they have dozens of area locations. If not, you have at least heard their "sometimes you gotta have a real taco" ads. Here's the thing though: they can't seem to get a to-go order right. The last few times we've been there for a take out taco order they have managed to give us either, the wrong tacos, the wrong combination of cheese/no-cheese, too many tacos or not enough tacos. Whatever conceivable combination of mixups could happen, have happened.

As for dine-in they seem to get it right most of the time, but take out seems to be beyond their grasp. Tacramento's free advice to you: double check that order before you leave the restaurant!

Nakos Tacos

2009-04-21T08:52:00.000-07:00

The Location: UC Davis Quad (Picnic Day only). Nakos Tacos Booth

The Taco: Only one option, labeled simply "Taco".

The Price: 3 for $5

The Verdict: Every year, UCD's Picnic Day offers a variety of student groups selling food and concessions. Every year, Nakos Tacos are there representing the Davis Nu Alpha Kappa fraternity chapter. Every year, I get the same lunch. What can I say, I'm a creature of habit. So, on to the tacos: There's nothing special about them. Plain and simple, they're just meat and red salsa on a corn tortilla. In the taco world it doesn't get much more basic than that. For this review I'm factoring in location to the overall rating. Anywhere else, this taco wouldn't be much to write home about. But at an outdoor venue, where the meat is grilled up fresh right before it is served, and there is a general party atmosphere going on, everything just seems to taste better. The tacos were fresh, in fact the line was long because we were waiting for a fresh batch to come off the grill. The salsa had a nice spicy kick to it which always earns a thumbs up from me. The tortillas seemed to be straight from the package and could have improved by being thrown on the grill or at least a microwave to heat them up a bit. Overall, an edible taco in a good location earns this one a solid middle of the road rating. Nakos, I'll see you next year!

The Rating: ★★★½ (out of 5)

SN&R on Taco Trucks

2009-04-17T13:32:00.001-07:00

This week's Sacramento News & Review has a good article on local Taco trucks and their impending demise as the Sacramento city council cracks down on this "nuisance". Sounds like we have some new locations to hit before they vanish for good.

Ernesto's Mexican Food

2009-04-16T10:31:00.000-07:00

The Location: Ernesto's Sacramento, CA

The Taco: 3 Original Crunchy Taco Combo

The Price: $12.49

The Verdict: 3 crunchy carnitas, sans cheese and beans was the order and boy were they tasty! The tacos were crispy and not greasy. The meat was plentiful full of flavor. The only downside was the mess factor. The tacos were very wide so there was no possible way to take a taco bite without completely crushing the taco first. Also, the meat could have been shredded a bit more. I ended up with large chunks of meat which made it difficult to take dainty bites, as a girl should when she's out in public. Overall, a fantastic super size meal worth the drive!

The Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)

Ernesto's

2009-04-15T20:15:00.000-07:00

The Location: Ernesto's Mexican Food, Sacramento

The Taco: Mexico City Taco Combo (Longaniza)

The Price: $8.49

The Verdict: Ernesto's is arguably the best known Mexican restaurant in the midtown area, and for good reason. While some of the prices tend towards the higher-end of the casual dining scale the food is almost always delicious, fresh and very quickly prepared. Not to mention their impressive selection of Tequilas, which could probably encompass a blog of their own. We have eaten at Ernesto's a number of times, so this evening I decided to step out of my normal routine and try something different. I had never tried longaniza before, and frankly I can't even name another restaurant that offers it as an option. I settled on the Mexico City Taco plate (also available with chicken, beef, carnitas, shrimp or fish) and just a few minutes later they were whisked to the table. The meat had an interesting, slightly smoky flavor and the onion/cilantro topping was fresh and well proportioned. The tacos were on the small side, but they are described on the menu as "mini" so I can't fault for that. I could have easily eaten another one, but if you're saving room for dessert then three is probably about right. The sides were standard mexican rice and pinto beans — nothing remarkable, but nothing to complain about either. Conclusions: tasty taco plate, and one of the more reasonably priced items on the menu. Would be perfect as a lunch portion, or as a light dinner.

The Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)

Gordito Burrito

2009-04-13T17:18:00.000-07:00

The Location: Gordito Burrito, Elk Grove, CA

The Taco: Carnitas (modified) Hard Shell 3-Taco Combo

The Price: About $8, but I really don't know because Paul picked them up for me.

The Verdict: I really really really wanted to write a glowing review for these tacos. I love the Gordito Fajita Burrito but this is the first time I have branched out from my standard order at this small mexican restaurant. This is a taco blog after all, so I must order tacos!

I really enjoy carnitas. I love the pork meat and all it's wonderful flavor. Traditionally carnitas seem to be served on soft corn tortillas, which are one of my least favorite wraps of tacos! So I always have to special order a carnitas plate with a crunchy shell... and no cheese, did I forget to mention I hate cheese? My toppings of choice are simple, lettuce and pico de gallo.

The shells were great, although a tad soggy on the bottom where the meat was lying. That is to be expected as we got take out and whenever you transport a crunchy taco for 20 minutes before eating it, it's bound to get soggy. The main reason for the deduction in stars on this plate is the meat. The chunks of pork were large and somewhat dry and rough around the edges. So once you get a bite of the pork you have to stuff the whole bit into your mouth because the meat is not soft enough for your bite to cut through it. The pork definitely needed to be shredded more, or cut into smaller pieces. It wouldn't hurt to have it more moist either.

The Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)

Gordito Burrito

2009-04-10T19:57:00.001-07:00

The Location: Gordito Burrito, Elk Grove

The Taco: Shredded Beef Hard Shell 3-Taco Combo

The Price: $7.95

The Verdict: I went in with a hunger for a couple of soft-shell tacos. Unfortunately Gordito doesn't offer a combo plate that includes soft tacos, only crunchy. So I opted for the 3-taco shredded beef plate. The meat was flavorful but was cut into pretty big hunks that weren't really shredded; other than the meat the flavor was pretty mild — a quick splash of hot sauce was definitely called for. As for the shells, the "crunchy" tacos ended up being pretty soggy making the crunchy vs. soft debate somewhat moot by the time I got to number three. That said, the portion in each taco was generous and the sides of rice and beans were well proportioned and enjoyable. All in all, these were perfectly adequate tacos that could probably do with being just a bit less drippy.

My Rating: ★★★ ½ (out of 5)

Welcome message

2009-04-06T21:47:00.001-07:00

She loves tacos, I love writing about stupid stuff on the Internet. Thus was born a blog. Join us as we look for the Sacramento area's best taco. No burritos, no chimichangas, no fajitas and definitely no "wraps". Not that there's anything wrong with those (except the wrap, which is a slight against all that is holy) but we're staying on topic here. We'll do our best to review as many taco joints as we can reasonably patronize.

Got a favorite taqueria in town? Family owned? Hole in the wall? Perfect! Email us and we'll try to check it out.