 | |
The Search for Tacos Dorados (Part 5)
Posted on Wednesday, June 24 @ 17:52:44 PDT
Topic: Mexican
|
 
In Part 5, we take a look at Primo's, Taqueria Arandero, Avila's, Blue Goose Cantina, and Carolina's Mexican Cuisine. On to the food...
Primo's. 3309 McKinney Avenue.
Primo's offering comes under the name "Primo's tacos." I asked the waitress if they were deep-fried or made with pre-formed shells. She said they could do them either way. (So it's best to be specific about what you want if you order these, otherwise you might get Old El Paso.)
The tacos had been fried in a "closed" style, but then opened and topped with iceberg, tomato, cheddar, and Jack. The yellow corn shells were lightly greasy and thoroughly fried, crossing from crispness to crunchiness. The ground beef was seasoned fairly aggressively, though that was muted by the garnishes included in the taco. Sides of rice and beans were unremarkable. Not bad, but a little steep for the money. Two tacos per order. $9.99.
Taqueria Arandero. 8954 N. Stemmons Freeway.
The sign in front of Taqueria Arandero is a palimpsest of the former Taqueria Arandas (a competent regional chain with several DFW outposts). It was actually the prior restaurant I was hoping for when I went there. But since their successors also offered tacos dorados, I figured I'd give them a shot.
The white corn tortilla shells, in an "open" style, were clearly fried to order. Shells were thin and quite crisp. Each held a filling of seasoned ground beef and diced potato, fairly swimming in grease. Iceberg and tomato were plated to the side and a sprinkle of industrial cheddar topped the tacos. Rice and beans disappointed. Of the legit tacos dorados, these ranked in the bottom tier. Three tacos to an order. $6.59.
Avila's. 4714 Maple Avenue.
Tacos dorados appear on Avila's menu as "Taquitos Don Tavo." The "closed" style tacos come with a salad/garnish of romaine, diced tomato, and shredded cheddar and Jack, as well as some pinto beans. The yellow corn shells were very thin and chip-like, suggesting that specialty tortillas were used. Nicely fried and crisp, but without the slight chew you get from an ordinary tortilla. Ground beef and chicken were available as fillings.
The ground beef (with some cooked chopped onion) was very lightly seasoned, almost plain. The chicken was better--moist (not soggy), tender shreds with cooked onion and bell pepper. Enough flavor to eat straight, though not so heavily seasoned that it ceased to taste like chicken. Though I still favor a more conventional tortilla shell, these are probably the best chip-like, thin-shelled crispy tacos I've found in this search. Four tacos to the order. Priced at a very reasonable $9.95.
Blue Goose Cantina. 2905 Greenville Avenue.
The signature "Tacos a la Blue Goose" at Blue Goose Cantina sounded like a sure thing. The menu described them as being made with "large, fresh, crispy corn tortilla taco shells." The shells that came out, however, had not been fried to order. Though possibly fried on-site, it had been some time since they emerged from the fryer. The yellow corn shells, cool to the touch, had absorbed oil and lost some crispness. The tender, well-seasoned, shredded chicken filling made more of an impression than the lean, peppery ground beef. Shredded romaine, yellow cheese, and diced tomato buried the tacos. Sides were cumin-heavy rice and beans. Three tacos to the order. $9.95. Disqualified.
Carolina's Mexican Cuisine. 3950 Rosemeade Parkway.
The menu at Carolina's Mexican Cuisine doesn't specify tacos dorados or old-fashioned tacos. Just "crispy tacos." When I asked the waiter whether the shells were fried to order or pre-made, he said they were pre-made. (His actual words were, "Like Taco Bell.") Ordinarily, after hearing that, I would've just passed on the tacos and ordered something else. But I was the last person at the table to order, we were in a hurry, and while scanning the menu quickly to find something else, I hesitated and went forward with the tacos. I was kicking myself as the waiter walked away, preparing for the worst.
When the plate arrived, I was tempted to ask the waiter which Taco Bell he's been going to. These were classic tacos dorados.. Decent tortillas fried to perfection in a "closed" style. I split the order between the two meat options. Ground beef was seasoned well, but not so much that it didn't taste like beef. Stewed chicken with onion and pepper was tender and juicy, but not so wet that it made the shell soggy. Not the best meats, but above average. Following in the Mia's and Mi Cocina's footsteps, Carolina's serves the tacos with rice only, though here it was lightly seasoned and studded with freezer-pack veggies (as opposed to the more typical Tex-Mex browning and seasoning). Very good tacos that I'd happily repeat, if I found myself out that way. Three tacos to the order. $7.95.
That's it for now. I still have a few leads to follow, but need to take a break and eat a vegetable or something. If you have other suggestions, please let me know over in the forum thread.
The Search for Tacos Dorados: Introduction, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5....
|
|
| |
| Article Rating | Average Score: 5
Votes: 6
| |
|
Associated Topics
|
|
|
Sorry, Comments are not available for this article. |
|
|
