Overview
As noted in my previous post about Authentic Mexican Food, there is a dizzying array of Mexican restaurants. In fact, the number of eateries I considered including in this post was quickly exceeding thirty and I decided I needed to pare it down. Otherwise, the list would never get published and I feel the reader would lose interest after the first few entries. That said, there is simply too much great food under this category to ignore even some of the "lesser" places on my list because they all have something important to offer. To hone in on what is important to you, the reader, I have broken my list of Mexican eateries into six categories that I will refer to as "value propositions." This helped me focus on how I think each place differentiates itself in the marketplace and how the restaurant endears itself to its patrons. I should continue to mention that ratings are subjective and subject to change. As a man or woman once said, "beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."
Because Mexican food covers so much ground, I chose to focus primarily on fish tacos. I used fish tacos as a sort of "baseline" for cost, quality and speed. There are a multitude of ways to do fish tacos but among eateries on this list, I experienced four primary cooking methods: 1. Dredged, diced and skillet-fried; 2. Dredged strips of fish skillet-fried; 3. Battered and deep-fried and 4. Grilled. I thought it was interesting that none of the places did a combo of batter and bread crumbs, but we'll get to that when I do a deeper dive in my "Mike Puts His Money Where His Mouth Is - Mexican Fish Tacos" post.
Value Propositions
The six value propositions are defined as follows:
1. Funky - The place just has a cool vibe that makes it stand apart from its peers. They combine terrific food and cocktails in a funkified environment served by really colorful and interesting people. Funky can be as much about the location and building as anything and might entail a deal like Tyson's Tacos in Austin where, if you can play a song a ukulele, you get a free taco. By the way, I like funky because these places often creatively contain elements of all of the other five value propositions.
2. Quality - They really care about great food, creativity, consistency, authenticity, etc. Quality comes before speed and price. Quality often results in higher prices - as it should. Customers should be willing to pay a little more for higher quality.
3. Upscale - Great food is generally a given in this category, but is not always true. Overall, this should mean a higher-end dining experience with an impeccable dining room, restrooms, kitchen and building, art and atmosphere (including music or other entertainment), excellent table and bar service, artisan cocktails, a well-curated wine, beer and spirits list, maybe black or white-linen table cloths, heavy flatware, cool plates and glasses, and a price tag reflective of the restaurant's clientele.
4. Fast - Customers go there because they can get in-and-out quickly. Often in business, fast also means not cheap or necessarily good. However, among the players on my list, many have been able to do good, fast and cheap.
5. Cheap - Customers eat there because they can eat well for not a lot of money. These places will typically have low menu prices and try to make it up on volume. Once such place on my list served me two very good fish tacos, three bottles of different sauces, good tortilla chips, flavorful salsa and a water for less than $7.00 before tip. Cheap often means low quality and not very quick, but again, in my evaluation of the Mexican food space, this is not always true - which is great for customers.
6. Everything to Everybody - Unfortunately, there are probably more of these eateries on the planet than all the rest. They seem to exist on every corner but my list contains only a select few. Many of the places we all know serve tortilla chips from a bag and salsa from a gallon jug purchased at the local restaurant supply warehouse. The menu is massive and customers are accustomed to ordering by saying "I'll have the vegetarian No. 6 dinner" or something like that. The meal usually comes with a huge helping of uninspired rice and beans (because it puts a ton of food on the plate and the food cost is next to nothing). Lastly, the server walks to the table wearing an oven mitt that goes up to their shoulder carrying several hot plates that will literally send you to the ER if you touch them before they have a few minutes to cool down. Most of these places are catering to families, those with less discerning culinary pallets and a wide array of tastes. When my kids were young, we used to eat at these places weekly. They prepare food in bulk and everything in the kitchen is ready to be assembled and tossed onto a plate, topped with queso and thrown into a salamander broiler until the food reaches the temperature of molten lava. All of this said, there are a few of these "Everything to Everybody" eateries that are pretty damn good. I have omitted the usual suspects from consideration here because I know that you, the reader, have a more discerning pallet. Otherwise you wouldn't be reading...
Hopefully, the categories I have established make some sense. I should reiterate that no place makes my list unless I have actually eaten there.
Rise and Fall
I should like to mention that early success in this business can often lead to a restaurant's demise. What begins as a great concept such as the "Tex-Mex," mashup starts with excellent food, and is followed by "sophisticated investor" involvement, rapid chain expansion, hyper-obsession with profitability and an eventual customer revolt. From the customer's perspective, sometimes it is as simple as it is no longer special. A few cases in point: Chi Chi's, Tumbleweed, Don Pablo's, On the Border, et., al. They expand and lose the very element of their value proposition that made them unique. Some are still in business and some have gone to the all-to-familiar restaurant boneyard.
I was in Dallas in June 1986 when I visited this cool new "Tex-Mex" eatery in the West End of downtown called On The Border. Everything was wonderful from the chips and salsa to the margaritas. The prices were reasonable, the service was great, vibe cool, etc. Fast forward nearly 20 years and the chain opens a spot in Louisville. I couldn't wait to dine there. When I finally did, the wait was intolerable, the service dismal, dining room disheveled and the food was just OK. What a let down. I went back a few times hopeful that the experience would improve. It didn't. In the early days, there was always a wait. However, I believe that once the shine wore off for Louisvillians, the name and allure was not enough to overcome the operational issues. Ultimately, I suspect factors such as high occupancy cost and poor management finally did them in. I hope anyone in the restaurant business takes stock of these important lessons before they proceed with a rapid nationwide expansion that destroys all that was good about their value proposition.
Lastly, I consider myself to be pretty well-traveled. I seek out the cool restaurants every place I go and attempt to copiously chronicle my experience in photos and notes. Sometimes, I fail to capture everything I mean to because I get caught up in the moment. There are examples herein where I have a pretty good story to tell but no photos. These lists include mostly Louisville restaurants but include several of the better places I have visited from across the U.S. I hope you find this helpful for comparison and in the event you have the opportunity to visit.
Now, To The Restaurants:
Funky - Cool Vibe That Makes it Stand Apart From its Peers
2. El Mundo - Louisville. I have been going to El Mundo on Frankfort Ave for about as long as they have been in business. Like some of my other favorite restaurants in town (Bucks), there have been weeks when I ate there so many times (sometimes twice in one day) that the staff threatened me with an intervention. OK I admit it, I have a problem. I believe the clinical name is "fishtacoism." Fine, send me to fishtacoism rehab. I love everything about El Mundo. It is the standard by which all other funky Mexican joints are judged including my #1 Tyson's Tacos who I put just a thin red hair above El Mundo. I order the grilled fish tacos almost every time I dine there. Some of the staff walk up to my table and just look at me and say, "the usual?" One guy named Joe said they were going to put a "Mike button" on the register. Fine with me! This was the first place I ever had chipotle aioli. Now you see it everywhere, which is good because I love it. At first, I was perplexed by how awesome the aioli tied together the grilled fish, greens and tropical fruit salsa. The accompanying corn tortillas, beans and rice are terrific as well. One thing worth mentioning is that grilled cod is not an easy fish to prepare correctly. It requires a very hot grill, non-stick spray or high-heat oil and a quick spatula to keep the fish from sticking and falling apart. This fish is hearty, perfectly cooked and flavorful. They also have an extensive menu of tequilas and margaritas including my favorite, prickly pear on the rocks. In my opinion, around Louisville, El Mundo hath no peer.
3. Cien Agaves Tacos and Tequila - Old Town Scottsdale, AZ. I have dined here a couple of times and have never been disappointed. One of things I like the most is the building, décor, staff attitude and well-curated tequilas and craft cocktails. I highly recommend the ceviche, fish tacos and any margaritas, but especially the Cucumber margarita made with Milagro Silver tequila, fresh cucumbers, lime, and simple syrup on the rocks for $10.00. This place is always busy but during my visits, the staff were excellent at getting drinks, chips and salsa to the table right away. For as busy as they usually are, the in-and-out time was surprisingly quick. Old Town Scottsdale has may excellent restaurants but I this place gets my vote every time.
4. Tacos and Beer - Las Vegas, NV. Located on the "Paradise Strip" parallel to the main strip (Las Vegas Blvd) and not far from UNLV's main campus, is this amazing hole in the wall shoe-horned into the corner of a retail strip center. I discovered this place while competing in the International Pizza Challenge at the Las Vegas Convention Center down the street. They had me the moment I walked in and saw a 3-D relief hanging behind the bar of Cheech and Chong thanking God for beer. Las Vegas has more bars with amazing craft beer lists than you can possibly get your head around. However, this place does a better job than any of them at doing two of my favorite things in perfect harmony: 1. They have a menu featuring two dozen tacos including grilled fish, beer battered fish or avocado, lengua (beef tongue), jackfruit carnitas and everything in-between. And, they will fix them pretty much any way you want; 2. A stunning draft and bottled beer list featuring hard-to-find domestic and import beers that you won't find elsewhere in Vegas. For example, during my last of many visits, I noted their draft list included the Blueberry Maple Stout from Saugatuck Brewing Co., in Saugatuck, Michigan. I first encountered this amazing 6% ABV stout at the Michigan Fall Beer Festival in Detroit the previous October. I had never seen this beer outside of Michigan, yet here it was...not in bottles or cans, but on draft. These guys have got it going on. When you visit Vegas, go straight to 3900 Paradise Rd A, Las Vegas, NV 89169. Call or check online for reservations. There is usually a wait.
Upscale - Higher-End Dining Experience
3. Turquesa Latin Grill - Marana, AZ. This is the place I was telling you about with the awesome swordfish tacos. Frankly, everything my wife and I ate while staying at the Ritz Carlton Dove Mountain was excellent. When you combine great food at reasonable prices, terrific service and unparalleled views (beautiful mountains and saguaro cactus on three sides), it's hard to justify leaving the property. To clarify, we did leave every day, but after a poolside lunch from the Turquesa menu. Look at the photos above and you'll understand.
4. Mexican Sugar - Las Colinas, TX. This is a terrific restaurant I visited recently that was recommended by my friend Tammy Y. who lives in the area. Naturally, I ordered the fish tacos consisting of adobo-marinated pieces of striped bass, avocado spread, kale, jicama slaw, pickled onion, mojo vinaigrette, lime crema, habanero-mango pico and hibiscus tortillas. Sadly, I was so caught up in conversation with old friends that I failed to take any photos. The food was delicious, margaritas were on-point, nice upscale vibe and very good service. Although we had early dinner reservations on a Friday, the place was slammed and there was still a slight wait for a table. As you can see from the fish tacos description, the menu items are creative and unique. I mean, who does hibiscus tortillas?
6. Noche Mexican BBQ - Louisville, KY. I have to say that when it comes to upscale vibe, I give Noche a 10 out of 10. Located in an old church on Bardstown Road in the Highlands, other than as a brewery or nightclub, I can't think of a better use for real estate like this. The stained glass windows are simply incredible and offer an unparalleled backdrop for the other more contemporary art adorning the walls. The cool thing about the stained glass is that the bright designs are of beautiful flowers and trees instead of crosses used by the Romans to put people to death or other religious symbols. The cocktail menu looked awesome and I regret that I had neither the time, nor the ability to metabolize alcohol sufficient to try them all. I was told I could order three tacos and they did not all have to be the same so I ordered two of the the Marisco consisting of marinated tilapia and shrimp, battered and fried, topped with cabbage, pickled onion cilantro and a choice of salsa and/or mole. The third taco was the vegan ground beef with soy chorizo, sunchoke (a type of artichoke), onion, guacamole, cilantro, etc. The trio of tacos cost $17. The presentation was amazing. However, I think they forgot the salsa or mole and I was not asked which one I wanted. I bit into the tacos and found them to be very dry. I also ordered the top-shelf margarita which used Herradura Silver, Naranja Orange Liqueur, fresh lime juice, fresh orange juice on the rocks with salt for $14. Frankly, I think the building/art/vibe, the cocktails and the extensive tequila and bourbon lists are the best things about Noche. Hopefully when I return, they will remember the sauce.
Quality - Great Food, Creativity, Consistency, Authenticity
1. I Love Tacos - Louisville, KY. I do! The name says it all. I love what they are doing here. Everything is on-point from the online ordering process to the speed with which they get your order ready, tasty house margaritas and, oh yeah, their food. I am so glad this place is located just a few minutes from my house. The array of tacos and combos is diverse, proteins are ever so flavorful and they appear to be doing everything right including pricing their food. Compared to other similar format taco joints, this place is a bargain. Something else they do right - they give you plenty of sauce. Check out the aioli and sour crema loaded on the tacos. But wait, there's more. Two additional containers with a red and a green sauce. If I haven't made this abundantly clear, I love tacos with plenty of sauce. If the meat or other toppings are too spicy, a good crema can temper the heat. If the proteins are dry or lacking in flavor, a great sauce can salvage the plain and uninteresting. I Love Tacos does it right.
2. Taco Luchador - Louisville, KY. I must hand it to Chef Fernando Martinez, he is terrific at taking existing concepts and reinventing them or starting a trend that others are quick to follow. Taco Luchador is a great example. There are plenty of places to get good tacos around town and new places are popping up trying to do exactly what this taqueria is doing. However, this menu offers a variety of flavorful proteins with the right accoutrements like cabbage, pickled onions, cotija cheese, pico de gallo, queso fresco, cilantro, etc., and offers extra sauce bottles or to-go containers of red and green sauces. Did I mention I love sauces? I really like the Mexican beer battered cod, chipotle aioli, pickled cabbage with cilantro. The other proteins are fabulous too. More expensive than I Love Tacos.
Fast - Designed to Get Customers In-and-Out Quickly
1. Taco City - Louisville, KY. This place is relatively new on the scene. I first noticed the Middletown location in early June 2021 while driving to a rehearsal dinner. It was a Friday evening around 6:15pm and this places was, pardon the expression, "asses-to-elbows." The front porch was packed and people were standing in a line that extended into the parking lot. I usually don't like waiting in such lines. Therefore, I would plan a return visit during non-peak hours. Although you can probably count on waiting in a line here, I put Taco City in the "Fast" category because everything is designed around speed. Their fish tacos were pretty good too. Lines at a place like this usually mean they excel at the Quality and Fast value disciplines. People don't mind waiting a bit because the food is damn good and the line will move along quickly, or, those people simply have more patience than I do (which would probably be true for most people). During my recent visit, I arrived about 10 minutes after they opened and there were two people ahead of me at the counter. The menu over the counter had everything laid-out to make ordering quick and easy, including numbers beside each item. I ordered two No. 11 fish tacos and a soft drink - a tab of $11.20 before tip. The fish tacos were $3.99 each.
My receipt indicated the order was entered in the POS system at 11:14am. I was handed a number, filled my cup with ice and unsweetened tea, and proceeded to grab a table on the front porch. At 11:27am, a runner brought my tacos and took away the number. Each fish taco consisted of a fairly large piece of cod, battered and fried. The difference from other restaurants doing it this way is that Taco City's cod had a thick coating of batter which gave it a very firm crunch. The tacos were topped with red cabbage, jicama, cilantro and chipotle aioli, a side of creamy green chili sauce, wedge of lime and corn tortillas. Everything on the tacos worked very well together. I will be back. An added touch that I have not seen at a quick service taqueria is the margarita flight. I thought that was a great idea allowing customers to sample margaritas that sound interesting to them.
3. Lola 55 - San Diego, CA. While I was in San Diego a couple years ago, I sought out a quick service taco joint with gourmet food and artisan cocktails that a co-worker and I could easily reach via Bird scooter. This was only my second experience with this relatively new urban mobility transportation mode so the restaurant needed to be within a mile or so of the Westin Gaslamp Quarter where we were staying. I think this place was recommended to me by Detroit Pizza great Angry Pete of San Diego fame. "Flying the Bird" took us about 5 minutes to go the required one mile. Once inside, there was already a line of several people which gave us time to look over the menu and decide how to order. We were starving but the line moved quickly and before we knew it, we blurted out the following: 2 ribeye, 2 smoked fish, 2 pork belly al pastor, 2 Baja-style fish, 2 smoked carnitas, 1 chipotle rice, 2 Mesquite-grilled elote and 2 Horchata (a traditional Mexican drink that uses white rice soaked in water, flavored with cinnamon and sugar). Look at this spread - boom! Did I say we were starving? We ate so much here that we had to swap Birds on the way back because the batteries died from the extra weight :-). Prices ranged from $3.25 to $4.25 per taco and they were absolutely delicious. This place does a great job of cranking out great food quickly.
Cheap - Eat Well For Not a Lot of Money.
1. Taqueria El Rey - Detroit, MI. I was in the D recently and visited an area south of downtown called Mexicantown specifically for its high-concentration of authentic Mexican eateries. Believe it or not, Detroit is a melting pot like New York City which makes it a foodie paradise. Taqueria El Rey stood out as a "hole in the wall" among "holes in the wall." Literally next door to Duly's Place, the 100 year-old eatery made famous by Anthony Bordain for their Detroit Style Coney Dogs, everything about El Rey screams cheap and good. At 3:00 in the afternoon, they had a surprisingly good crowd. From the sidewalk, you could smell the amazing smoked meats slow-cooking in an outdoor area next to the parking lot. Upon entering, it was clear we were the only non-Spanish speaking gringos in the place. This was fine with me. I speak just enough Spanish to order drinks and food, find the bathroom and get my face slapped. This is also true of my French, Italian and Russian. My German vocabulary is a little more complete, but then again, what more do you really need? If I get in deep water, as long as I have my phone, I can pull up Google Translate. Anyway, we were immediately seated and ordered some cervezas (Tecate), chips and salsa. I ordered my standard fish tacos, my wife ordered the same and my son ordered the carne asada (beef) dinner.
When they brought over the chips, salsa and beers, they put three bottles of sauce on the table. Anytime a restaurant puts three bottles of sauce in front of me, their stock immediately goes up. I started squirting the sauces on my fingers and then on the chips. Each sauce was as flavorful as the previous one. Wow! Just when I thought I found a favorite, I tried another and it became my new favorite. We drained three bowls of chips. The salsa was terrific, containing the right mix of chili spices, tomato, onion, salt and cilantro but the sauces were off the hook! The sauces were: 1. Creamy green chili; 2. Flavorful Roja and 3. Fuego - an overpowering tomatillo and burn your nose hair habanero chili mixture - por favor, pase el extintor (please pass the fire extinguisher).
When I say cheap, Taqueria El Ray wins the prize. This low budget establishment has it all. Our fish tacos were $1.75 for corn tortillas, $2.25 for flour, add $.50 for cheese (no gracias). The tacos were simple - tilapia filets, dredged in flour and fried with cilantro and onions on two street taco-sized tortillas. The sauce put everything over the top. After reflecting on it and trying to figure out how to get one of the sauce bottles in my pocket without getting shot, I have to say the creamy green chili sauce was my favorite. Seriously, the next time you're in Detroit, hit this place. Bring cash - they don't take plastic. You won't be disappointed.
2. Victoria Mexican Restaurant - Louisville, KY. I had been hearing about this place for some time. Situated on Hikes Ln next to the Golden Nugget not far from where I went to high school is this little joint in what was once a gas station where I could fill up for $5.00 illustrating how long ago that was. I love restaurants that were once gas stations and service garages. And, as mentioned above, I love when someone puts three bottles of sauce in front of me. Whoever Victoria is, she's got it going on. The sauces were (left-to-right): Guacamole green chili, Habanero and Tomatillo. The guac-green chili was my favorite but the others were also terrific. They will ask if you want hot or mild salsa with your chips. I opted for hot but I wonder if they automatically brought me the mild because they figured I couldn't handle it. In any case, whichever salsa they brought me, it had a good amount of spice and was fabulously flavorful - not overly hot. I arrived at 11:45am on a Tuesday and there were five other people in the restaurant. By the time I was finished around 12:15pm, there were more work trucks in the parking lot than an LG&E service center. The place was packed and more coming through the door as I was leaving. The battered and fried fillets were similar to other places of this kind with diced white onions, cilantro and lime. Once again, chalk up major points for Victoria. With very solid foodie fundamentals on the rectangular white plate, the sauces put this experience over the top. Oh, and this category is called cheap...I almost forgot. These fish tacos were $2.75 each. With a soft drink, tax and a generous tip, I was quite satiated and out of there for $10.00
3. El Mariachi, Supermercado Guanajuato & Carniceria - Louisville, KY. This little gem is hidden in a small strip center across LaGrange Rd from Ormsby Station. You might write it off if you didn't know it was there. Make it a point to stop in here. El Mariachi almost belongs in the "Everything to Everybody" category because they have a huge menu. However, I think their primary strength is as a low-cost leader. After you eat, go next door to the Supermercado Guanajuato (Supermarket) and Carniceria (butcher shop). Guanajuanto is a state in Mexico - I think the owners like to name these markets after the states, cities and regions they are from. I guess if I opened a market in Mexico, I might follow suit and name it Supermarket Detroit or Mercado Kentucky. There are three of these markets around town. If you want to do some authentic Mexican cooking, come to one of these markets to get your spices and other supplies. Look closely at what the mamacitas put into their shopping carts - you can learn a lot. Very good fish tacos for $2.50 each. This place gets busy but I have never had trouble getting a table.
4. Supermercado Puebla, Taqueria & Carniceria - Jeffersontown, KY. I am fortunate that this place is a short drive from my home. I only recently discovered that the market has a taqueria and bakery housed in the same building. The bakery is another topic but do yourself a favor and drop-in for a look around. The doughnuts and pastries are stunning. While fish tacos are not on the menu, per se, they will whip some up for you and they are delicious. Using the best Spanish I could muster, I ordered two fish tacos, and refried beans with cheese and chips. The kid behind the counter did not understand the words fish tacos, so I said, "dos pescado tacos?" He went to the refrigerator and pulled out a bag of what looked like tilapia filets and asked, "Si?" I replied holding up two fingers, "Si...Dos." I was really hoping two fingers was not like the Russian equivalent of the Fonz raising his thumb and saying "Ehhhh." I was once told by a Russian that Fonzie's thumb was equivalent to the middle finger in the U.S. I wasn't worried. I can count. You see, I learned to count to ten in Spanish from Sesame Street...Uno, Dos, Thres, Quatro, Cinco, Seis, Siete, Ocho, Nueve, and Diez Nuts. So, I have that going for me. I'm sure I otherwise butchered the language, but the message was received.
A minute later a woman walked behind the counter and after a brief conversation with the young man, I heard the sizzling sounds of frying fish. Frankly, I could have done without the beans, but I was intrigued to see what cheese they would use. The refried beans could have served two or three people, easily. I was pleased to see that rather than the typical yellowish queso, there was a generous cup of Cotija (Mexican Parmesan), which is my favorite cheese to put on a Mexican dish. The tacos were $2.99 each, chips, beans and cheese were another $4.99. All-in, very good food in about 15 minutes for about $14.00 with tax and tip, but had I stuck with only two fish tacos, the tab would have been $6.34 with tax. Another good, cheap date if that's your thing.
5. Santa Fe Grill - Louisville, KY. In old Louisville near UofL and Churchill Downs, this used to be one of my go-to spots when I worked downtown. It's no frills, good and inexpensive with convenient street parking and winner of a "Best of Louisville Award." Unfortunately, the chips and salsa were pedestrian and the tacos came with no sauce. Nonetheless, the fish had great flavor and texture for $3.25 each. Total tab with tax for two tacos and a water $6.89 + tip.
Everything to Everybody - Massive Menu, Customers Order by Number
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