Category Archives: Mexican

The Ocoee Taco Company

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**** (4 stars)

This family run place can get quite busy, but they are always friendly and helpful, and glad you are there. They offer their version of most authentic Mexican dishes, along with a few inventions of their own.

The quesotaco is a grilled tortilla with cheese melted on it, then filled with your choice of meat.

There is also a version of a burrito that is enroll to being a quesadilla.

The torta is a huge sandwich, enough lunch all by itself.

Meat choices include several different preparations of pork, chicken and beef. The pastor is usually my favorite, but I didn’t find it as rich and tasty here as some places.

There are mild and hot versions of both green and red sauces, which are all tasty.

Pricing is very reasonable. But the best reason to come is the sincere thank you you’ll receive form the owner.

The Ocoee Taco Company
40 Taylor St
Ocoee, FL 34761
(407) 614-2990
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-ocoee-taco-company-ocoee

El Hefe

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*** (3 stars)

I was a bit hesitant to try this place because of its reputation as a noisy dive bar and a jam packed disco. But that’s at night. At lunch time it’s just a Mexican restaurant. Which is not to say it isn’t noisy.

The food is fairly predictable. I had the nachos, which were a very generous pile of just about everything you’ve ever seen on nachos. The underlying chips were thin and crispy, and the only fault I found was the use of liquid cheese rather than melting real cheese under a broiler.

The margaritas are served in a 20 ounce glass, but they’re more than half ice cubes, which quickly dilute the already tentative tequila and lime flavors. Nothing really wrong with it, but you’ve had better margaritas, I’m sure.

Service was friendly but slow, especially given that the place was half full. It started with a ten minute wait to be noticed at the front desk, which could be a problem on a tight lunch schedule. Another ten minute wait for a server didn’t help. But in the end the food came out quickly and the nachos turned out to be more than enough for lunch.

El Hefe
15 W Hubbard St
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 548-6841
http://www.yelp.com/biz/el-hefe-chicago-3

Su Casa Restaurant

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*** (3 stars)

I liked the hole-in-the-wall ambiance of this Mexican place, and the experience was, on the whole, pretty good. I’m not sure about the reviewers who’ve described it as “authentic.” Authentic what? It’s certainly not authentic Mexican food from Mexico. It might be regarded as authentic suburban US Tex/Mex food! That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as long as it’s what you’re expecting.

They definitely make a good Margarita. I upgraded to the Golden Margarita, and it was worth every cent of its $10.50 price. It came with some excellent chips and okay salsa. The chips were the real kind, made from cut tortillas, so they had a nice sturdiness to them that I associate with old time Mexican restaurants before the Doritos era.

The botanas appetizer sampler was a good opportunity to try most of the apps on the menu, but none were particularly noteworthy. The best was the chili relleno, followed by the seasoned ground meat, although I had to remove it from the stale round chips it was served on and transfer it to the chips in the basket. Nachos were definitely a miss.

The vegetable fajitas, on the other hand, were really good, and the lunch size portion was just enough. The accompanying refried beans and rice were pretty good, too. I neglected to specify corn tortillas, so ended up with flour, but the waitress cheerfully replaced them when I asked if corn were available.

Overall I’d go back for certain items such as the fajitas, and I’d certainly visit if I just wanted a great margarita.

Su Casa Restaurant
49 E Ontario St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 943-4041
http://www.yelp.com/biz/su-casa-restaurant-chicago

Azteca Two Mexican Restaurant & Lounge

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* (1 stars)

In nearly 1000 reviews I’m not sure I’ve ever given any place one star, but this place earned it. This is the worst Mexican food I have ever had. And it’s not just one thing.We tried an appetizer sampler and two combos, so about twelve items all together. Of those twelve, perhaps two were edible. And I’m counting the tortilla chips to get that high. The worst was a seafood chile relleno that honestly looked like something a dog coughed up, but didn’t taste that good. Absolutely horrible.

Azteca Two Mexican Restaurant & Lounge
6395 N Atlantic Ave
Cape Canaveral, FL 32920
(321) 784-1188
http://www.yelp.com/biz/azteca-two-mexican-restaurant-and-lounge-cape-canaveral

Taqueria Ameca Jalisco

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**** (4 stars)

Q. Where can you get two tacos, an enchilada, a quesadilla and a drink for $8? And I don’t mean $8 each, I mean $8 total!

A. Taqueria Ameca Jalisco, that’s where!

This small taqueria located in a somewhat industrial section of Orange Avenue south of downtown has very good food at very low prices.

The menu is scrawled on a white board near the register, and presumably changes a bit from day to day, although nothing had the look of a special. Pretty much you can get any meat in either a taco, enchilada or quesadilla (and perhaps some other things–when I said “scrawled” I meant it).

Be prepared for a wait. There are only a couple of folks preparing food, and at lunch it was busy.

There’s a salsa bar that has minced cilantro and onions, several types of sauce, cabbage, and even beans.

Tacos are served on relatively small and very authentic corn tortillas, with an extra tortilla for everything that falls out of the first one. Try the barbecue with some cilantro, onions and green sauce. My delicioso!

Taqueria Ameca Jalisco
3558 S Orange Ave
Orlando, FL 32806
(407) 851-1876
http://www.yelp.com/biz/taqueria-ameca-jalisco-orlando-2

Taco Bus

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***** (5 stars)

What a fun concept! The name may be misleading though, because while you do order at a window in the side of a bus, it’s simply a prop. This is no food truck, it’s a complete quick-serve restaurant that serves terrific (and authentic) Mexican food.

The two tacos I tried (soft corn tortillas with pibil pork in one and pastor pork in the other—the pibil was better) were as good as any street tacos I’ve had, and the crispy vegetable accompaniments were very fresh. On a return visit I tried the tostada with pastor, which I didn’t think was as good as the tacos.

The dip duo (I chose queso and guacamole) was also excellent. At almost $8 it seemed a bit pricey, but the chips were fresh and the queso had a wonderful creamy spiciness.

Taco Bus
301 S Falkenburg Rd
Tampa, FL 33619

http://www.yelp.com/biz/taco-bus-tampa-7

Taquitos Jalisco

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TJ

***** (5 stars)

This is still, after more than a decade, the only authentic table service Mexican restaurant in Orlando. There are some Tex Mex items, but the real key is to order the authentic dishes such as the pastor or the mole. I like the Plato Botanas appetizer sampler, but for a real treat try the Gorditas Pastor with everything. Also excellent margaritas.

Taquitos Jalisco
1041 S Dillard St
Winter Garden, FL 34787
(407) 654-0363
http://www.yelp.com/biz/taquitos-jalisco-winter-garden

Taqueria Los Pericos

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**** (4 stars)

I love this kind of dive place, where you order at a counter, serve yourself from the salsa bar, and the food is authentic.

Excellent (presumably house-made) rustic chips. The nachos and chicken quesadilla weren’t too impressive, but the fish tacos were excellent, nicely spiced and great with an extra squeeze of lime.

But the highlight was the beef tacos, which were perfectly spiced, with delicious marinated beef with just the right crunchy edges to give the whole thing some texture. Probably the best beef taco I’ve ever had.

Taqueria Los Pericos
139 Water St
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 469-7685
http://www.yelp.com/biz/taqueria-los-pericos-santa-cruz

Zapatista

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*** (3 stars)

This output of the Zapatista chain is a bit smaller and somewhat less convincingly themed than some of the others, but the food is pretty much the same.

The highlight is the made to order guacamole, with is served with coarse ground corn tortilla chips.

The conchinitas pibil is a savory entree choice, a large heap of slow cooked marinated pork with pickled onion slices.

Service is friendly and efficient.

Zapatista
1307 S Wabash Ave
Chicago, IL 60605
(312) 435-1307
http://www.yelp.com/biz/zapatista-chicago

Agave Azul

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**** (4 stars)

This is one of the more stylish Mexican restaurants in town, and is trying to do authentic Mexican more than the usual Tex Mex. Unfortunately the food isn’t really up to the level one gets at the real Mexican hole in the wall places.

I had the pastor, which was authentic looking, but lacked the rich spicy sauce that makes the marinated pork dish a favorite of mine. I also sampled both refried and black beans, and both white and yellow rice. None had much flavor.

Guacamole was hand made, and quite good.

The facet of Agave Azule that stands out is the decor, with a trendy blue interior that is Mexico City modern rather than some tacky fiesta theme.

Margaritas and other drinks are excellent, and the service in this often busy restaurant is prompt and efficient.

Agave Azul
4750 S Kirkman Rd
Orlando, FL 32819
(407) 704-6930
http://www.yelp.com/biz/agave-azul-orlando