Taquerias

This is a good time for a comment on taquerias. Small Mexican restaurants (taqueria = taco shop), usually in a small shopping strip or a converted Dairy Queen, that seem to be everywhere. If you Google “taqueria”, you’ll even find them in New York City!!

The menus range from tacos and tortas to cazeulas and fajitas. The décor is always the same, very basic, nothing fancy, maybe plastic flowers on the table, culturally Mexican. Univision is always on and there’s Spanish language newspapers in the rack. The wait staff seems to be the same too, they might have a problem understanding English, but they are always friendly and always accommodating…more chips, more limes, never a problem.

What puzzles me most about taquerias, is how they can serve as much food as they do for such a low price. Your plate might not be overwhelmed, but I’ve seen burritos the size of my forearm with an entire avocado in it. The food will range from Tex-Mex to Mexican street food (no “Southwest Fusion”) and is nearly always outstanding. I’ve only had one bad meal at a taqueria, but didn’t realize it until later. Next time you’re looking for some good Tex-Mex, find a taqueria, there’s likely one near by.