Looks like it's been months since I had a taco....not really, just lots of repeats of my favorite places.

On a recent trip to San Antonio, I couldn't pass up the chance for some tacos from the heart of Tex-Mex. I wanted to go to a dive in a strip center with a bright pink and green hand painted sign, but my friends wanted something "cleaner" looking (as if clean looks has anything to do with good food).

Fortunately, I was out voted and had a great experience at On The Border (See review below).

On The Border

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On The Border
NE San Antonio
13846 IH 35 North
Live Oak, TX 78233
210-590-4010

I don't normally find outstanding food in chain restaurants, but "On The Border" is one exception. My two tacos were great....and huge. The shells were thick and crisp. The meat had a mild spicy flavor to it....and withstood the drip test amazingly well. I held the taco at an angle to see how much grease and water would drip out; barely a drop!

Just one negative: You'd think salsa in San Antonio would be spicy, this was not. Likely because it is a chain and everything must be palatable even to their customers in New York.

The service was just as good as the food. The wait-staff (Tanya?) was attentive and friendly.

The price was a bit steep, but the wait person told us the tacos were only a dollar at the bar after 5:00....that's a deal!

I would definitely go back....too bad there's not one in Austin!

Sago Modern Mexican Restaurant

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Sago Modern Mexican Restaurant
North Guadalupe and Lamar @ The Triangle
Austin, TX 78751

I hate having two poor reviews in a row, but it's what I'm eating. Sago is one of many brand new restaurants at the Triangle, an upscale mixed use complex in North Central Austin. Being new, I can forgive any quality issues. but I guess I'm not used to 'Modern Mexican'. NO crispy tacos...just soft (corn or flour), which is to me and most folks from West Texas, is a burrito. No ground beef...brisket, chicken, fish, and shrimp! And I couldn't order just tacos, it had to be the meal, but the wait person was willing to go check with the chef.

As it was, not bad, but as I said they are new and literally just open their doors. A little brisket, slices of avacado and some tomato, white looking rice, and a bowl of very good charro beans.

The salsa must have been modern mexican too. One was made with tomatillos and not bad, the other was a chili tasing sauce...neither were what one would call 'hot' or that good.

For lunch, very pricey, and considering all the competition, I imagine their prices will come down or they will have lunch specials. I'll try them again later.

Pico De Gallo Mexican Restaurant

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Pico De Gallo Mexican Restaurant
111 S. Leona St.
San Antonio Texas, 78207

Pico De Gallo is a fun looking restaurant with a real San Antonio feel....bright colors, silvery things hanging from the ceiling, but a very disappointing pair of tacos. The two tacos were so meagerly tended too, they looked naked on the plate. No piles of lettuce, barely any tomato, and just a pinch of cheese.

Even the salsa was unremarkable.

The service was the slowest I have seen in a long time; granted it was lunch time, but for as long as this restaurant has been in San Antonio, one would think they would be ready for lunch. I was with a group of friends (most from outside Texas) and they thought their food was good, though no one was ranting how great it was.

Pico was supposed to have been showcased of one of the food television shows...judging by their tacos, I don't see how it could have been good.

Chuy’s North Lamar

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Chuy’s North Lamar
10520 N Lamar
Austin, TX 78753

Chuy’s is one of the restaurants that really is an Austin icon with the first one opening on Barton Springs Road in 1982. My friends and I hit the North Lamar location right at the peak of lunch time and thought we would be in for a long wait. Pleasantly surprised, we were seated in just a couple minutes and actually in and out in less than 45 minutes. The tacos were ideal except for one thing….the shell had been left in the warmer too long and while nice and crisp (and warm) they had a slight taste of ‘burnt’, otherwise, great tacos. No drippy run off, the meat had good flavor and lots of lettuce and cheese. The salsa was good, but could have been hotter. Our waitperson, while serving a number of full tables, was attentive and prompt. I’ll have to come back to Chuy’s one evening and relax and enjoy a beer (that’s the bad thing about lunch-time tacos…no beer, at least on weekdays).

Mesa Rosa 620

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Mesa Rosa 620
15515 FM 620
Austin, Texas 78717

This is the second of three Mesa Rosa restaurants I’ve reviewed (Click here for the the other Mesa Rosa). I would have thought everything would be the same, being the same family owned restaurant, but not quite. The taco shells were very crispy and had a real snap to them. The ground beef wasn’t just browned in a pan….it had a nice char flavor to it as if they grilled it with the fajita meat. The 620 Mesa Rosa has had several additions as it gained popularity, with different dining areas and a nice deck overlooking some of the few wooded areas remaining between Round Rock and Cedar Park. As early as 6:00pm they were busy, but still not much of a wait. Wait staff varied from high school kids to professionals, so service may be hit and miss. But overall, great tacos, and that's what counts! This Mesa Rosa is on my ‘regular’ list now and I’m looking forward to the third Mesa Rosa.