It was a cold, dark, and stormy afternoon as 6 men crawled from behind their desks and the mountains of paperwork that encompassed their space. They yearned for sustanance that would rid them of the hunger pains that their stomachs were fiercly emitting (which was better than other things being emitted). Thier quest was known, and they set forth and ventured to the only place that could diminish thier cravings…..Taco Bell.
Actually it was a beautiful day and 6 men dodged thier work environments and a brown bag lunch, on a predetermined plan, to indulge in the most important food group other than wings ,beer, and Oreos. TACOS!
The location – Hot Taco. The day – Tuesday. The time – 11:43. The temperature – 79 degrees. The men – listed above. The number one song on this day in 1976 – "Sweet Love" by The Commodores. The film released on this day in 1941 – "Citizen Kane".
I emerged from my vehicle in good timing as Sweet C, Ramrod, and Turncoat were climbing out of the Prius. Greetings were exchanged and we crossed the dangerous Bland St. to the safe haven of Hot Taco. As we entered we were greeted by Clubber who arrived early and without the use of a vehicle.
We were led to our table where we were met with bowls of chips and a very tasy, and somewhat spicy salsa. A++ to that. We were then informed that the $2 tacos was for any of the tacos on the menu. SCORE! This provided a choice between 10 different tacos. Well 9 different tacos and a thing with stuff in it that should not be included in a taco list (the Coliflor Asado).
The Menu:
Carne Molida – beer braised ground beef, cheddar cheese, cabbage, tomato, onion, crema, cilantro
El Pollo – roasted chicken, cheddar cheese, cabbage, tomato, onion, crema, cilantro
Carnitas – pulled pork, cheddar cheese, cabbage, tomato, onion, crema, cilantro
Baja – grilled white fish, cheddar cheese, cabbage, tomato, onion, crema, cilantro
Carne Asada – seasoned grilled skirt steak, cabbage, pico di gallo, avocado aioli crema
Bang Bang Fish – tequila battered fried white fish, citrus slaw, spicy seafood sauce, black bean salsa, avocado aioli crema
Picante de Cerdo – pulled pork, red chili sauce, cabbage, fresh jalapeno, queso fresco, crema, cilantro, pork rind dust
Camarones Caliente – fried shrimp, hot sauce, citrus slaw, tomatoes, cilantro
Al Pastor – hand-pulled pork with pineapple, onions and cilantro
Coliflor Asado – smashed pintos, salsa verde, roasted cauliflower, red chili sauce, cabbage, queso fresco, peanuts, crema, cilantro
Plenty of good choices to go with and you can change it up each time you visit. The place is nice and service was adequate. Not as slow as what has been experienced at The Local, but was hoping to be a bit faster considering we got there early enough. After decisions were made, and the orders placed, Ramrod shared the Qurter Ruck adventure that had taken place. We were finally joined by Roadie, who was thoroughly enjoying the meeting he was in, at which he had many comments to share.
The food started making it's way out and we dug in. The tacos are not as stuffed as The Local (I don't think there is a place that is), but they are very tasty. I went with the normal order of 6 ( as I sit here writing this I should have did 10 and brought some back with me because I am getting hungry again just thinking about them). My choices were the Carne Molida, Al PAstor, (2) Camaones, Bang Bang Fish, and a Carnitas. The ground beef was very good. I always love shrimp and/or fish tacos, and these are very satisfying. The carnitas and al pastor were equally as good.
Overall I give everything an 8. No taco was unsatisfactory. Definitely needs to be a place on regular rotation. It is always a pleasure to meet up with the guys and enjoy what we will work of at tomorrow's beatdown. Everyone else share their experience and comments below. Hope to see you all out this week!