Category: Tacos

Restaurant Review – Rudy’s Country Store & BBQ (Multiple Locations)

(Dislaimer: The menu can vary somewhat by location, so before heading to one closest to you, verify availability.)

(Sorry, but starting off with some gratuitous bragging here) One of the things I take great pride in as Heataholic is my ability to not only search for, but find treasure in the most unexpected of places (and then tell you, my dear readers, all about it!). Of course, in this context, “treasure” refers to high quality, heat-laden food. And as I’d mentioned in one of my long posts, you can find great treasure if you look and do your homework, take nothing at face value and go with an open mind no matter where you are or what type of cuisine you’re trying. For me, a spice-loving (no wait, spice-ADDICTED vegetarian) to be able to go into one of the South’s premiere BBQ chains (yes, I love chains, mom-and-pops and everything in between as long as the food is good) and find an addictively heat-laden sauce can speak volumes. OK, enough of the self-aggrandizing!

Enter Rudy’s. Rudy’s is known far and wide as being the “worst BBQ in Texas.” That’s been their signature line since as long as I’ve been in Texas (since 2002). Being a veggie, I can’t really speak to their BBQ, but given how popular and ubiquitous they are and how they’ve grown from a small Texas establishment to a multi-state empire, all I have to say is “if this is what being the worst is, imagine what being the best or better is! And a unique thing about Rudy’s is that while they have several standalone locations, 1) they have many locations as extensions of gas stations and 2) all their locations (including standalone) are spacious on the inside, but the decor is simple. Simple, yet unbelievably satisfying!

So what is it about Rudy’s that makes me, a spice-addicted vegetarian, go ga-ga – simply put, their potato and egg breakfast tacos! I know my last few reviews have been on breakfast tacos, so I’m sure many of you are probably sick of hearing about these, and rest assured, I will try my best to refrain from doing at least my next few on these, but as long as there’s great Tex-Mex, there will be great breakfast tacos, and I will keep eating and writing about them!

The tacos are made first thing in the morning – dozens and dozens of them, hot, fresh, wrapped and ready to be scarfed down once you’ve paid. Once they’re out of tacos, they’re out for the day and you have to wait till the next day to get any (Early to bed, early to rise!). For me, the only tacos I can consume are the potato and egg ones, but I can never tire of these. Roasted potatoes and eggs cooked to perfection, all on a warm flour tortilla. But la pièce de résistance for my taste buds is not the tacos themselves (as heavily delectable as they are) – rather, it is…wait for it…the awesomely spicy Verde (green) sauce/salsa!!!!

This is a spicy green sauce with Jalapeno peppers, vinegar and just the right pinch of garlic and salt (me thinks sea salt, but can’t be too sure). These remind me a lot of the Taco Deli Salsa Dona hot sauce I’d written about early on, but this is actually unique to Rudy’s. It is homemade. And they are very generous in giving these out to anyone who asks. Combine verde salsa with potato and egg tacos and you’ve got a match made in Heaven. And for those of you with sweet tooths out there, grab yourself some dee-licious banana pudding (with Va-Nilla wafers)!

Details:

Spicy Flavors:

  • Verde (Green) Salsa/Sauce

Personal Faves:

  • Potato and Egg Breakfast Tacos
  • Banana Pudding
(Left) That addictively spicy green verde sauce. (Right) The (non-leaning, straight up) tower of green verde sauce juxtaposed with a delicious potato and egg breakfast taco. Rudy’s gave me 6 after I had politely asked. And I only had two tacos and no salsa left over – you do the math!

Spice on, my friends!

Restaurant Review – Recuerdos (Round Rock, TX)

“Recuerdos” – That is the Spanish word for memories. At least according to Google Translate! And for me, this was memorable. Of course, with memories, as we all know, there are varying degrees of memories. There are small memories like trying to remember where you misplaced the remote control. Then there are those huge milestone memories in your life – getting married, graduating college, the birth of each of your children, etc. No offense to the folks at Recuerdos, but this won’t rank up there with those latter memories. But, nonetheless, it was an experience worthy enough to warrant a review in Heataholic – after all, if I don’t have a good memory from eating your food, it was likely not worth remembering and not mentioning in this blog!

A typical morning (at least in the COVID era) – wake up, take the dog for a quick walk, get the kids ready to start (virtual) school after giving them breakfast, make coffee and then once the kids are squared away, realize – I’m hungry! And not just hungry for anything, but got a craving for breakfast tacos! But where? Lots of great Tex-Mex, including breakfast tacos in the Austin area, but I just didn’t feel in the mood to drive much – had a busy work day ahead and wanted something fresh and satisfying, yet fast and convenient. And despite the time crunch, I wanted to try something new – a place I could review for Heataholic. Again the million dollar question – WHERE?

Utilizing today’s high tech (back in my day – ha ha, the standard way to date myself – we’d have to use Yellow Pages), I simply entered “breakfast tacos” into my phone and voila! Recuerdos popped up. I’d never heard of this place in all my years living in the Round Rock (suburban North Austin) area. Popping it into Google Maps, I drove out there – only took a whopping 8 minutes to get there and turns out it is a small hole-in-the-wall establishment (and looks like it took the place of a restaurant called “Recession Cafe” my wife and I ate at nearly a decade before).

Hole-in-the-wall establishments are often hidden treasures just like I’d discussed previously about food trucks. They’re often small, thinly-staffed and the insides are typically plain with minimal seating. Home improvement/renovation is often needed both inside and out, the decor is not fancy by any means and the technology is not really “modern” by today’s standards (limited to no website, credit card machines that involve swiping as opposed to chips, etc.) but what these establishments lack in style and technology, they often make up for in food taste and quality – at least the good ones! And like food trucks, the low overhead in the restaurant, itself, can be tied to lower prices and sometimes, smaller menus. But, as with so many things in life, it’s not the quantity that matters, it’s the quality – I’d rather a restaurant (or other food establishment) with only 5 items, all of which are great, versus one with 50, with none. Usually, most places fall somewhere in between, but I’ve had my share of establishments that had nothing good.

While their menu is heavily meat-based, Recuerdos offered the one thing I went there for – breakfast tacos! Two, specifically, caught my eye. The first is their Miga taco with thinly sliced Serrano peppers and sweeter red peppers, giving Heataholic his much-needed desired morning spice. The second is the generic breakfast taco with eggs and the choice of potatoes, beans or cheese. I chose both potatoes and cheese, paying a little extra for the additional topping. And asked for their spiciest salsa – they don’t have different ones, but do have one salsa they make freshly in-house.

(As a point of reference, their beans do have a pork base, so if you are vegetarian (like me) or vegan, be sure to avoid them.)

The result – FANTASTIC! The Miga was the favorite of mine between the two, but it was a photo finish! Those Serrano peppers, as expected (as opposed to the sweeter, red ones), gave the Miga taco a YUUUGGEEE kick! But outside the spice, the eggs were cooked to perfection and the tortilla strips were crispy and had the adequate amount of oil and were blended in consistently with the eggs. The extra salsa, while it wasn’t spicy, was fresh and flavorful.

The egg, potato and cheese, was similarly hot off the grill and since it did not have the pre-built Serranos and red peppers, I added much more of the homemade salsa before gobbling it. Again, freshness dominates.

I washed everything down with a cup of home-brewed iced black coffee and voila – I was now ready to start my day and knock it out of the park! Recuerdos gave my taste buds some great memories!

Details:

Spicy Flavors:

  • Miga taco (with spicy Serrano peppers)

Personal Faves ((since this was my first time, I will likely add to these after repeat trips):

  • Miga taco
  • Egg, Potato and Cheese taco
(Left to Right) Miga taco (with those wonderfully spicy, thin-sliced Serranos), Egg & Potato & Cheese taco and Recuerdos’ homemade salsa (Not spicy in and of itself, but goes well with everything).

Spice on, my friends!

Restaurant Review – Torchy’s Tacos (Special Hot Item Menu)

I did a review of Torchy’s Taco’s a while ago – this was before I started my standard review posts that I have now. I did not even label it as a review, but discussed their fantastic tacos and their homemade, trademarked Diablo sauce – a fitting name – which you can buy in bottles at Torchy’s, and yes, I have consumed an entire one in a single sitting! 🙂

Why I’m revisiting Torchy’s on Heataholic – because from now through the end of August, they are having a special menu for spice connoisseurs like myself and i want to make sure that you, my dear readers, know all about this!

Here are the time-sensitive offerings, aptly named “Some Like It Hot”:

  • Daredevil Queso Blanco
  • Bottle Rocket Shrimp Taco
  • Ring of Fire Margarita

I tried the Daredevil Queso Blanco, except had to order with regular tortilla chips instead of the chili lime salted Chicharrones, as I’m vegetarian. It’s a fiery sensation for your mouth – the extra roasted Jalapenos and Serrano peppers along with the extra Diablo sauce provide for that jolt my tastebuds were desperate for. And it was a great opening act for the main course – the “shrimpless” Bottle Rocket Shrimp Taco.

Hats off to Torchy’s for accommodating my unique request – I had them substitute eggs (though they also gave me the option of beans) in lieu of shrimp, but everything else was still there. Phenomenal heat! My mouth was on fire and the Mexican Coke I drank helped put it out – somewhat. It didn’t help that I put on so much extra Diablo sauce, but I’m used to the Diablo and dumping it on in copious amounts – but not used to this new Bottle Rocket flavor.

Unfortunately, I did not try the Ring of Fire margarita – gave up that bottle 5 years ago and have not looked back. No, I was never an alcoholic, but as I aged, I found I could not handle it anymore like I could when I was much younger. So cannot give you a good review of it, but if it’s anything like the queso and taco, it will give you a burning sensation so intense you will need another “normal” drink just to put it out! 🙂

Details:

Spicy Flavors:

  • Daredevil Queso Blanco (limited time)
  • Bottle Rocket Shrimp Taco (limited time – I had mine without the shrimp)
  • Diablo Sauce (they’ll give you plenty for free and they sell bottles of it)
  • Regular Queso (they put Diablo sauce in it, but not as much and no Jalapenos or Serranos like the Daredevil Queso Blanco)
  • Street Corn (They dust with chili powder and will add as much as you want)

Personal Faves:

  • Breakfast Tacos (served all day)
  • Damn Good Tacos (Fried Avocado, Independent, Brushfire – without the chicken but with eggs substituted)
  • Queso (Daredevil and Regular)
  • Guacamole (Not spicy, but I love how they load it up with Cotija cheese)
  • Street Corn
  • Lil’ Nookies (for all you Sweet-Toothers)
Ask and thou shalt receive – when I ask for “extra” Diablo sauce, they are very generous!
You can purchase this Diablo sauce to take home! I love how it’s in a bottle similar to old-school alcoholic flasks – seems like they know people like me have and are always tempted to drink straight out of the bottle! Just try to control yourself (I keep telling myself that)!
Delicious Bottle Rocket taco with eggs, in lieu of shrimp. Always love those nice criss-crossed lines of Diablo sauce!
Top: Regular Torchy’s queso. Yellow colored, has Diablo. Bottom: Daredevil Queso Blanco. Notice the whiter color, the extra Diablo and the submerged Jalapeno and Serrano peppers. Spot the difference?

Spice on, my friends!

Mirror Mirror, on the wall, who’s got the greatest tacos of all (in Austin) – PART 2!

This is the sequel to one of my earliest posts. For those who had not read this post or just want a refresher of its content, I’d highlighted just how many fantastic taco joints there are in the Greater Austin metropolitan area and it is downright impossible to determine what is the “best” taco joint, with or without looking at it from a spicy lens.

I still stand firmly by that belief – and that includes evaluating based on spiciness. There are some places I’ve tried over the years that haven’t been worth going back to (and those won’t be mentioned in my blog), but they are vastly outnumbered those that are. I’d also highlighted in detail in that post about Taco Deli – a large and growing chain with so many unique tacos for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike, and a fabulous green salsa dona and habanero salsa, both designed to keep your spice buds in check!

This post is about Taco Deli’s biggest competitor (at least in the eyes of many Austinites) – namely Torchy’s Tacos. Ask any random group of Austinites who has the best tacos in the city, and statistically, you’ll almost always get a plurality who’ll go for Taco Deli, another plurality for Torchy’s, and a third group who’ll include everyone else. I love ’em both, but I love so many others, you can’t include me in any of those categories.

Torchy’s has its own unique set of tacos and a corresponding unique set of tastes for any discerning spice lover, like yours truly. Unlike Taco Deli, I do love that they serve breakfast tacos ALL DAY LONG! They are also known for their fun and quirky work culture – so much so that yours truly applied for a Director of IT position they’d advertised, but alas, my resume just didn’t make it past the first round…:(

And now for the heat…like a “torchy”, Torchy’s is known for setting your taste buds on fire! If you’re a spice lover and you come out of Torchy’s feeling dissatisfied – you need to go to the closest doctor as you may be diagnosed with ageusia! It is impossible to go to Torchy’s and not fulfill your spice quota with so many options. Whether you’re going for the kill (tacos) or want some sides or want to be really daring and “drink” up some sauce, Torchy’s has it all! The key is their Diablo sauce – provided for free in small plastic containers (only by request) or sold by the bottle. Ironically, the bottle is shaped like a liquor flask, perfect for a Heataholic like me who has been known, on occasion, to drink an entire bottle in a sitting! Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING at Torchy’s can have Diablo added and spiced to order. As a secondary option, Torchy’s also has grilled Jalapenos and these come standard with some of the tacos, but usually, I’ve found they’re not always thrilled about putting these on other items. But rest assured, Diablo alone will be plenty to satisfy your spice buds! 🙂

A few of my faves:

  • Street Corn that can be dusted with chili powder, in addition to Diablo
  • Green Chile Queso and Chips – comes with a pre-made “stream” of Diablo. I usually turn that “stream” into an “ocean”! 🙂
  • Fried Avocado tacos
  • They have an Independent taco as well with eggs at their restaurants, but does not appear to be on their online menu

Spice on, my friends!

Mirror Mirror, on the wall, who’s got the greatest tacos of all (in Austin)?

For someone who moved to Austin in 2002 and has seen this city grow by leaps and bounds, I often marvel at just how dramatically things have changed in the Live Music Capital of the World from a generation ago. But the one thing that has not changed is – trying to identify who has the best tacos in Austin?

Asking that question is like asking – Who has the greenest pasture in Ireland? There are just way too many!!!

So sorry, my dear readers, but I won’t be answering that question – not in this post and not in any future ones. Not because I’m trying to be coy, but simply because I can’t answer it – some days I’m in the mood for one place, some days another, and there are so many I simply haven’t tried with one new place after another opening shop.

What I will tell you about today is ONE of my favorite spots in Austin for getting my spicy taco fix – and that would be Taco Deli. Plenty of veggie options and if you get there (usually before 11 AM on weekdays or 3 PM on weekends) early enough, some great breakfast tacos.

But what I crave the most when I go to Taco Deli are their two spicy salsas. There’s the well known one (the Salsa Dona – sorry for leaving out the tilde!) and the lesser-known and even spicier orange habanero (again, no tilde!). The former is a creamy green mixture of jalapenos, garlic and salt that is a tamed level of spice. It is so well-liked that you can buy a package of it at Whole Foods. Unfortunately, as of this post’s publication, I have not been able to find it on Amazon.

The latter is a much more ferocious (and delicious) salsa that will challenge your taste buds. It’s orange with the fiery habaneros that will make you wish you had filled your water up early on! Not as popular as the green stuff to most, but to me, I love ’em both!

Anytime I go to Taco Deli, you’ll always see me as the guy who’s loading up cup after cup after cup of both salsas. One time, in a Seinfeldesque way, someone said to me – “Hey, the farmers called. They’re running out of jalapenos.” (Such nerve of some people! Ha!) My response – “Tell them to grow more!” And to answer your question – Yes, I have done shots (multiple, in fact) of both these salsas and I usually pour both onto my tacos.

So the next time you venture to Taco Deli (as of this publication, there are 10 including the Austin Bergstrom Airport), be bold and try both! Your spicy taste buds will thank you graciously!

Note: The orange salsa is not found at all locations, e.g., AUS Airport.

error

Enjoy this blog? Please spread the word :)

Follow by Email
Twitter