Category: Tex-Mex

Food Truck Review – TacoNMaye (Georgetown, TX, Cedar Park, TX – Austin, TX Area)

Oh how I love food trucks! My very first review was on Cedar Pork – a lovely BBQ joint for carnivores that served up this heat-seeking vegetarian with some deliciously spicy breakfast tacos. I discovered a new one this morning – this one comes onsite Thursday – Sunday during breakfast and lunch hours at Cedar Park’s Red Horn Coffee and Brewing and yes, it does serve great breakfast tacos! (Doh! Another breakfast taco review!).

Breakfast tacos are a favorite of mine (well, duh!), but they are not a commodity by any means. Each place cooks and serves them differently. There is so much variety, it is impossible to make blanket statements. And while there may be a wrong way to cook them, there is no right way in how a breakfast taco comes out.

It’s all about:

  • How the eggs are cooked (if there are any)
  • How the beans are cooked (if there are any)
  • How the potatoes are cooked (if there are any)
  • How the tortillas are heated
  • What kind of tortillas are used – flour, corn, wheat or some fusion
  • What other ingredients are added (onions – grilled or plain, tortilla strips – grilled or plain, Jalapeno peppers, type of cheese, etc.)
  • And last, but certainly not least, the spicy salsas and sauces that come with it!

So that said, a breakfast taco is like a snowflake in that no two are ever alike. And with me, Heataholic, I just cannot get enough breakfast tacos – no matter how great the ones I am fortunate enough to try, I just like to keep trying more of them!

Onto TacoNMaye...Literally translated, it means “delightful or badass tacos.” TacoNMaye is a Mexican food truck, started in 2016 by a chef Carlos from Coahuila, Mexico. Don’t ask me how to pronounce it (is it “Taco-N-May”, “ta-CON-may” or something completely different) – 18 years and counting in the wonderful state of Texas, yet sadly, the only Spanish words I can muster are “Hola”, “Gracias”, “Por Favor” and numbers from 1 to 10! Slacker, I am, but I am so grateful to my Spanish-speaking friends for providing me the backup, so it’s one less thing on my plate! TacoNMaye is based in neighboring suburb, Georgetown, TX, but their truck comes to the Red Horn Coffee and Brewing Company in Cedar Park, TX.

Note: Red Horn is an alcohol-serving bar (what other kinds are there?), and as of the date of this post, bars in Texas are still officially closed due to COVID-19, but there are loopholes by which many can operate, such as if a food establishment is right by it, i.e., a food truck. Don’t ask me all the rules and regulations – I’m not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV, and half the time, even I can’t decipher what the rules are – I just play it safe! Net-net: The TacoNMaye food truck comes Thursdays to Sundays typically during 8-2 PM, with more limited hours on the weekend, but double check the hours with Red Horn as these can vary and change, and once the restrictions are lifted, it may not come there, but you can always go Georgetown to enjoy.

TacoNMaye’s logo is that of a very happy man in a sombrero jumping with joy! One taste and it is easy to see why! For a vegetarian spice addict like me, TacoNMaye offers Potato, Egg and Cheese breakfast tacos which are so overflowing that the tortillas can barely contain them! So many of the core three ingredients, but let’s not forget those highly delectable grilled onions and tortilla strips. But relax, lunch-lovers! They also offer (for vegetarians) grilled veggie tacos, chips and salsa, and chips and queso blanco.

And now…the SPICE! There are four kinds of salsa they have. Two are average in heat capacity, while the other two are an adventure for your mouth! All four are made in-house, so you know they are fresh. The regular (red) and verde (green) salsas both have good flavor, but the other two are the true treasures (alliteration!) for heat-seekers far and wide.

First, the orange sauce – given its bright orange color, one can only assume this has a strong Habanero base. A quick sample taste and this is confirmed. There is likely some sea salt, vinegar and garlic mixed in, among other things. Then, there is the cream, almost-beige-colored sauce. It, too, has a Habanero taste and kick, so given this taste and the color, my gut feel is that it is the other bright orange sauce, with possibly sour cream or mayonnaise mixed in (it has a creamy texture too). I just need to verify if I’m right on this.

Both these salsas go great and provide a spicy kick with their Potato, Egg and Cheese tacos and illustrate again why some of the best food can be found in small, unheard-of places, like food trucks!

Details:

Spicy Flavors:

  • Orange Habanero Sauce
  • Light orange, creamy Habanero Sauce

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

  • Potato, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Taco
Potato, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Tacos – so much overflowing goodness. I love those grilled onions!
Just looking at this (especially in mid-September) makes me think about football! Like an offensive line, going Left-to-Right, you’ve got the Orange Habanero sauce as your Left Tackle, the two Verde Salsas as your Offensive Guards, the regular red salsa as your Center and your creamy Habanero sauce as your Right Tackle. The only question remains is – Where’s the Tight End? Hmm….

Spice on, my friends!

Restaurant Review – Santiago’s Tex-Mex and Cantina (Round Rock, TX – Austin, TX Area)

As I sit at home on this wonderful Sunday before Labor Day, on one hand, I look back on 2020 – so far, 8 months have been completed, 6 of which have been under the duress of COVID. March and April we were under quarantine, then things slowly started reopening and to this day, we have to wear masks. My favorite sport, college football, is a shadow of its former self – conferences like the Big 10 and Pac-10 have shut down for the season, while others (including my own graduate alma mater’s Big 12) have now postponed games yet another week. My own kids are in virtual classrooms, wondering (as their parents are) whether things will ever go back to normal. Pretty depressing, huh.

Well, yes and no. On one hand, this has truly been a year for the books (and we’re only 2/3rds of the way through!). On the other hand, though, this pandemic has been a blessing in disguise. First off, after a rough 2019 (from a work and health point of view), I got to spend much more time with my family. It was a great way to rediscover and reconnect with them, after a very tangential relationship the year before, due to work-life balance, or near-complete lack thereof. It also allowed me to really think things through – my own life, my career and what I want to do, both in the short and long haul. In fact, I will venture so far to say that were it not for the pandemic and the extra pensive time it gave me, Heataholic may not have been born. And this pandemic has also given me the ability to speak to other companies and I recently accepted an offer with one of them, in what I hope will be a better experience, at least for the near future!

So, in short, while things this year have been, well, …challenging, I have a lot to be thankful for (and still 2-1/2 months to Thanksgiving where it all becomes formalized!) – family, friends, health, finances and so many little things. While I have always known this, Heataholic has really allowed me to parse my memory and what is around me fully to realize just how blessed I am to be surrounded by so many good places to eat and how fortunate I have been to have eaten in so many wonderful places in my lifetime. When there are so many out there less fortunate who often struggle to eat every day, I am thankful that I have the ability to be close to and the means to have so wonderful options for the meals I can consume and then live to tell about them.

And with that, I move to one place I am so grateful for having opened in my neighborhood – Santiago’s Tex-Mex and Cantina. Santiago’s is a newcomer to my neighborhood. It opened up in the summer of 2017 and our family has made great use of it! Due to both its convenience, its freshly made food and for your truly, its ability to provide more than adequate heat, Santiago’s is our go-to place when we need either quick and delicious takeout in response to our weekly schedules of work, kids’ activities and the normal stresses of everyday life or when we simply want a nice family dinner without driving too far and have a craving for some delicious Tex-Mex! The inside is average for a typical Tex-Mex in suburban Austin – TVs galore, nice Southwest decor and a full bar. With COVID, unfortunately, we haven’t had much of a chance to enjoy Santiago’s in person, but still order takeout, usually once a week.

And yes, Santiago’s does serve breakfast tacos, but only on weekends and we’ve never been there during that time, but rest assured, it will happen soon! So in this review, I will review their core Tex-Mex and why I, Heataholic, love it. Simply put, it’s the salsas!

Santiago’s provides 4 different kinds of delectable sauces, and while two of them are not spicy, all four of their flavors are something to rave about! For me, it doesn’t matter what I eat – I just get enough of my favorite sauces! Lots of carnivorous items on the menu at first glance, but they can customize everything. I usually go either for either a Quesadilla with cheese, mushrooms and pico, Cheese Enchiladas but with a substitute sauce (any of the ones I’ll be discussing), Enchiladas Vegetarians, Veggie Nachos or the Veggie Fajitas. And of course, who can forget the endless chips and salsa!

The salsa, my friends, is why I love Santiago’s! Simply put, there are 4 kinds of salsas you can have:

  • Regular Salsa – comes with every basket of chips
  • Chipotle (Diablo) Sauce – the spiciest!
  • Green (Ranchero) Sauce
  • Creamy Jalapeno Sauce

The regular salsa is what comes with every basket of chips and you can always ask for more. It isn’t obscenely spicy, but does give a good kick, and together with chips, is a great prelude to an even better meal. Freshly made every day, it provides a robust blend of tomatoes, onions and green peppers to enhance your taste buds. And those green peppers are so finely cut – as I’ve stated before on different posts, the greater the surface area of your spicy items, the more intense the spice!

The Chipotle (Diablo) sauce is just as it name says – it is diabolical! Yours Truly can handle it with ease (had to insert that shameless pitch!), but it can pack some heat! Fire-roasted chipotle peppers with a hint of smoke comprise this creamy, reddish-orange sauce. I often get this on the side or as the topper on my cheese enchiladas.

The Green (Ranchero) sauce lets you taste the fresh peppers, onions and vinegar that comprise it. Like the regular salsa, not obscenely spicy, but does have a good kick.

Last, but certainly not least is the Creamy Jalapeno. In Austin, anytime anyone mentions creamy Jalapeno sauce, the first thing that comes to mind is Chuy’s! And yes, Chuy’s is awesome (don’t worry, they’ll get their own post soon enough!). While this does not have the “addictive” and ubiquitously known characteristics of Chuy’s famous sauce, it is its own masterpiece. More creamy than spicy, you can still taste the Jalapeno flavor as it stands out.

Every time I go to Santiago’s, I make sure to get all 4 of these salsas and they never disappoint! It doesn’t matter which entree I go with – these sauces are a great addition.

In due time, I will try their breakfast tacos, but given the quality so far, I know ahead of time it won’t disappoint!

Details:

Spicy Flavors:

  • Regular Salsa
  • Chipotle (Diablo) Sauce
  • Green (Ranchero) Sauce
  • Creamy Jalapeno Sauce

Personal Faves (I will likely be adding breakfast tacos once I try them!):

  • Cheese Quesadilla with Mushrooms and Pico de Gallo
  • Vegetarian Fajitas
  • Cheese Enchiladas
  • Vegetarian Nachos
  • Enchiladas Vegetarians
The Regular Salsa – just look at all those fresh peppers, tomatoes and onions (both regular and green)! So thick, so chunky, so spicy, so delicious!
The other three salsas – (Top Right) Creamy Jalapeno, (Bottom Left) Ranchero, (Bottom Right) Chipotle Diablo. Also on the upper left is the Pozole sauce (not really a favorite of mine, but wife and kids love it!).

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!

Food Truck Review – Cedar Pork (Cedar Park, TX) – Alternately, Why I Love Food Trucks

Food trucks – what an innovative concept! I love food (well, only good-tasting and spicy!) and the concept of being able to make, serve and sell it in a vehicle is just too cool – even in today’s high-tech world where anything is possible. If your customers can’t come to you, you can go to them. For aspiring restaurateurs, this can be a great way to get started without investing a ton of capital in potentially expensive markets and real estate therein.

Many cities have come to understand this too, and you start to see “food truck trailer parks” opening up all around. Even my own Austin suburb of Round Rock has a large food truck park, dwarfed in comparison to Austin, but formidable for sure. And as I write this, the U.S. is still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, so food truck restauranteurs need not worry about enforcing social distancing guidelines as all their customers are take out ones (although food truck parks often have open seating for their customers)! Food trucks also provide a way to highlight some very unique cuisines and/or dishes (with limited menus) which may not have the large market (and therefore, sustainable revenue) to justify the need to open a full-fledged restaurant.

Food trucks, in fact, have become so popular that even the Food Network has a show (The Great Food Truck Race) solely dedicated to them.

Net Net – I love food trucks (as long as they serve great food) and will review them whenever possible!

Today’s review is on a food truck I heard about by chance called Cedar Pork, adequately named for its location in adjacent suburb, Cedar Park, and its pork-centric menu. You normally wouldn’t find too many reviews on Heataholic about places like this, because Yours Truly is a vegetarian, but as I’d mentioned in one of my earlier posts, the key to being a Foodie and Spice Connoisseur is the art of finding treasure in hidden spots. And Cedar Pork is no exception to that rule – in fact, the food I tasted was an absolute gold mine – spicy, fresh and tasty – not adjectives a spice-seeking vegetarian typically uses to describe a BBQ-based restaurant. Finding this treasure made me feel like a pirate who’s found his loot – ARRRRGGGGGHHHH!

Make no mistake, however. Cedar Pork is not a pure BBQ food truck – actually it is a hybrid “Smokeyard and Mexi-grill” as they call it – 50% Tex-Mex, 50% BBQ, 100% DEELEECIOUS! A first glance at the menu may make the average vegetarian cringe and say “No thanks”, but as you all know – I am NOT the typical vegetarian!

Oh yes, Cedar Pork is a carnivore’s safe haven, but use a little creativity and dig a little deeper, and there’s more than enough to offer this heat seeker. Namely, the breakfast tacos, which are served ALL DAY! In case you haven’t noticed, I LOVE places that serve breakfast all day – especially when breakfast tacos are involved!

For heat seekers, Cedar Pork has its own aptly named “Torch Breakfast Taco”. I had to get it without the Chorizo and Jalapeno/Cheddar sausage, both of which likely would have made it more spicy, but Cedar Pork left everything else in place and gave me extra onions and Jalapenos. I got two Torch’s and a Potato and Egg breakfast taco (their beans have a meat base so I could not order bean and cheese) with Jalapenos, onions and cilantro, for some variety. Also, when asked for hot sauce, they gave me both their Verde and regular salsa (neither of which is explicitly on their menu – see why it pays to ask these things!). Altogether, a fresh explosion of flavor, taste and yes, spice. Neither of their sauces was uniquely spicy in and of itself, but poured over their freshly made tacos, made for a great, heated meal!

Goes without saying (but I will say it anyway!) that Heataholic will definitely be visiting Cedar Pork again! And next time, I will try some other options too – their queso, cheese quesadillas with mushrooms or the Sauteed Mushroom taco.

And here’s to food trucks – may we see more of them!

Details:

Spicy Flavors:

  • Verde Salsa (you have to ask – it’s not on the menu)
  • Torch Breakfast Taco

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

  • Torch Breakfast Taco (without the meat)
  • Potato and Egg Breakfast Taco
Some carry the torch, but I eat the Torch!
Potato and egg breakfast taco with added onions, Jalapenos and cilantro.
Two Verdes and a Salsa – one per taco! But I tried to include both types in each for that added kick!

Spice on, my friends!

Restaurant Review – Rio Grande Tex Mex Restaurant (Hutto, TX – Austin, TX Area)

Having recently completed 18 years and counting in the great state of Texas – just in Austin – I have still barely scratched the surface of so many great Tex-Mex restaurants. There are just so many and as I’ve mentioned in some of my previous posts, some come and stay, while others go. And make no mistake, even the restaurants (not just Tex-Mex) that I’ve seen depart in recent years – it’s not that their food or service was bad. There were other factors – some weren’t in the best areas, others didn’t advertise or market themselves effectively (I still remember this fantastic Italian restaurant my wife and I would go to before we had kids that shut its doors only because it was so out of the way and too many folks just didn’t know about it or feel the need to make the drive – the restaurant was called Ciola’s), and still others, had great food, service and traffic, but just couldn’t manage their business, specifically, cash flow, effectively to prepare for unexpected tough times, be it the 2008 crash or the recent pandemic.

No matter what the reason, it’s sad when good restaurants close. But the opposite is true when a restaurant is open – it’s two feelings combined into one – on one hand, you’re happy because you can tell yourself “Woo hoo! There’s a new <insert cuisine type> restaurant nearby! I don’t have to drive so far to get <insert cuisine type> food!”. Of course, that happiness also comes with a healthy dose of skepticism. Skepticism only because you don’t know what the ultimate quality of that restaurant will be. Even if it’s a chain restaurant (large or small) you’ve had a great experience with, there is no guarantee this one would meet the standards of its predecessors. And as a rule of thumb, it’s usually not the best idea to go to a restaurant the first two or three weeks after it first opens – it’s always better to let them get their bearings straight, get settled and learn from their mistakes to get a good rhythm of their operations (and food) before trying. This way, you as the customer won’t have an unfavorable experience due to initial setup headaches and learning curves from a place that you, otherwise, would have loved.

That brings us to Rio Grande Tex Mex Restaurant in Hutto, Texas – one of the more far out suburbs/exurbs in the Austin, Texas metropolitan area. Located north of Austin, Hutto is still a new suburb and still has a lot more small-town features than big-city suburban. Located near the Dell Diamond where Austin’s minor league baseball team, the Round Rock Express play, it was the perfect place for a hungry family of four to go when our baseball game was cancelled at the last minute due to COVID. Using Google maps, we found Rio Grande when we looked at options. We all saw it had opened hardly two days before, but had good reviews (from its other location), so despite knowing the risks, we all agreed we would try it. Thankfully, it turned out to be a great decision – fantastic food, good spice and a great venue – needless to say, we’ll be heading back – maybe after another baseball game, this time one that won’t be cancelled! 🙂

Appetizers – you start with the usual chips and salsa – duh! No Tex-Mex restaurant can call itself such if it doesn’t have this basic staple! The core salsa was moderate. I asked for a side of hot sauce off the menu, and that was just a tad (although not significantly more) spicier. But, the Poblano Queso (sans the bacon) gave the much needed spice and had the desired flavor – the roasted poblano peppers was all that was needed to spice things up! This could have been a meal in and of itself with the tortillas provided. I saw the Shrimp Diablos, but given I’m a vegetarian, and wife and kids are allergic to seafood, that was verboten for all of us. Next time, I may try it by having them cook something else using the mix they use for that or at least bring me a side of it.

That whet our appetites for the main course. With so many options, I went for the Stuffed Avocado. Shaped like a ball, stuffed with cheese (definitely Monterey Jack and if my taste buds weren’t mistaken, Queso Asadero) and deep fried, it’s like an explosion of melted cheese and flavor once you “pop” the balloon! Served with an enchilada (I chose cheese, naturally), and your choice of sauce, I went with the Habanero (since I was told it was the spiciest of all). I also ordered, as a side, the Jalapeno Toreados (fire-roasted, whole Jalapeno peppers – 3 per order). Suffice to say, no regrets! The Habanero sauce didn’t set my mouth on fire but did give a fair kick, especially in conjunction with the roasted peppers. And since the beans have a meat base in them, I just got two times the rice.

We were so full, we didn’t have room to order dessert – next time for sure! 🙂

Details:

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

  • Habanero enchilada sauce
  • Jalapeno Toreados
  • Poblano Queso (without the bacon)

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

  • Poblano Queso (without the bacon)
  • Stuffed Avocado with cheese
  • Jalapeno Toreados

Starting at the top, 1) Core salsa that comes with every basket of chips, 2) Spicy, orange habanero sauce with cheese enchilada, 3) Jalapeno toreados, 4) the Stuffed Avocado “balloon” is “popped”!

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!

Texican’s Spicy Salsa

I’ve always been a firm believer of the adage “It ain’t bragging if you can back it up!” And yes, I know I can be a tad ostentatious about my spicy feats and seemingly limitless tolerance, but every now and then, I find something that challenges and humbles me.

Enter Texican Cafe – El Paso Style Mexican Food. BTW, to us locals, it doesn’t rhyme with “Mexican”, but rather, it’s pronounced “tex-uh-CAN” as opposed to “tex-uh-CAN’T!” It’s always been a favorite of mine since moving to the north Austin suburbs in 2006, and on average, I eat there at least once a month.

Not in the mood to sit down at a restaurant, I did the usual curb-side pickup tonight, which we Americans have gotten so used to during our COVID-19 quarantine. As always, I get my favorite – the Queso A La Parilla with no meat or seafood, of course. It’s not as good as it is in-house – fresh-out-of-the-oven in a cast-iron skillet, but still tasty and full of flavor. To complement this awesome cast-iron queso, I got myself a tub of their spicy salsa.

I don’t know what it is about this salsa – maybe there’re hidden ghost peppers, maybe it’s the Jalapenos that are just so finely chopped up (with or without seeds) or maybe it’s an inordinate amount of cayenne pepper, but no matter what it is, this is one salsa with which I have to take a pause after a few spoons, or at least gulp a few sips of water!!!

My tub of Texican spicy salsa – just look at those finely chopped Jalapenos and seeds! Aren’t they amazing!

In any case, it’s delicious and a perfect combination to go with whatever you order, for all you fellow spice lovers out there!

But just remember: It’s not on the menu. And it’s not even advertised, so you have to request it – wink wink! 🙂

Spice on, my friends!

error

Enjoy this blog? Please spread the word :)

Follow by Email
Twitter