Category: Salsa Reviews

Reviews of Salsas

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 – 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 – 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!

Salsa Review – Mateo’s Gourmet Salsa

Dear readers, just like my last post where I labeled a restaurant review with the prefix “Restaurant Review -“, I’ll be labeling more of my reviews accordingly. And in today’s post, judging by the title, you guessed it! I’m reviewing a salsa!

Another Made in Texas brand – this one from the far-out suburb of Dallas – Frisco. So far out, that it has its own minor league baseball team! 🙂

As always, I purchased the spiciest version of the salsa – in this case “Hot”. Mateo’s prides itself on being “uniquely different”. Well, that it is, in some ways.

The salsa itself has good flavor and the ingredients taste fresh. Garlic is certainly a staple in this one, so much so it is the third ingredient in the mix. It’s not an overriding flavor but its presence is well noticed. The spice itself, on the other hand, not so much. I hardly found it to be spicy and while the flavor is zesty, it’s not memorable by any means.

Net, net – I’ll use up my jar, since I’m not one to waste food, but likely won’t re-purchase as I’m always seeking something spicier (I am Heataholic, after all!).

Good:

  • Good flavor
  • Fresh-tasting ingredients

Not-so-Good:

  • Not at all spicy (even the “Hot” version)
  • Too much garlic
“Not responsible for obsession.”
Notice the garlic chunks.
Dehydrated garlic is the third ingredient and your taste buds can tell! Maybe if Habanero peppers were closer to the top, it’d be spicier!

Spice on, my friends!

A Tale of Two Salsas

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Aah, Dickens. He sure knew how to write in such a way that it was impossible to disagree with him. I don’t tend to write like that – rather, I tend to pick an issue and viewpoint and write what I can to elaborate on it and explain why I chose that point of view. That and I’m not writing a work of fiction – I’m writing a non-fictional opinion! 🙂

And that is what I will do here, when it comes to a new brand of salsa (Salsa de Leon) I bought at my local HEB and tried this weekend – two types of them – Hot and Habanero Hot. I won’t tell you it was the best of salsa, it was the worst of salsa. Rather, they were both (among) the best of salsas!

The two are identical, even right down to not only the ingredients, but the relative amounts in which they exist (friendly reminder: when looking at the ingredients of any food stock sold, the ingredients always go in descending order by amount present). The only difference: The Habanero Hot has habanero peppers in it as an ingredient before the roasted onions, while Hot has none! Don’t take my word for it – see for yourself!

Play “Spot the differences” – can you? I can’t, not unless I look REALLY closely!

Both salsas, as you can see, are virtually identical. The texture is the same. You can see the fiery peppers ground up in both. As someone with a chemical engineering background (not that you need one to figure this out!), they are likely both created from the same batch with habanero peppers added to and mixed in the Habanero Hot as the last step.

Hot salsa up close and personal – can see the fiery roasted peppers

Habanero Hot – you can see everything like Hot, but also see chunks of habanero peppers!

Oh and the taste – both are fantastic, but interestingly, I find the Hot one to be just a little spicier than the Habanero Hot (maybe the Habanero Hot added a little extra sugar to counter the spicy peppers – who knows). Either way, they both go great with anything – any standard and non-standard TexMex, omelettes, soups, Bloody Mary’s and anything else you can creatively think of.

Check them out! They’re Texas-made and sold, but you can buy online too!

Spice on, my friends!

Julio’s – Freakin’ Hot Chips Up, Hot Salsa Down

Just presenting my $0.02 of Julio’s – a producer and seller of chips, salsa, seasonings and sauces. You can click that link and buy directly off their site, go to your local grocer (most chains in Texas carry their products) or order off Amazon.

I’ve loved their Freakin’ Hot Chips since I’d first discovered them years ago – dump a bunch of these crispy, salty, cooked-with-just-the-perfect-amount-of-oil wafers on a plate, stack ’em up with cheddar and monterey jack, pop it in the microwave for about 40 seconds, and boom – instant spicy, cheesy nachos! I’ll usually eat it with a dollop of sour cream, jalapenos and one of my many favorite hot and spicy salsas you will be seeing reviews about soon!

Such a fan of their chips, when I first saw their hot salsa being sold at my local HEB, I was ecstatic! I bought two large jars and couldn’t wait to open them. Needless to say, they were…disappointing. So much so that I find it hard to believe that it’s the same company who makes and retails both products. The salsa, itself, was just a mushy blend of tomatoes, with a few onions and bland peppers sprinkled here and there. Not much salt, not much flavor and definitely no discernible spice whatsoever. I felt a can of Del Monte or Rotel’s chopped tomatoes would’ve done the same, but more cheaply.

“Maybe it was a bad bottle,” I thought. Nope. Opened the second jar. Same experience. Sorry Julio’s – you scored a touchdown with your chips, but fumbled the ball on the goal line with your salsa.

Rest assured, I will still be your loyal customer with your Freakin’ Hot Chips – but I’ll be spreading my wealth when doing chips-and-salsa night at my house!

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!

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.

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