If
there is one thing I am always in the mood to eat, it is definitely tacos. As a
child I grew up on the second floor of a two story apartment in Chicago. Our
landlords lived in the apartment downstairs and were from Durango, Mexico. I
was fortunate to enjoy a number of absolutely delicious home cooked, authentic Mexican
dishes. I was looking to revisit my childhood memories and find a taste of
home, so I ventured out in search of a taco to take me back to that little
kitchen in Chicago. I invited my friend Alex and we started at a place on
Colfax in Aurora.
Tacos
y Salsas is a tiny restaurant that seats around twenty people. They have
authentic décor with very colorful custom made chairs and tables depicting
sights you would see in Mexico. I went to the counter and ordered two tacos,
asada and barbacoa ($1.75 each), and a coke ($2.75). It only took a few minutes
for our tacos to come out and the aroma immediately filled my nostrils with
childhood memories. The tacos arrive bare; there is a salsa bar with a variety
of items for you to dress up your meal. Tacos y Salsas has a wonderful pico de
gallo with fresh cut tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, and cilantro that is a must
have. I chose the pico along with extra cilantro, lime, and their verde (green)
salsa.
I
started with the barbacoa, assembled my toppings and took a bite. The flavors
rippled across my palate like a droplet of water hitting the calm surface of a
lake. Each ripple was a new flavor spreading from taste bud to taste bud. The
first ripple was of savory barbacoa with mild hints of cumin and chipotle,
followed by the taste of a fresh garden from the chopped tomatoes, onion, and
cilantro. Finally, the longer lasting ripple of spicy, fresh jalapeno seared
pleasantly into the sides of my tongue. I then dressed up my asada taco the
same way and took a bite. Immediately I was transported back to the little
kitchen where I fell in love with tacos. The asada was seasoned perfectly and
the same ripples fell upon my tongue with fond memories taking hold of each
bite. I let the tacos and memories settle in my stomach as I paid my bill and
got ready for our next stop, Taco Mex.
Taco
Mex is a Mexican restaurant on Colfax in Denver. They are a popular late night
stop on the weekends as they are open until 4 a.m. The interior is similar to
most fast food restaurants with plastic booths, tables, and chairs and could
seat around 40 people. I ordered an asada taco again and a chorizo taco ($1.25
each) since they did not have barbacoa. Taco Mex also had a salsa bar, but this
one did not have as many choices as Tacos y Salsas so I just grabbed lime and a
cilantro salsa-like sauce (it wasn’t spicy at all). My asada and chorizo tacos
were noticeably smaller, but also $0.50 cheaper. I started with the asada and
was blown away by the intense flavor.
Although it was
a smaller taco, it packed a lot of flavor. I didn’t have pico de gallo and other
items to make it a multi-dimensional flavor, but none the less, it was
delicious. I went on to my chorizo taco, it was a fiery red color and I
expected it to pack a punch. I took my first bite and was surprised to find it
wasn’t as
spicy as the color led me to believe. It was fairly greasy and with
each bite, grease dripped out the end of my taco and all over my fingers.
Chorizo is one of those meats that produce a lot of grease, but it’s worth the
mess. I licked my fingers clean and let the food settle in my stomach. Now it
was time for our last stop, Pinche Taqueria.
Pinche Taqueria
is a modern Mexican restaurant on York St. right off of Colfax. It was happy
hour and I was looking forward to a margarita to help me get my last round of
tacos down. Neither Tacos y Salsa nor Taco Mex serves alcohol so I was ready
for a drink! Inside the restaurant there was enough seating for around 40
people between tables, the bar, and a long high top table. It was very loud
inside so we opted for a table on the patio. They have a happy hour menu with
drinks and food, a drink menu, and a menu that you write on with a dry erase
marker to order from. First things first, I ordered their house margarita with
salt ($4 during happy hour). It is a coin style margarita made with fresh
squeezed lime juice rather than using sour
mix.
I then ordered
three tacos: queso a la plancha ($2.95), an asada taco ($3.50), and a barbacoa
taco ($3.50). The tacos came out family style on one plate and they were
dressed to the gills with ingredients. I went straight away for the barbacoa
taco that was brimming to the edge with beef, salsa, and sour cream. I managed
to get my mouth around it and was hit with the punch of fresh jalapenos, savory
beef, and cool refreshing sour cream. Next I went for the asada piled high with
beef, avocado (spread), onion, cilantro, and cotija cheese. It was fantastic!
The cotija cheese and avocado were a great addition to the citrus marinated
asada. I took a deep breath as I mustered up the courage to eat my seventh taco
of the day. The queso a la plancha had grilled cotija cheese with avocado
(spread) and a tomatillo salsa. The taco was nice and light with well-rounded
creamy flavors to finish.
My quest for
childhood memories and delicious tacos was a great success! Each restaurant
carved their own new memory in my head and provided a different experience.
Tacos y Salsas really brought back my childhood memories, so if you are looking
for that authentic experience and flavor give them a try. Taco Mex did not
bring back memories, but was very good, I recommend them for after you’ve had a
few drinks and could use some food to soak up the booze. Pinche Taqueria
provided a lot of value on the dollar with tacos brimming with ingredients and
as much flavor to boot. They serve alcohol and could be your one stop shop to
have some drinks and then food without needing to stop on your way home. No
matter which place you decide to try, you won’t be disappointed!
Tacos y Salsas
9103 E Colfax
303-367-1046
Monday-Thurs: 8am-10pm
Friday-Saturday: 8am-1am
Sunday: 10am-10pm
Parking lot & street parking
Cash, MC & Visa
No reservations
Taco Mex
7840 E Colfax
303-394-7555
Sun-Thurs: 8am-11:30pm
Fri-Sat: 8am-4am
Parking lot & street parking
Cash, MC & Visa
No reservations
Pinche Taqueria
1514 York St
720-475-1337
Monday: 3pm-10pm
Tue-Sat: 11am-10pm
Sun: 11am-9pm
Brunch Sat & Sun
Street parking
Cash & Credit Cards
No reservations
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