Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Restaurants Local Taco Takes a Turn for the Better
Posted by Carrington Fox on Wed, Aug 12, 2009 at 6:28 AM
When The Local Taco first unveiled its roster of $2.50 tortilla wrap-ups in time for Cinco de Mayo, I applauded the cheery atmosphere at the quirky crossroads in Sylvan Park, but I was lukewarm on the actual chow. In my two experiences, the flour tortillas were dry, cracking when we tried to bend them around the food. And the fillings were unduly stingy, often with just a hint of pulled pork or beef dwarfed by the dry white wrapper.
But a recent trip to the festive blue-and-white patio changed my tune.
My family ordered one of most every taco in the repertoire, cut each item into a few bites and began noshing down the list. Not only were the tortillas fresh and foldable, the fillings were generous, spilling out of the ends with bulk and flavor. There was not a dud in the bunch.
Korean barbecue brimmed with glistening, tender beef in a sweet glaze. Chicken and shrimp tacos popped with vibrant citrus and pepper. Fried fish was crispy on the outside and flaky on the inside, with a creamy counterpoint of jalapeno tartar sauce. If memory serves, even the salsa and guacamole servings were more plentiful.
Overall, the food was significantly better. Meanwhile, the ambiance remained festive and cheery even after the initial opening excitement of the spring had settled down. Six of us dined--with a pitcher of margaritas, 7 tacos and 2 kids' meals--for $48 before tax, putting The Local Taco way up on our list of cheap-and-cheerful dinner spots--with or without kids.
Speaking of kids: our recent experience taught us to skip the kids' menu altogether, since our brood rejected the beans and rice, for which we paid a premium. They preferred the flavorful chicken, fish and brisket tacos to the pale cheese quesadilla. We'll know for next time, which, I'm guessing, will be soon.
Comments (12)
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I went to Local Taco just last week, and I have to say, they didn't seem to have those problems fixed then. I got the BBQ taco and the Tequila Lime Chicken taco, both of which came on tortillas that were so stale and hard I had to tear most of it away, which was fine because there was so little filling in the actual taco anyway. While the little BBQ in that taco tasted fine, the chicken was dry and greatly overcooked also just plain bland.
I also got the chips and salsa. I don't mind paying for the chips and salsa, however I do mind that they only gave me a tiny, tiny cup of the salsa after charging me for it. That makes no sense. If you pay for the salsa, you should get a full order of it.
Also, and this is another big complaint, I went at lunch time and got take out. I saw my food come up in the window and there were 2 food runners back there who just let it sit there for a minute while they stared into space, and then it seemed to take both of them to be able to get the chips and salsa portion ready at an extremely slow pace. There was absolutely ZERO sense of urgency. If you're a food runner at a restaurant, especially at lunch time when people don't have as much time, you should be moving at a pretty fast pace. It took these guys longer to get the food into a bag than it did for the tacos to be made, which makes sense considering not much thought went into that either.
Overall, terrible experience. I never complain, especially online, but that was just all too much. I won't be going back for sure.
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I'd be curious if others have experienced the same increase in ingredients and quality. I've often wondered if those who are famous/recognizable in the foodie scene around town wind up with different or preferential treatment from the proprietors out of fear of bad word of mouth or reviews.
And Carrington, I'm certianly not implying you used your professional wiles to garner better treatment. It just seems to fall along the same lines of how a restaurateur would be sure to not slack when they know the health inspector is in the house.
Tiny taco tortillas always remind me of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ardysVzHwSA
We have tried so hard to like Local Taco as it is less than a 5 minute walk from our house. It is kid friendly (go between 5:30 and 7:30 and it is packed with families with small children trying to get in a meal before bedtime) and the queso is okay. I just can't get excited about the food. Perhaps I am not ordering properly but I leave there still hungry every time. I have tried the enchiladas and almost every taco on the menu. The tortillas always seem chewy and cold to me and the filling is skimpy. We were there less than a month ago, perhaps it has changed a bit. We have seen this place change ownership so many times over the years (I miss whatever it was right before Murphy's Loft, good breakfast and great chicken salad). Would be nice for it to be successful in a place that makes the neighborhood happy. They always seem to be pretty full so perhaps we're in the minority.
It's a fair question about my being recognized, but in this case, I would wager that's not what happened. My husband ordered the food while I dealt with kid issues. Anyway, we'll keep tracking it. Glad to see some improvement.
We, too, live close by and and have yet to experience much improvement. Listen up Local Taco folks: everyone wants you to succeed. But you've go to improve the value proposition. Your portions are embarrasingly small and the qualitity of your food offerings varies too greatly from visit to visit.
Hope Carrington's experiece reveals a trend line. We'll give it one more chance.....
I don't know what competitor the first blogger works for, but...
Blueberry Sangria-Korean BBQ Tacos with friends and family...Could I ask for more!? for under $20??...Honey Hush!! I have had "Mexican Tacos" all over the US and the Korean BBQ is a rare treat for the price! Taste for yourself!!
Hey Local Taco! Well my guy and I are still fans of your tacos. We go sometimes twice a week or more. I love the veggie taco, chicken and lime taco, and the fish taco. I just tried the tofu taco for the first time today as well as the Korean BBQ and both were delish!
As for size, that is one of the best things I think you have going for you! Your portions are spot on for both of us- I usually eat 2 tacos and he eats 3. We are both healthy conscious people so overeating isn't our thing, and for folks who think your portions are too small- I would suggest a big glass of water to start off the meal to feel fuller with your food :) Happy Eating!
"We are both healthy conscious people so overeating isn't our thing, and for folks who think your portions are too small- I would suggest a big glass of water to start off the meal to feel fuller with your food"
Well, Local Taco has the self-righteous asshole niche all sewn up.
OG DG,
I believe you are upset this evening, I suggest a Margarita from the Local, and a big glass of crow due to you attack on a establishment that I and my friends like to frequent. The Local has no say in it's customer comments, and what was so "self-righteous" about what she said? Go Local!!
