Today’s Takeout Pick: Ladybird Taco

Much of the restaurant industry has had to rapidly change its business model due to COVID-19, and we’re highlighting the Nashville places that are attempting to stay open. We will give you a critic’s pick for a restaurant and a dish, as well as a running list of restaurants still open that you can support. Today: Ladybird Taco.

I’ll admit to being on a bit of a taco jag lately, and that doesn’t even include a trip to two of my favorite local taco spots across the river with Mas Tacos, Por Favor and Redheaded Stranger. (I’ll be making that trip again soon, my friends. I promise!) When you’re looking for a quick convenient carryout option that travels well, it’s tough to beat tacos, and I still haven’t worked my way through all the options here on the Mainland yet.

For example, when I saw the long lines at last year’s Music City Food + Wine Festival waiting to sample the still-not-yet-opened taqueria coming to the former space of BOX on 10th Avenue South, I knew they must be doing something special. Then the pandemic started, and I just never got around to visit Ladybird Taco, despite the fact that I frequently passed it on my morning exercise walk.

Part of the reason I hadn’t made it in yet was their slightly unorthodox schedule. Focusing on breakfast and lunch tacos, Ladybird is open from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. Wednesday through Sundays. My slot in the carryout rotation here on Bites is usually on Wednesday, so unless I plan ahead (which I rarely do), I’ve missed out on their open days.

Breakfast tacos are available whenever the place is open, with lunch tacos limited to after 11 a.m., so that means you can mix things up a bit at lunch. We ordered four tacos and an order of queso with a promised prep time of 27-30 minutes, but before I could even make it to my car in the driveway, I'd already received a text that my order was ready. The efficiency continued during the pickup process — there was plenty of street parking and a table set up in the front door for a quick and courteous handover of my food.

Minutes later, I was back at my kitchen table divvying up the bounty, still piping hot from the bag. First up was the queso, an app that immediately jumped into my top five cheese dips in town. Creamy with a bit of bite plus a dollop of pico de gallo, it passed the “please don’t slide off the chip through the top of the wrought-iron table onto my lap on the way to my mouth” test with flying colors. Thin but crispy and sturdy chips were the perfect cheese delivery device, and complimentary cups of salsa were a flavorful addition to the party. (But they’re tiny, so don’t be afraid to ask for extras.)

We tried four tacos, all priced in the $3.50-$4.50 range that non-Nolensville Road taquerias tend to reach for, but I can’t complain about a great lunch for less than 10 bucks. The two breakfast tacos we sampled were the No. 1 and No. 4. The first was your basic bacon-and-eggs version with some jack cheese, but the perfectly crispy bacon raised it above ordinary. Often crispy bacon tastes burnt or shatters at the first touch, but this was just delightful. (The No. 1 is the taco featured in the photo that I will admit is from the business's Facebook page, because unless you have a professional food stylist and photographer, pretty much all breakfast tacos look the same, which is to say, not good.) The No. 4 featured spicy loose-grind chorizo instead of belly meat with the same eggs and cheese as numero uno. Not to be eaten while wearing a white long-sleeved shirt, the deep orange chorizo drippings ran down my forearms as I hungrily wolfed down the delicious paprika-and-pepper sausage.

Turning to the lunch tacos, we opted for the No. 7 and the No. 8, and it would be tough to pick a favorite. Both of them benefited from nice smoky slices of brisket, but I think I’d have to lean to the No. 7 with its surprise crispy textural contrast from the potatoes stuffed inside with creamy queso and rajas (roasted poblano pepper strips). The No. 8 with the brisket accompanied by creamy avocado and pico was no slouch either, and the added benefit that Ladybird is contributing $1 to Second Harvest for every taco sold made it even better.

Now that I know about those breakfast tacos waiting behind the door at 2229 10th Ave. S., I may have to plan for an extra half-hour on my morning walk to consume and burn off some delicious extra calories!

Below is a list of Nashville restaurants (with links) remaining open for takeout and delivery during the COVID-19 shutdown. While some may have had existing relationships with delivery providers, most of this list are offering the service for the first time. Most offer curbside pickup, but check when you order. As this list is a moving target, please leave any changes, suggestions or omissions in the comments.

Chris Chamberlain

Places with takeout or delivery as of Wednesday, July 29

Chris Chamberlain

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