100% Taquito

Let me set the scene for you, because the scene is important:

ESPN Deportes is on the televisions. A World Cup qualifying game is on with Spanish audio and English captions. When you walk up to place your order, you’re greeted with a facade that looks like a taco truck. There are bottles of soda hanging above the register – Mexican Coke, Jarritos, and various Mexican beers. There’s a taxi cab in the seating area. The walls are decorated to look like the tiled exteriors of buildings.

Why does this matter? Well, as the story on the menu explains, 100% Taquito began as a school project at the University of Houston. The mission was to recreate the experience of eating in Mexico, and I think it was wildly successful. It started as a taco truck, but in 1998, it got a storefront. Instead of getting all ritzy, they stayed true to their simple roots

Now look… Texans have done some things to Mexican cuisine. We’ve added a lot of sour cream for one, and cheddar cheese for another. We have, apparently, bastardized quesadillas, which I wasn’t aware of until I went to order an order of gringas – pork and pineapple – and I saw this: “These are NOT Tex-Mex they do NOT look like pizzas.” They looked like tacos, in fact, only with melted Chihuahua cheese thrown into the mix. The receipt says Aqui not For Here. Everyone who works here is bilingual. This is Mexican food, not Tex Mex, and they are careful to make the distinction.

I was very happy with the food. The tacos and quesadillas come three to an order, and you have a choice of corn or flour. The gringas were delicious and I traded one of them for my father’s asada tacos, which were also delicious. The meat was cooked perfectly, the tortillas were fresh, and when paired with fresh onions and cilantro they’re pretty unbeatable. They’re cheap, too. My dad and I got out for under $25 with an appetizer, two entrees, two drinks, and a dessert.

EXCELLENT interior-style tacos. Small and cheap. I LOVE the gringos (pork & pineapple w/ cheese on flour tortilla).