But as I read the comments, I came across a reader who said that Pollo Express was actually one of the worst. Okay, so everyone is certainly entitled to their opinion. Not everyone will like the same things - but this stuck out like a sore thumb. One of the worst? Even if you don't agree that it's the best, I think it would be pretty hard to categorize them among the worst. So I reached out to this reader - genuinely interested in what it was that made Pollo one of the worst and what they would recommend. I'll spare you the details - but the cliff notes is, when asked multiple times, there was no specific feedback AT ALL about Pollo Express (which casts doubt in my mind as to the validity and authenticity of such a claim). At this point I'm not convinced they have even been there... (moving on)
But, I'm not bitter - I wanted to know what recommendations they had! I mean anyone who might be able to say this may have some inside knowledge about AMAZING tacos in town. And let's be honest, that's what I'm all about! So their recommendation was El Tucan on S Broadway (Mariscos El Tucanazo). Chris decided he needed to sell cars that day, so Shon and I made our way down there.
Shon made it there first - and how he spotted this place is beyond me. The entrance is NOT off of Broadway. You actually have to enter from the back. There is nothing on the facade to indicate they are there. In fact the only thing remotely close is what appears to have been another Mexican restaurant that is now condemned due to fire damage. But somehow, Shon spotted them after missing on the first drive by and catching a glimpse when coming around the block. I still had trouble locating it - only after Shon pointed out it was where they were painting. I walked up to the door and pulled but it didn't open. So I stumbled around looking for another entrance when someone came and opened the door from the inside. Okay... Inside the place is a collection of mismatched chairs and tables and piles of things and boxes. Lights are flickering and there is a space for what looks to be a sound system that must be used at other times. Plenty of space as there was maybe 1 other group there. Oh, and bring cash - yep, this place doesn't accept any other form of payment. By the way, this isn't the best part of town - but you probably already knew that.
Okay okay, let's step back a moment and get real. MANY great places are holes-in-the-wall - so I'm still VERY interested in what they have to offer! The chips were pretty good actually. The red salsa is dang hot. Not for the weak. The green salsa is tasty and mild. A blend of the two would probably be just about right.
I ordered a carne asada, 2 carnitas, and 1 al pastor. I don't remember them taking long to arrive so the service felt adequate. They came out street-style with 2 tortillas that looked like they may be made from scratch (not ordered in).
I started with the asada. It definitely had plenty of meat and the seasoning was good. It had a little bit of chewy texture to it, and there were some parts that were crunchy that had been slightly overcooked. Overall though it was not bad at all - I enjoyed the flavor.
Next I went for the carnitas. Absolutely not as good - in fact it had a bit of a greasy flavor to it. More chewy bits in this taco made it unappealing. In fact I didn't even finish the 2nd one - which says something because carnitas are among my favorites. Meh.
Last was the al pastor. It also had a greasy flavor. We were both a bit surprised too because we could see the meat being cut from the spit from our table. It had a nice red color to it like it had been marinated and seasoned. But for some reason, the flavor just wasn't there. It wasn't bold like I expected it to be. It was mediocre at best - and the chewy bits and some overcooked spots just made this not worthwhile.
Overall, El Tucan didn't live up to the hype - it fell well short actually. Had the the carne asada not been slightly overcooked, it would probably be in the upper ranks of our asada tacos. I'm not sure what the motivation was to hype this place and call out PE as one of the worst, but clearly it wasn't legitimate feedback. Sorry! Honestly, with the location, the cash only, and the barely mediocre outcome of the food, I wouldn't bother sending anyone here.
Out of 5 tacos, here are my ratings:
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