Travis - Taco Tour stop #57 - Mr Taco - 711 W 25th St N

So many moons ago when we first started on our tour, we heard about this place called Mr Taco.  Mr Taco has been on our list for quite awhile and it had rave reviews from quite a few people.  We actually attempted to go there a couple of times but either they were closed or we didn't have cash or some other factor made us go elsewhere.  We also learned earlier this year that the owners had started a new place (that we already reviewed) so we weren't entirely sure if/when we'd make it there.  Well oddly, we were headed somewhere else that was closed so we decided to try Mr Taco again this week - and I'm glad we did!

Oh, and there is an unofficial FB page here or an official page here:  Not sure which is most correct since the "official" one shows the name as Alondra's (which is the new place they opened over on 21st St). #confusion

I'm going to get the warnings out of the way first.  This place has VERY limited parking. They also ONLY accept cash. There WILL be a language barrier if you're a mostly uncultured white dude like me. (I regret taking German in HS and not Spanish). They also only have outdoor seating - and not very good seating at that.  So plan ahead and maybe even have an alternate plan in your back pocket.  But spoiler alert, it's worth the trip if you can get in...

We arrived at random intervals since we were actually headed somewhere else first. Getting there first, I ordered my tacos - which if I remember correctly were $1.90 each.  They were out of pollo by the time I ordered, so I ordered a barbacoa, carnitas, al pastor, and carne asada.

The wait was slightly more than expected but they had a few patrons ahead of us so it wasn't unreasonable.  We sat outside in metal chairs at a slightly unlevel concrete patio table.  Definitely not the best decorated joint we've been to, but hey, we're there for tacos!  When they arrived, I was pleased by the amount of meat that I was seeing and was anxious to dig in.

I started with the barbacoa - it had plenty of meat. One thing that seems consistent with a lot of places is the barbacoa tends to be a little fatty - and this was no exception. It wasn't bad though - the flavor was decent and the salsa was a nice addition and added a nice kick.

Carnitas was next and is always one I look forward to wherever we go. This one had lots of meat for sure. It had a really nice flavor in the meat - this was an excellent choice here as I really enjoyed it.  I'll definitely get this taco again whenever we make it back. I added a little red sauce to the mix and it brought it up a notch higher.  Yay!

Side note - I took a bite of the quesadilla asada. WOW. It was really good. Excellent steak flavor and cheesy yummy goodness. I will probably get that next time I'm here!

The al pastor taco was next and it had a nice familiar red color to it. The flavor was good and it had a little bite - especially after I added the sauce.  There was an ever so slight crunch on the edge of the meat being just slightly "blackened". I like this extra bit of texture so it was a good choice of taco for the day.

Last but definitely not least was the carne asada. It had lots of meat too. The steak flavor that I enjoyed sneaking a bite of in the quesadilla was also in this taco.  They know how to cook their steak here. I really liked this taco and will look forward to coming back and having this again.

Overall, I'm really glad we didn't give up on Mr Taco. I'm happy to report they are still there (and it looks like they might even have a new and improved sign).  The cooking is excellent and I definitely want to come back and get more of anything that has steak on it.  To all of you who recommended them - in spite of our struggles to get here - thank you.  Mr Taco lands among my favorites - I just have to remember to have cash with me and either plan on carrying out or visiting on a weather-cooperative day.

Out of 5 tacos, here's my ratings: 

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