Here's part two of my Tacoma taco safari. In case you missed part one, here it is.
Birria de res is beef simmered in a bath of water, chiles, herbs, and spices until it becomes super tender and creates a delicious broth or consumé. Like pho, this comforting dish seems perfect for the damp and chilly Northwest and is showing up in more local taquerias, partially due to its popularity on social media. The first time I had birria de res was in Tijuana; I've tried many local spots to get that same quality and flavor, and this is that place. Get the birria tacos dorados, fried up golden, with that fall-apart tender beef; the corn tortilla gets crispy from being fried in birria fat on the flat top grill. Also, get at least one of the super decadent "cheese tacos," aka quesabirria, a taco dorado oozing with melted white cheese, making your taco into a small quesadilla. Don't forget to order the requisite cup of consumé for taco dunking and drinking after eating your tacos. They have a self-serve condiment bar to load up on salsas verde and roja, red onion mixed with chopped cilantro, cucumber slices, radishes, pickled onions, and limes; the works! The agua fresa game here is on point; huge vats of fresh, vibrant fruit drinks are on display right as you walk in; these sweet drinks pairs perfectly with the birria. Next time you are hungry and need something to help with your hangover or want to pretend it's sunny and warm out, head down South Tacoma Way for this one; it's totally legit.
La Michoacána opened right before the pandemic; I'm glad they've survived and are still cooking because this woman ran taqueria serves up one of my favorite dishes, potato tacos dorados. These simple yet satisfying golden tacos have potatoes folded between a corn tortilla and are fried in hot oil until crispy, drenched in salsa roja, and covered with lettuce, tomatoes, cotija cheese, and crema. The hot, slightly soggy sauced tacos with the fried crispy-crunchy edges topped with cool and refreshing ingredients make for the perfect bite. Squeeze on one or all three house salsas, and you are in the biz, get your hands messy picking these bad boys up to eat, and save the fork to clean the plate.
While technically in Lakewood, we're putting Mi Casa on this list, the only local spot where you can order tlacoyos. Popular street food in Mexico, this pre-Hispanic Mexican grilled oval-shaped corn masa cake is sliced, opened, and then stuffed with ingredients like chorizo, favas, or beans like they offer here at Mi Casa. Unlike on the city streets, these smaller tlacoyos are served in a warm salsa verde and then topped with lettuce, crema, and cotija; it even comes with carne asada. The perfectly charred salty steak, along with the blank canvas of corn masa, makes for a perfect combination. These tlacoyos aren't exactly the style you would find on the city streets, more like a dish served in grandma's kitchen in Mexico; delicious, homey, and comforting. When I ordered the tlacoyos, the lady at the counter said this was her favorite dish on the menu; now it's mine too.
We're keepin' it in Lakewood again and including El Sabroso, a taqueria with a walk-up window with a few stools out front and a no-frills dining room in the back; a real "business in the front, party in the back" type situation. They serve big meaty tacos with plenty of roughly chopped cilantro, but the reason to visit for me is the "costillas de puerco en salsa verde"; you'll want to use the side door to the dining room for this one. A steaming plate of pork ribs braised in a thick dark green garlicky-spicy salsa verde, the fat and collagen from the rib bones breaking down from slow cooking make an incredibly thick, rich stew-like sauce. Eat the saucy tender ribs off the bone or pull the meat off to make tacos, served with rice, refried beans, and tortillas to sop up the delicious rich sauce; I wanted to lick the plate clean. I left El Sabroso satisfied with my lips still buzzing from the heat of the salsa verde in search of a cold beer.
Obviously, a great place to get tamales, but another reason to come here is for their famous "pizzacoa," a giant cheesy pizza quesadilla mash-up with fall-apart shredded beef and melted mozzarella cheese stuffed in between three tortillas that you cut and share like a pizza squashing all your munchies induced hunger pains, it also comes with a cup of beefy birria consumé to dunk your slices. They got the idea for the pizzacoa from the resourcefulness many restaurants had to resort to when they could only do take-out orders under Covid restrictions; now, it is their top seller. The tamales and tacos are delicious here, and they make the tortillas by hand fresh to order and grill them out on display at the front counter with great pride. Next door is El Jalapeño, their tienda specializing in Mexican foods with produce, a good meat counter, and an antojito stand selling snacks like elotes and tostilocos; visiting Los Tamales is a one-stop shopping adventure.
That's my list of the best local taquerias; as I mentioned in part one, I only included the exceptional on my list. There are many good taquerias in Tacoma; sometimes, the best one is the closest to you when the craving hits.
Etc.
Balcon X is opening where The Old Milwaukee cafe (RIP) was on 6th Ave.; a banner out front has been promising "burritos/pupusas" for some time now, and the interior looks almost finished; a welcomed addition to the Ave.
Also, I am sad to report that El Zocalo on So. 38th street, which I featured in part one of this series, is gated off; the whole block is a tear-down. I'll miss their giant overstuffed tortas and fresh pan dulce. Hopefully, they can relocate elsewhere in the Lincoln district soon.
Now I’m starving….you made everything sound so delicious… gotta get out to Lakewood!!!
Dang! That sucks about zócalo! They really do have the best tortas! Are you into Mexican sea food at all? I’ve been on the hunt for a good plate of aguachile