Los Taquitos de Puebla

It was at my first restaurant job that I was introduced to authentic Mexican food. I have to admit, before this I really never cared for Mexican cuisine. It was just something that I never craved. In my defense, my repertoire at the time consisted of Taco Bell, Qdoba, and Mad4Mex-style establishments. I would leave these places feeling stuffed, heavy, greasy, and running for the bathroom. However, during family meal, where the Mexicans prepared the dishes they grew up with, is where I became familiar with what Mexican food is really like. It is not greasy or heavy, but rather comforting, fresh, spicy, and very innovative. They were always able to make delicious and satisfying meals from the most ordinary ingredients. I was always amazed at what they could do with something as common as an egg.

Since I left this restaurant, I have not had much contact with authentic Mexican food. For the first time, I find myself craving it more and more. I was able to pick up a few tricks from my amigos and can now make a few dishes on my own, but when I don't feel like cooking I'm at a loss for where to go. In my search for the real deal, this taqueria kept popping up on my radar.

I was apprehensive to try this place. I was afraid that my limited knowledge of Spanish would cause me to make a fool of myself when ordering-a stupid hesitation of mine. I called for pick-up, and luckily the woman on the other line spoke English pretty well. I decided to try three tacos: Bistec, Chorizo con Quesillo, and Tacos al Pastor. The tacos came with salsa verde and what I believe was an ancho chile salsa.
I started with the Tacos al Pastor. The tacos smelled earthy and spicy. The shaved strips of red pork looked comforting and delicious. I dug in and found that they were tender and well seasoned with chilies, cumin, adobo, and vinegar among other things. The spiciness of the seasoning did not contain much heat, so I dipped into the salsa verde (my favorite of the two) which gave the taco a fresh and light note. Surprisingly, the star of the dish was the tortilla itself and not the filling. It was pliable, a perfect balance of tender and chewy, and was slightly sweet which played nicely off of the complexity of the meat. All in all B+.

Next, I moved on to the Chorizo con Quesillo. This was truly a treat. The chorizo was plentiful in the taco, so much so that I could hardly fold it over but not so much as to be cumbersome. It was full of intense garlic and chile flavor and thankfully lacking the greasiness that often accompanies sausage. The Chihuahua cheese held everything together and added an oddly pleasing chewy texture. It reminded me of cafeteria lasagna with the slabs of cheap mozzarella layered on top in a rubbery mass. However, while it looked like that unappetizing mozzarella, it was not rubbery, but instead added a nice sort of meaty bite. The cheese had a subtle flavor and did not overpower the wonderful chorizo, but rather made it sing louder by comparison. The slightly sweet tacos were the perfect complement. I did not even find myself wanting the salsa for this one. Clearly an A.Finally, I had the bistec. Unfortunately, these were my least favorite. The steak was dry and tough. I found myself wishing for some kind of sauce to douse it in. I settled for copious amounts of the salsa verde which did not salvage the dish. I just ate the tortilla. This one was a disappointing D.

All in all, I was very pleased with my first visit to this taqueria. Aside from the bistec, everything was really good and really cheap (the tacos range from $6-$18 per order of 3 tacos with most around $10-$12). Everything was ready in 10 minutes. This is a perfect place to visit when you have a hankering for authentic Mexican food without breaking the bank.

Overall: B+

Los Taquitos de Puebla

1149 s. 9th street

Philadelphia, PA

215-334-0664

www.lostaquitosdepuebla.com