An Average Joe in San Antonio

One day while I was ramblin’ around town, I stumbled upon Ruthie’s.  This was one of those days where I was just driving around town on back roads to get to a place instead of staying on the major thoroughfares.  I saw this huge yellow building with a sign that beckoned me to “Eat Here.”  Since I had just eaten, I filed this stop away in my mind as a place to return.

"Eat Here"? Why yes, I think I will.

Fast forward to where I had to be at a going away party for a friend at the Lion and the Rose on Blanco.  I hadn’t eaten all day and I was like, bam, Ruthie’s.  I made my way to the yellow building to see what they were all about.

Strangely enough, this was about 4:00PM, but for whatever reason I had a hankering for some breakfast (if you have followed the blog you know that sometimes I want some odd food combinations…).  I asked the waitress if they still served breakfast and she said that they did so I was pretty pumped.  I was looking at some of the plates but just felt like some tacos.  I ended up ordering the chilaquile taco to satisfy my breakfast urge and the supreme taco to see what they were all about.  Total for both tacos was only like $4 in spite of the fact that the supreme taco had sour cream and guacamole.

The food was out shortly (have to admit, I was surprised they could turn a breakfast order that fast at 4:00PM!) and the plate was enormous!  I just couldn’t believe how much food they were able to cram on these tacos!

The chilaquile taco was dang good; it wasn’t like the chilaquiles that I order at Lula’s or Thousand Oaks.  It has a really rich almost buttery flavor to it.  I asked for some of the green sauce and that spice went really well with taco.  I knew I was going to get full and not touch the other taco if I didn’t put the chilaquile one down at the halfway mark, but I kept coming back to it as it was that addictive!

NOTE: that is not a little plate, those tacos are just that huge.

The supreme taco certainly lived up to the name.  In addition to being huge, it had all that add on stuff like sour cream and guacamole that most places will charge you a buck fifty (I’m talking to you Chipotle!), or almost as much as the whole taco costs at Ruthie’s!  It was pretty good itself, but I have to admit, I didn’t really eat a whole lot of it so that I could go back to the other taco…

I should say that I went in starving; I hadn’t eaten all day and devoured the chips and salsa quick (the waitress asked if she could bring me more, and I told her “No” so I could save room for the tacos), but I could only clear out probably 2/3 of these two tacos!

A final note should be made on the tortillas; they were some of the thickest I have come across in San Antonio (no, I have not been to Blanco Cafe, it’s on the list (I know, I know…))), and man, they were pretty good!

If you are on a budget or have lots of mouths to feed, drop by Ruthie’s and just order one taco, that is all you are going to need!

Value: 10/10 (Two giant tacos for $4 and I couldn’t even eat both of them, amazing! Plus get guacamole and sour cream without paying extra on the supreme taco)
Atmosphere: 8/10 (hole in wall but clean; go to the section further away from the door for better A/C)
Service: 9/10 (no frills but really nice)
Salsa: 9/10 (good tasting, would have liked the green to be a little hotter)
Taste: 10/10 (chilaquile taco was more addicting than fantasy football)
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Tin Star is the newest restaurant to come to San Antonio on the hopes that the “gourmet” taco will catch on.  One of my friends had suggested that I check them out as he was possible that I wouldn’t be disappointed.  He even promised that there were green chili so I really I decided to go give them a shot to see what they were all about.

When I walked into the restaurant, I was greeted by a lot of people who were very friendly.  I even got to talk with the head guy (not sure if he was the owner or not) and he let me know that Tin Star is a regional franchise and that this was its second attempt at trying to relocated to San Antonio.  I did ask him about the green chili and it turns out that they did not have any to pile on the tacos, but there were traces of it in their rice.

The restaurant itself has a cool feel with free wifi and is really clean.  There were flat panel TVs playing the world cup and really had a nice open, clean feel to it.

As part of this gourmet taco experience, expect to pay higher than usual prices.  For two tacos, a side of rice and black beans, my ticket was over $8 with tax (and this is with a water); obviously this is not the prices that a San Antonian is used to paying for two lunch tacos.

They do have some more exotic tacos, and for a full list, I would suggest that you click here to see what they are all about.   I decided to try something unusual, since I was at a gourmet taco place after all, and go the pork tacos with honey chipotle BBQ and the fish tacos.

Before eating, you can dish up some chips and salsa (in the same vein as Mamma Margie’s) to take back to your table.  I think that the salsa was pretty disappointing as it was sweet with really no spice to it.  I don’t know how this salsa will last in this city.

Now, I will have to say that the tacos themselves were not terribly bad, but they didn’t live up to the $8/lunch plate expectations.  I thought that the fish tacos were superior and really liked their chipotle sauce that they put on it.  The pork taco had a good flavor on the meat, but the sauce really was too much and I didn’t really care for that sweet of a sauce on my taco (I know, I know, this is my own fault for getting the honey chipotle BBQ, I’ll accept that).

Would you pay $8 for two tacos in San Antonio at lunch?

The green chili rice was a little above average but the black beans were awful.  Now, I love me some black beans (especially with a lot of spicy seasoning), but these were just way too salty for my taste.  I couldn’t get through more than a couple of bites.

While the food isn’t terrible (with the exception of the black beans), I don’t think I will return because as an Average Joe I can’t warrant $8 for basically two tacos at lunch, gourmet or not.

Value: 5/10 ($8 for two tacos in the Alamo City at lunch doesn’t do it for me)
Atmosphere: 9/10 (Really nice atmosphere and is incredibly clean)
Service: 9/10 (Super friendly folks)
Salsa: 5/10 (Not spicy at all)
Taste: 7/10 (The fish tacos were good, pork was above average, but the black beans were awful)
Website: www.tinstar.us

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In search for some breakfast on the Southside, I happened upon Tellez Tamales y Barbacoa off of General McMullen.  There were swarms of cars going in, so I decided to check it out.

This ordering process satisfied my need for efficiency as an Industrial Engineer.  There was one line and as you walked in, the employees were ready to help you make your breakfast concoction.  The restaurant is as much a market as it is a breakfast joint – you can either order your tacos a la carte, or, you can order barbacoa by the pound along with tortillas in bulk (prices were listed for up to 5 dozen!) along with some bunuelos or avocados to take home!  People just kept coming in and coming in and it was particularly popular with the service men and women.

You could tell that this was a place where a lot of regulars visit, because the staff would engage them as soon as they walked in through the door.  It also seemed like a Saturday/Sunday tradition for many families because a lot of the regulars had their children with them.  Even though I was not a regular, they still made me feel welcome!

I ended up ordering a barbacoa and machacado taco along with a bottle of Big Red (when in Rome…).  I didn’t get too crazy and asked for the “all meat” taco (if you don’t say this, you may get the eyes, brain, etc. which I am told is very tasty, but something that doesn’t appeal to a gringo like me).  The barbacoa was very flavorful and had a nice thickness to it while being incredibly tender.  The chili complimented it nicely, but it was frozen, so I had to let it thaw out.

Startin' off the day right with some barbacoa and Big Red (the machacado is along for the ride)

The machacado taco had an overpowering taste of butter that got in the way of the flavor of the meat and vegetables.  One of my rules is that if the name of a restaurant specifies what they do best (tamales and barbacoa in this case), then you should probably stick to that on your first time there.  I violated that rule, and was disappointed by the machacado taco.  On a return visit, I am either getting another barbacoa taco or a tamale!

If you are on the Southside and looking for some good grub quickly, I would highly recommend Tellez Tamales y Barbacoa.

Value: 9/10 (pretty good value, especially if you buy in bulk)
Atmosphere: 8/10 (simple line with some booths set up)
Service: 9/10 (very quick to get you through the line, the table I sat at hadn’t been bussed though)
Salsa: 8.5/10 (chili was good, however, I had to wait for it to thaw out!)
Taste: 8/10 (be sure to order the barbacoa, it is great; stay away from the machacado it was not very good)
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Taco Garage is located in an old Texas Filling Station/Garage on the outskirts of Alamo Heights at Broadway inside of Loop 410. They recently remodeled the restaurant, and took away what I thought was one of the defining characteristics of it, the old sign. If my memory serves correct, they took the old “TEXACO” sign and got rid of the “EX” which left you with “TACO.” I thought that this was extremely clever and sad to see it go… But what about the food?

I went to the Taco Garage with some friends after playing a volleyball game in scoring 100+ degree Texas heat. It was cooling off nicely as the sun had set after our game, so we went in search of a patio to eat, drink, and hang out. The patio at Taco Garage was just the ticket as it is really big with plenty of seats. There is even a stage set up on the patio and I imagine that there are some good tunes pumping out on the weekend.

There was one drawback to the patio; we originally sat down at the long bar and when our waitress brought us chips and salsa, the ants came out to eat! This was quickly remedied by going to a table, so until the owners spray, I would advise just beginning at one of the tables outside. No big deal, just something to be aware when you go.

I really loved the roasted salsa; it had a nice heat and flavor, and I think I knocked out a basket all by myself! We all ordered the GT Margaritas (I think that was the name; you’ll have to excuse me as the margaritas make you not remember correctly) which was the top shelf that came with Patron Silver as the tequila. The best part of the margarita was that it came in a schooner and packed quite the punch!

I opted to get the Plato Exclusivo which came with a crispy taco, a carne asada taco, cheese enchilada, borracho beans, and guacamole.  The waitress informed me that indeed the borracho beans were made with beer (Tecate), so they were authentic.  (For all you gringos out there, borracho means “drunk” so it is important that real borracho beans are made with beer.  Anything else is uncivilized.)

Let’s get things straight, the name of the restaurant is called Taco Garage, and man did they deliver on their tacos.  The crispy one was good and the carne asada taco  packed with meat and cheese that all melted together in a perfect tortilla was excellent.  Those two items filled me up plenty!  The cheese enchilada was all right, but remember, this is Taco Garage, not Enchilada Garage!

You can see that my chip basket is empty along with my salsa (it is that good); that is a lot of food!

Finally, the waitress was really friendly and took care of us all night.  She would talk with us about the restaurant and the food and gave really strong recommendations on the different plates to try.  To top it off, when she said a Spanish word she would slip into a Spanish accent.  I love that.

When you are needing a taco tuneup, be sure to stop at the Taco Garage — they’ll get you back on the road happy and full.

Value: 8.5/10 ($12 plate for dinner that is guaranteed to give you leftovers; $8.50 margarita that will make you happy and forget that you had the leftovers in a to go box in your car until the next morning…)
Atmosphere: 9.5/10 (even if you eat on the patio, be sure to check out the interior of the restaurant to see the “Sacred Hearts” paintings by a Texas artist, it is worth it; the outside patio is fantastic when the night finally cools off; I would have given them a 10/10 if it weren’t for the ants)
Service: 10/10 (Our waitress was most excellent; she interacted with our table and was always quick to bring us refills, etc.)
Salsa: 9/10 (right amount of heat; I took down an entire bowl myself and had to borrow some from a friend for my meal)
Taste: 9/10 (if you stick with the tacos you will be very happy; asi asi on the enchiladas)

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San Antonio has as many great Mexican food restaurants as there are stars in the sky, but for whatever reason it can be challenging to find a good taco north of 1604.  I have tried many places (I won’t mention them now, but will wait and review them to see if they’ve improved) that just can’t deliver.  More often than not, they are bland, and for a lack of a better word, too gringo-ized.  I decided to see if Leticia’s could change that.

Located on Stone Oak and Huebner (there is also a location on N Zazamora on the West Side), the customer is transported to a different place when he/she steps into the restaurant with a bright yellow interior and Mexican artwork.  I stopped by for breakfast and decided to get two tacos – a machacado and barbacoa — with a cup of coffee.

Now in full disclosure, I have to say that Leticia’s does come to my place of employment and has tacos in the morning.  They introduced me to machacado tacos; the tacos at work are pretty good, but you have to know taht they are not made to order and have premade tortillas and food in big serving dishes.

At the restaurant, I could tell that the tortillas came out fresh and I was thoroughly impressed.  The machacado was amazing, not being near as greasy/watery as when I get them at work.  I twas complimented nicely with the roasted salsa on the table.  The barbacoa is only available on Saturday and Sunday and it is a treat.  The meat is flavored nicely and had a good spice to it, so much so that I decided to neglect the salsa on that taco.

The tacos were a little pricey, but they were big!

The service was excellent, and I didn’t have to worry about running low on my cup of Joe or cream to go with it.  This is always a plus when you wake up a little sleepy.

The one drawback was the price… each taco ran me $2.49 (granted I got the two highest priced tacos on the menu, this is still a far cry from the $1.50 I pay at work (although barbacoa tacos are not served there)).  I think that this price is expensive for breakfast tacos; then again you have to consider they are in the “posh” part of town where at night patrons guzzle $10 drinks at the lounges.  Also, if you live in that area, you would probably have to drive a ways to get out of the northside to a good taco shack, so you have to think of the money you save on gas.

Value: 6.5/10 (at $2.49, pretty steep for breakfast tacos; although they are actually authentic tacos on the northside, so maybe this is a good value for good tacos up there…)
Atmosphere: 8.5/10 (I liked the inside atmosphere and pictures of the niños in traditional Mexican dress)
Service: 10/10 (Very friendly staff; you never have to worry about your coffee or creamer running out!)
Salsa: 9/10 (nice and smokey; went perfect with the machacado taco)
Taste: 9/10 (tortillas were great and the barbacoa was particularly good!)

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Rolando’s Super Tacos, off of Hildebrand, is an institution of San Antonio; they were the Chipotle or Freebirds before those restaurants even knew what a gigantic tortilla was! Located in one of the older parts of San Antonio, the side of the restaurant proclaims “Jesus is King” in bold colors; this may be the case but the tacos at Rolando’s are close up there.

You can either make your order to go or dine in.  I would suggest dining in namely because you will receive some warm chips and three different types of salsas.  There is a brown salsa (a slow initial burn but a very hot finish), a red/brown salsa (hot from the start), and a red salsa (medium).  The salsas are flavorful, but have a very thin texture so it is tricky keeping them on your chip.

I know that Rolando’s has some excellent priced lunch specials, but you came to this restaurant to get tacos right?  So you might as well get them.  On the recent trip with one of my roommate’s, I wanted to sample two tacos — the papas con chili y queso (potato, chili, and cheese) and the Tita (steak a la Mexicana, beans, cheese, chili and guacamole).  Each of these tacos was around $3.  The potato one was interesting for the fact that instead of the potatoes being cubed (common in SA), they were sliced (like a potato chip).  The two tacos definitely filled me up.

Now if you are really macho, you will do as my roommate did and order the Super Taco (each taco has a small and super option).  These tacos are about $6 but are literally bigger than your head.  No joke.  Do you hear me laughing?  I would guess that one Rolando Super Taco would make 3-4 normal people tacos.

My roommate got the Guivi which was comprised of shredded chicken, guacamole, cheese, lettuce, and tomato.  The Super Taco at Rolando’s would be akin to the Monster at Freebirds, but instead of being rolled, it is folded like a normal taco.

So if you are out partying on the River or Saint Mary’s strip and need some grub the next morning to help you get through your day, go to Rolando’s where you can get a huge taco and maybe even find Jesus is King.

Value: 10/10 (how can you go wrong on $6 for a Super Taco that is the size of 3-4 normal tacos?)
Atmosphere: 7/10 (if you like hole in the walls, then the atmosphere won’t bother you; cool to see pictures of a stop that Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Taratino made there along with some of Rodriguez’s movie posters on wood paneled walls)
Service: 9/10 (the waitress was incredibly fast and friendly)
Salsa: 8/10 (I admire the three different types of salsas, but prefer my salsa to be a little thicker)
Taste: 9/10 (a tasty taco!)

That is a super taco!

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