An Average Joe in San Antonio

Situated in the recently developed “city center” portion of the Alamo Quarry, Urban Taco presents an interesting take on traditional Mexican food.  I have heard good things from friends and coworkers about this restaurant, but was reticent to go because of one thing: you had to pay for your chips and salsa.  This was a major hangup that took me a while to get over.  I could not believe that there would be a Mexican restaurant in town that would require payment for the pr-meal staple.  Finally one of my friends convinced me to stop by the restaurant with them for lunch.

Walking into the restaurant for lunch, I was impressed by the smart decor.  The space has a fresh and light feeling; Urban Taco feels more like a chic restaurant in LA than one in San Antonio.  The bar is well stocked and I can imagine that this is quite the hotspot at night.

Our server was wonderful; she was bubbly without being oppressively happy and good at making conversation.  In fact, the entire staff seemed top notch and quick on the draw with drink refills and checking on their tables.  This attention to detail further complemented the atmosphere.

My friend insisted on picking up the salsa since he knew that was a major hangup of mine.  For $3 you get to choose between three different salsas, so we chose chose guajilo piquin (a sharp spicy taste), avacado lime crema (a smooth gaucamole-esque sauce), and jalapeño zucchini (not bad, but not my favorite; moderately spicy).  The salsas came with a bowl of homemade chips that were light and not greasy at all.  Furthermore there was a little bowl of yuca chips that were tasty.

The salsas had me at the first taste and I quickly realized how crazy (and stubborn) I was for not trying this restaurant sooner.

The guajilo piquin on the left was my favorite. For three bucks you can choose three salsas from the 11 that they offer.

For my meal I decided to order the Quesadillas de Jamón which was a traditional quesadilla topped with the Spanish jamón serrano. When I lived in Spain, jamón serrano was one of foods that I loved; it is cured ham and many Spanish families will have this pig leg sitting in their kitchen with a small knife.  You can take the knife and take thin slices of meat from the leg which are delicious.

The quesadilla was remarkable; the inside cheese was gooey and the outside had cheese that was crispy from being cooked.  Topping that was the thin slices of ham with another type of cheese on top of them.  This quesadilla was the best that I have ever had, the saltiness of the cured ham brought out all the flavors of the cheese and vegetables inside the quesadilla.  At $11, this can be an expensive lunch option, but you are really getting a high quality meal.

With a funky take on the quesadilla, the Quesadillas de Jamón knocked it out of the park.

Hip, fresh, friendly and good food, Urban Taco hit every mark on a outstanding dining experience.  For all you average Joes out there like me, don’t get caught up in the fact that you have to pay for the chips and salsa and get down to Urban Taco.  The food and experience is more than worth the slightly higher costs that you have to pay.

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Website: http://urban-taco.com
Follow on Twitter: @UrbanTaco

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There are many places that make San Antonio unique.  Most of them are historic, but with the renovations of the Pearl Brewery, our city has a new hot spot that is attracting many interesting stores and restaurants.  La Gloria Ice House moved into the complex this past year and has fit right in.  Everything from the building to the menu proves that both the restaurant, and San Antonio’s culinary scene, has some chops.

As you walk towards the restaurant and see the calavera sitting on the bench, you know that you are in for a good time.  The restaurant gets every small detail perfect: from how their name is cut out of metal piece that holds items on your table, the table side purse rack for the ladies, and the really cool basket that the chips come in, the restaurant makes you feel carefree, like you are on a vacation.

The Margarita La Gloria: very blue, not so tart, and potent.

I had some friends who came into town from Austin and were looking at possibly relocating to San Antonio.  I wanted to highlight that our city also has a funky kind of vibe, so I decided to show off the Pearl Brewery, the Museum Reach river extension (they loved the F.I.S.H. sculptures), and La Gloria.

My friends have a 13-month year old daughter, and I knew that La Gloria would be the perfect place to take a toddler.  There is a good buzz in the air from all the conversation and how the acoustics work, so I knew she could be a little rambunctious without disturbing any restaurant goers.  Furthermore, with Pearl’s policy of “Please, Play on our Grass” I knew that mom or dad could take her outside to play.

La Gloria serves Mexican street food, so there are an abundance of tacos, tostadas, sopes, and tortas to choose from.  The portions are small to medium sized and are designed for you to eat and share with your table.

We wanted to try a little of everything so we got a molcajete of queso with chile, ceviche verde (on the suggestion of @ShrinkingFoodie), a traditional tlayuda (think Mexican pizza), panucho cochinita pibil, and tacos dorados de pollo verde (on the suggestion of Eva at Mesa a Mesa).

You absolutely have to order a molcajete when you go to La Gloria.  A molcajete is like a morter and pestle that is used to grind spices or prepare salsas in Mexican cuisine.  If you ever decide to purchase one, the best are made out of volcanic rock and you have to cure it out by grinding rice in it.  This will smooth out the molcajete which is very important because if you don’t do it the sharp edges will tear at your ingredients instead of grind them.  Trust me.  My friend tried to make a salsa with one I bought her before she cured it and it wasn’t working…

At any rate, the molcajetes at La Gloria come out of the oven at like a billion degrees and the contents are bubbling hot.  Don’t believe me? Check out this video that I shot.

My girlfriend went to La Gloria once before and raved about the queso molcajete so we ordered it.  The one we got was a little different because in addition to the queso there were a lot of chiles mixed in.  Regardless, it was delicious with just a very mild spice.  We spooned the boiling hot cheese onto corn tortillas and devoured the bowl in no time.

Since we ordered so much food and to avoid being verbose, I am going to show a picture and briefly say what I liked about each of them for the remainder of this post.

Ceviche Verde at La Gloria Ice House

I am not that big of a fan of ceviche, but the ceviche verde was working; what tied it together were the olives.

Traditional Tlayuda at La Gloria Ice House

The traditional tlayuda was on an enormous fried tortilla and had black beans, cheese, lettuce, avocado, and some really nice tomatoes.  Kick up the heat by topping it off with some of their house salsa.

Panucho Cochinita Pibil at La Gloria Ice House

The panucho cochinita pibil is the item that I would have left out (although it still was very good!).  The pork was similar to pulled pork that you might get at a barbecue joint without the BBQ sauce.

My favorite dish of the night, Tacos Dorads de Pollo Verde at La Gloria Ice House

The tacos dorados de pollo verde was my favorite dish of the night, and I don’t even like tomatillo sauce! (Whenever I hear of a verde sauce I immediately think of New Mexico green chiles so my taste buds are never prepared for the tartness of the tomatillo.)  You get three mini tacos that are stuffed with perfectly marinated chicken and topped with farmer’s cheese and crema that give it a smooth taste.  Be sure to get this dish when you visit!

To wash it all down, I had to try the Margarita La Gloria, which is a blue colored margarita.  While it is not as tart as traditional margaritas, it is every bit potent.  They also have a wide variety of aguas frescas, and when they brought out the sandia, or watermelon drink, I had to get a cup of it.  I liked that it was not too sweet and there was a good amount of pulp in it, in addition to the fact that you get unlimited refills!

Be sure to leave room for dessert! The Tres Leches Cake at La Gloria Ice House rocks!

Finally, you would be remiss not to order the tres leches cake at La Gloria.  Instead of garnishing the cake with sauce or chocolate, they let it stand on it’s own merits and it works quite nicely.  Incredibly sweet and moist, regardless of how full you are you have to have a bite.

Chef Johnny and his staff have created such a great experience for locals and tourists alike.  You would be well served to make a stop in midtown for not only a great atmosphere that extends from the restaurant to the river, but also for some incredible food.

Value: You can spend a little or a lot at La Gloria; while the plates can add up, you do have the ability to control how much you get.
Atmosphere: Such an amazing atmosphere! The devil is in the details and La Gloria gets it! What’s even better is that you are right by the Museum Reach portion of the river so you can go for an after dinner stroll
Service: The service had a couple of hiccups, but overall was pretty good (in fairness, they were slammed when I went); the main thing was  when my friend ordered a Caipirinha and got a pink fruity drink; the waiter said that it was correct but I know that the drink should not be pink; we pressed further and he finally got the right drink from the bartender.
Salsa: Fantastic salsa with the right amount of heat! The chips were delicious as well.
Taste: You aren’t going to go wrong with a meal at La Gloria, there is something for everyone and it all tastes fantastic! They are very deserving of the best new restaurant nod!

Twitter: Follow @LaGloriaSA
Facebook: Like La Gloria
Website: http://lagloriaicehouse.com
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One of the staples in San Antonio is the taco.  We eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Tacos can be found in mobile food trucks, hole-in-the-walls, lobbies of where we work, and high class restaurants.

But to paraphrase the Bard, would a taco by any other name taste as sweet?

Recently there was a discussion at my workplace about the difference between a taco and a burrito.  This launched a huge discussion between the nuances of each item.

I have experienced this conundrum firsthand.  Growing up on the South Plains, I always referred to the breakfast meal of eggs, bacon, and cheese in a tortilla as a “breakfast burrito.”  Coming to San Antonio, many of my coworkers kept asking me if I would like a bean and egg “breakfast taco.”  I kept declining because I could not understand why anyone would want a crispy taco shell with beans and eggs first thing in the morning.

It took several months before I realized that breakfast tacos in San Antonio did not come in a crispy shell but rather a soft tortilla.  After becoming enlightened to this fact, I have happily ordered breakfast tacos ever since.

Graph of I-20 Theory of Tacos courtesy of Garrett's Graphs

This led me to develop what I refer to as the I-20 Taco Theory.   Interstate 20 more or less cuts Texas right in the middle as the road travels East to West passing through DFW and Midland before swooping down South to El Paso.  People who live either side of this line have drastically different views on tacos.

San Antonians and people who live South of I-20 cannot imagine calling the tortilla wrapped treat anything other than a taco.  To them, a burrito is anything that comes in a larger tortilla, a la Freebirds.  By default, anything  purchased in the morning is in a normal sized tortilla so they logically refer to it as a taco.  If they want a hard shelled taco, they will always specifically ask for a “crispy taco.”

The contingent who lives North of I-20 referred to the morning item as a breakfast burrito.  This group feels that by default the word taco implies a crispy shell.  Folks North of the line refer to anything in a tortilla as a burrito although there are some factions who deviate and call the smaller tortilla item a soft taco.

Tacos or Burritos? Weigh in with you thoughts on the comments below!

You then have the people who live right on the line who are confused on whether to call an item a burrito or taco.  There are tons of places in the DFW Metroplex that serve tacos and an equal amount that serve burritos.  These Texans have adapted and just call it by the name that is at the restaurant.  The only exception might be in El Paso where it seems that it more often than not referred to as a taco.

While I am not advocating for either the use of the word “taco” or “burrito,” it is my hope that this article can at least provide some insight to those travelling to Texas or within Texas to understand what the heck they should ask for depending on what city they are visiting.

Being in San Antonio for the past six years, I have adopted “breakfast taco” into my vernacular.  However, when I use this term while visiting my parents I often get funny looks and quickly say, “I mean, I’d love a bacon and egg breakfast burrito.”

What are your thoughts on the differences between tacos and burritos? Do you agree with the I-20 Taco Theory?  Let me know in the comments!

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