bowlinger qua bowlinger

the mission: 4 days, 4 taquerias
the menu: 2 tacos pastor, rice and beans, orchata
the objective: investigate the ‘authentic’ mexican food joints in the greater a2 area and don’t get sick.

day #1: Taqueria la Loma on Michigan Ave in Ypsilanti

• tacos: good, but too weirdly saucy and moist to be a true taco pastor the way i remember them from my favorite chicago taquerias
• rice and beans: dissapointing. beans tasted straight from the can.
• orchata: ok. thicker, fruitier, and sweeter than i prefer.
• ambiance: feels like sitting in someone’s living room that has been outfitted with vinyl tile and changed into a restaurant. telenovelas on tv in the corner a plus.
• miscellaneous details: free chips, but not home made. decent, semi-spicy salsa verde. red salsa is mild and sweet.
• the bill: $9 including tip

day #2: Taqueria la Fiesta on Packard just east of Carpenter

• tacos: really good. reminds me of home. i’m going back for more of these.
• rice and beans: nice. beans had a nice texture and flavor, red salsa provided a nice kick for the rice.
• orchata: perfect summertime orchata. thin, but not too thin, not too sweet. refreshing!
• ambiance: a tiny little slip of a place, i think there are 3 tables in there. from what i’ve read around the tubes, this place is owned by two sisters who also have a place on cross street in ypsi.
• miscellaneous details: no free chips, but the salsa verde is really, really good. it looks and feels like everything here is home made. the flan i saw in the fridge looked tempting.
• the bill: $10 including tip (this was including a dollar discount i got for being patient at the register)

day #3: Senior Lopez on Stadium in the same strip mall as Ace Hardware

• tacos: tbd. they were out of pastor!!! i got carnitas instead, which is kind of like mexican pulled pork. they were good – bland on their own, but with the thick salsa (see below) they were dee-lish. stay tuned for a pastor re-visit of this place.
• rice and beans: mmmmm-mm good. the beans were whole beans, and the rice had bits of carrots and peas in it.
• orchata: another good orchata. not too thick, not too sweet.
• ambiance: more ‘restauranty’ than the others. there’s a mural of a pueblo, and latin music on the sound system.
• miscellaneous details: free chips plus three kinds of salsa: a fresh pico de gallo, a mild, smokey smooth salsa, and a slightly spicier, thick salsa with a texture not unlike tomato paste. the tomato paste one was my favorite.
• the bill: $6 including tip. they have a two tacos + rice and beans special for lunch. i also think they may have cut me a break for being out of pastor

day #4: Taqueria Tacuba on Washtenaw across from the Hua Xing Asian Market

• tacos: imagine taking Taqueria la Loma’s pastor and drying it in the sun.
• rice and beans: dissapointing and forgettable.
• orchata: i got like a big gulp size portion of it. crazy. anyways, it tasted slightly metallic.
• ambiance: kinda feels like if a subway restaurant served mexican food. a big flat screen was showing soccer. i think it was chelsea.
• miscellaneous details: no free chips, salsa comes in a little mini to-go cup. it was ok. they have a large menu of tortas. maybe that’s what they’re good at – it’s certainly not tacos and rice and beans.
• the bill: $9 including tip

The Rankings: Taqueria La Fiesta slightly edged out Senior Lopez, perhaps only because they were out of pastor the day i went. While Taqueria la Fiesta’s tacos were better, and the orchatas were neck and neck, i prefered Senior Lopez’s rice and beans slightly, and they also have free chips and salsa. Taqueria La Loma, whose tacos were mediocre, might be worth another visit for tortilla soup and pupusas acording to local blogs, easily places third above Taqueria Tacuba, a forgettable place.

after all that pork, i’m really looking forward to eating nothing but salmon in seattle.

Last 5 posts by dm

• i'm not so sure how i feel about this. - December 18th, 2008
• truth. - October 5th, 2008
• finally, something exciting is happening in this town. - September 24th, 2008
• gandy fleecer. - January 29th, 2008
• a snag in the pastor smackdown sequel - November 5th, 2007