Rating / 3 out of 5 stars

La Taqueria Pinche Taco shop has expanded their tiny downtown operation to a second location, primely situated on Cambie near the corner of Broadway. It’s a convenient stop for Canadaline commuters craving bit-size, freshly prepared Mexican tacos.

Hopefully La Taqueria fairs better than the previous rotating shift of of unsuccessful tenants including a greasy spoon, Chinese, and Japanese restaurant. The Cambie location is certainly larger than the original, but similarly decorated in muted tones with splashes of bright yellows and pinks.

(Above: Unlike their Hastings location, the Cambie Taqueria has giant picture windows for loads of sun to shine through — whenever the sun decides to show up, that is.)

The menu is pretty straight forward, featuring a selection of meat and vegetarian tacos at $2.50 each, or $9.50 for a set of four. There’s also a daily special that they switch up every once in a while that you can ask about.

(Above: Clockwise from left to right: Fish Taco, Pork, Lamb and Beef Tongue.)

Case and I shared a set of four: Al Pastor (pork and pineapple), Lamb (the special for the day), De Lengua (braised beef tongue), and Pescado (grilled fish). The modestly portioned meats are beautifully cooked — the braised ones fall apart tender, and the fish nicely grilled — all gently seasoned.

The real joy is adding the fresh accompaniments like pickled onions, peppers, lime and a touch of one of their four house made salsas.

(Above: Fizzy, sugar juice.)

Our meal including taxes and tips and a bottle of fizzy, sugar juice came to around $14. It’s a little bit pricier than other taco joints, and the portions certainly won’t fill you up like Chronic Tacos a few blocks away. But, the carefully prepared meats and fresh toppings make these bite size tacos a refreshingly tasty snack.

Perfect for: a tasty taco alternative to the Chihuahua or cactus variety.

The Details

2549 Cambie Street, Vancouver
604.568.4406
lataqueria.ca
@LaTaqueriaYVR

Rating / 4 out of 5 stars

Coma is an acronym for Korean-Mexican-American — the fusion of cuisine that’s offered at this mobile food stand. They make no bones about being inspired by the world famous Kogi BBQ truck in Los Angeles, but given that the latter is a few thousand kilometers away, we can easily overlook any similarities (if there are any).

(Above: Kimchi Quesadilla — stuffed with tofu, cheese, vegetables, kimchi and drizzled with Coma’s own Korean style salsa roja.)

We first found Coma roaming Kitsilano’s West 4th neighbourhood. Our palette was whetted with the Kimchi Quesadilla, which are exactly as they sound — crispy fried tortillas stuffed with tofu, vegetables, cheese, kimchi and drizzled with Coma’s own Korean style salsa roja. The result is a hearty snack that somehow manages to blend well together.

(Above: The Kalbi burger is a big burger with Korean sensibilities. Served with fries.)

The Kabli burger is a newer item on their menu. It starts off pretty harmless — a nice, thick, beef patty with cheese, tomato, lettuce and a sesame seed bun. Sound familiar? Then they throw on some of that sweet Kimchi mix, and that’s all she wrote. The flavours marry remarkably well for such a simple upgrade — but they did it right by getting the basics down pat first.

(Above: The Kimchi fried rice topped with a fried egg and dusted with sesame seeds.)

The Kimchi fried rice is the kind of street food we had always imagined chowing down on when we think of street food. The nicely fried mix of rice, sweet kimchi is topped with a fried egg. Solid.

Menu items run anywhere between $5 to under $10 — a pretty tasty and reasonably priced alternative to any fast food joint. The Coma guys seem to have lost their permanent location, but follow them on Twitter @ComaFoodTruck to follow them for real.

604.842.3676
comafoodtruck.com
@ComaFoodTruck

Rating / 4 out of 5 stars

Seattle’s Rancho Bravo on East Pine Street has permanently hitched its distinctive green cart declaring ‘Mexican Food,’ to the parking lot of an old KFC to set up shop and serve an assortment of Mexican street food: tacos, tortas, and Mexican style corn on the cob.

Inside, the space that was once occupied by a KFC, appears to have seen better days. There’s a clutter of signage, plastic trays filled with bottles and sauces all around. Rancho Bravo has been able to somehow recreate the street food experience inside: the chaos; the grit; and the wonderful scent permeating from the kitchen.

(Top to bottom: 1. A pair of soft tacos. 2. Pozole soup.)

Case and I started off simple with two soft tacos, one beef and one al pastor: the soft, homemade tortillas hugged a modest assortment of beautifully seasoned meats and fresh garnishes — simple and tasty.

Our tacos were followed by Pozole, a hominy soup with tender chunks of pork in a hearty broth served with fresh tortillas and a squeeze of lime. We suspect this would serve well as one of those magical cure all soups: everything from the common cold to an over-indulgent Friday night hangover.

Finally, Mexican style corn on the cob: grilled buttered corn slathered with mayo, a sprinkling of salt, pepper, and chilli powder, and a squeeze of lime. This is corn on crack, one that’s rarely seen this side of the border. Which is probably a good thing because we’d easily gain a few pounds scarfing half a dozen of these down.

(Above: Mexican style corn on the cob.)

Our meal came to under $18 including taxes, tips and a soft drink, a reasonably street food priced meal that you can eat indoors. The accommodations certainly feel a bit rustic, but that’s easily forgiven when you can taste the heart that’s been put into the food at Rancho Bravo.

Perfect for: indoor Mexican street food.

The Details

1001 East Pine Street, Seattle

Rating / 3 out of 5 stars

Francisco Tacqueria is a Portland Mexican food cart stationed on the corner of the 3rd and Stark Pod. Decorated with hand painted signage, duct taped menus and unlit Christmas lights, we felt this might be the place for some street tacos.

(Above: Shrimp Fajitas with beans and rice and served with limes, fresh slices of avocado and tortillas.)

After perusing the menu above and the photographed offerings below, Case and I settled on the shrimp fajitas. Served in a divided plastic take out container was a generous amount of gently seasoned shrimp loaded with grilled onions, bell peppers and topped with a remarkably fresh assortments of sliced avocados, tomatoes, and shredded lettuce. The rice and beans on the side were nice, but nothing special. The corn tortillas wrapped in foil were soft and steaming hot.

(Top to bottom: 1. Taco Pastor loaded with pulled pork, shredded lettuce, sour cream and cheese. 2 . Mexican grapefruit soda.)

We also had a pastor taco: beautifully flavoured and tender pulled pork topped with shredded lettuce, sour cream and cheese and double wrapped in soft corn tortillas — nicely portioned and unbeatable at $1.50 a pop.

(Above: Ok, might not be five-star facilities, but it’s al fresco.)

Our meal including a grapefruit soda and tip came to a respectable $11. It doesn’t get much cheaper than this, and the food is actually quite good. What might throw some folks off are the decidedly un-five-star like accommodations: rickety bar table and stools cramped under plastic cover between two carts. So unless you need to, grab the goods to go.

Perfect for: awesome tacos… on the run.

The Details

Southwest 3rd Avenue & Southwest Stark Street, Portland
503.757.3984

Rating / 2 out of 5 stars

Las Margaritas on West Fourth is a Mexican restaurant well known for their margaritas and salsa. This Kitsilano fixture has a happy, vibrant decor, and can get pretty lively on their outdoor patio during the summer months.

(Above: Huevos Rancheros — Eggs, Salsa, Beans and Rice. Breakfast of Champions, or at least the hungover.)

It’s been awhile since we’ve last been to Las Margaritas. I recall the margaritas were awesome and the food decent. There’s a lot going on inside. The walls are heavily decorated with photos and kitschy artwork. Dark wood furniture and an old saloon influenced bar runs the entire length of one side, while colourfully tiled table tops dot the dining room floor.

(Top to bottom: 1. Welcome to Kitsilano’s own border town. 2. Salsa and chips.)

Tre ordered the crab enchilada filled with a mixture of shredded crab, mushrooms, onions and cilantro. It was covered in cheese and a cream sauce and served with rice and house salad. The enchilada was ok, but the sauce took over the dish, leaving the crab flavour wimpering.

I had the Huevos Rancheros: two eggs on a soft corn tortillas covered with homemade ranchero sauce and green onions, served with refried beans and rice. The only thing on this dish that was half decent was my eggs. The corn tortilla was soggy (but expected due to the ranchero sauce), while the refried beans were bland with a paste-like texture. The rice was forgettable.

(Above: Crab Enchiladas with rice, and salad.)

Our bill including a cup of coffee, taxes and tips came to just under $26 which wouldn’t be too bad if the food was more memorable. The service was spotty, while the complimentary salsa and chips were the standouts that afternoon. Las Margaritas feels more like a chain restaurant operation now — more vibe and image, less heart and food. Hopefully the margaritas still rock.

Perfect for: Drinking and carousing in a border town full of yuppies.

The Details

1999 West Fourth Avenue, Vancouver
604.734.7117
lasmargaritas.com