Super Tacos at Rolando's

Rolando's Super Taco is a Tacoland legend. I had never been there myself, but I had heard murmurings of tacos that no mortal being could take on.. Tacos literally the size of your head. This morning I braved the humidity and heat in order to go where so many have gone before me.

Rolando's Super Taco
919 W Hildebrand Ave - (210) 732-6713

When we walked in we were greeted by Rolando himself. He smiled and welcomed us. As we got close to our table I realized who he was. I have had heaps of Migas lately so I was ready for something altogether different. I was hungry, too, so when I saw that they had free chips I was stoked. There were three salsas provided. One was bright, one roasted, one seemed like a green salsa. None of them had the flavor that I longed for. They were bland and had blind spiciness. The chips were a thick and brittle. No sweet tea, either, so that was another downer.

When I looked at the menu there were plenty of options for vegetarians and now they serve small tacos as well, so you don't have to order something that weighs the same as some newborn babies. I chose the Cheese Enchilada Super Taco. The service was good with frequent refills and tacos in a fairly timely manner.

The flavor of the taco was fully saturating and lively. The layers of beans, cheese, enchilada sauce, lettuce, tomato, and guacamole were perfectly complimenting. The only addition I would have made would have been adding some corn tortilla to the mix to give it the enchilada texture. The American cheese wasn't even half bad with this combination, but I imagine Cheddar would have been so much better. The only major complaint I have was that the tortillas didn't taste home made and they seemed tough, as if they had been microwaved. With a taco of this magnitude you really have to cut it into reasonable sized bites or you'll be wearing it instead of eating it.

I will definitley be back. Rolando's rocked my world.
I give them 3 1/2 out of 5 tacos.

Dissapointing Migas at Panchito's

With it's papel picado banners and tissue flowers it's like walking into Fiesta. With it's homemade tortillas and abundance of sweet tea it's like walking into heaven. Panchito's is a favorite of our family. Located right off McCullough where it meets Hildebrand is this busy bustling eatery. This is where we most frequently dine out of their locations. You can check out their other location on Zarzamora if that is closer to you.

Panchito's Mexican Restaurant
4100 McCullough Ave - (210) 821-5338

This morning I had another Migas taco, this time with no cheese (I can't bear American), and glorious ice cold sweet tea. This morning Panchito's was off their game. Normally their food is nothing less of splendid. The corn tortilla strips were too soggy and overall the taco was under seasoned. The size was less than impressive for the price. The salsa was even suffering, as it was heavy on the tomato flavor and missing bite. The texture was just not optimal. I had high hopes but this taco was a letdown. I'm glad that I requested no cheese. I am afraid that it would have pushed me over the edge and I would have put the taco straight into the trash. The saving grace was the tortilla. Soft, chewy, slightly stretchy and well toasted. They also serve free chips and salsa with lunch and dinner.

Their parking situation is fairly random.. In the mornings their lot is packed and there is only a couple of spaces, if that, and people are parking along the street. The rest of the day is a crapshoot. There are fewer vegetarian options than I would like, but what they do offer is delicious. Sometimes the service is a little slow, but usually it's very much worth the wait. I plan to give tham another shot and hope that someone called off work this morning..

For now I give them 1 1/2 out of 5 tacos.

Two Tacos from Garcia's

Garcia's is a tiny place on the corner of Fredericksburg and W Craig. The orange exterior and cock fighting velvet paintings (see below) hanging on the interior make this a lively place to grab a bite. This place is also very close to my house, so it's another spot that my family frequents.

Garcia's Mexican Food To Go
842 Fredericksburg Rd - (210) 735-4525

My husband went to pick up the food this morning. As he arrived the food it was being put in the paper bag. In my experience it takes a little longer at Garcia's than other restaurants, but the wait is so worth it.

I selected a Bean and Rice and Potato, Egg, and Cheese this morning. They included a few little cups of their green salsa. I sat down , unwrapped the foil, uncapped the salsa, dipped the taco and took the first bite.

I chose to start with the Bean and Rice. The tortillas at Garcia's are hand made and perfect. Chewy, soft, stretchy, pliable. They are very very tasty tortillas indeed. I'm not sure if the corn are hand made, but the flour are heavenly. The beans had a wonderful flavor and texture. I could actually tell that the beans were refried by hand, as they had a slightly lumpy consistency and the skins were discernible. The rice was fluffy and firm, yet yielding. An absolutley perfect accompaniment to the beans.

The salsa was a bright green with wonderful fresh flavor. It was pretty spicy. Two dips into the salsa cup had my mouth pretty warm throughout the entire meal.

The Potato with Egg and Cheese was delightful. There was not a terrible amount of flavor in the eggs, but the potatoes were cut very small and cooked until they were soft. They were mixed well together. Garcia's uses Cheddar cheese, though, which makes up for the lack of seasoning.

Neither of the tacos was greasy. They were fresh and tasty. Garcia's does not offer sweet tea, however, and the parking leaves something to be desired. There is a lot of variety offered at this local favorite and they have won their fair share of awards for their cooking. Vegetarians beware, some of the offerings are made with meat seasonings, and I believe the enchilada sauce is meat gravy.

My husband's favorite taco from Garcia's is the fresh Brisket with Guacamole. The house behind the restaurant has a BBQ pit in the back yard. They cook the brisket daily. If you're a meat eater, this is a highly recommended taco to try.

Overall, the tacos were excellent. The only improvements that I could think of would be free chips with lunch and dinner and the availability of sweet iced tea. Other than that, this is taco bliss.


I give them 3 1/2 out of 5 tacos.

Migas with Cheese at The Blanco Cafe

I'll start my first review off with the closest restaurant to my house. I eat there more than is probably healthy, but with tacos a mere block and a half away, it's too tempting to pass up. The restaurant was started over 30 years ago and is a San Antonio favorite. Now with multiple locations around the city and a reputation of greatness, it is a Tacoland staple.

The Blanco Cafe #1
1720 Blanco Rd, San Antonio, TX - (210) 732-6480

My husband called in the order for our food and in the time it took me to get on some shorts and shoes and drive down the block they were on the counter waiting for me. It never takes more than a few minutes to get our order when we eat here, and it's always pretty busy. This morning there were only two tables that were not occupied.

It should be noted that parking is a bit of a pain. Parking in front is of the parallel variety. Out back there is a gravel lot to fit one row of cars into. There are always cars parked up and down Elsmere. As my son and I made our way up the sidewalk he was chanting "Tacos! Tacos! Tacos!" It's his new favorite word lately.

My favorite waitress got me a huge cup of sweet tea to go with the foil wrapped deliciousness and we went back home. Truth be told, I downed half of it before I got to the car. Two old window unit air conditioners just isn't enough to keep the bustling Blanco cool. Luckily, their sweet tea is so delicious that you don't care that sweat is dripping from your body.

The corn tortilla strips were less crispy than I like. The saltiness of the egg was a perfect match for the subtle spice of the salsa. Their salsa is unique in that it's made with what seems like green chilis and tomato both. It's not too spicy, either. Your mouth simply has a nice warm tingle after you're finished eating. Good flavor, but not the end all be all in the neighborhood. The taco wasn't too greasy, either, which is a bonus for me. As much as I love tacos, I don't like the indigestion that can follow. The Blanco serves reasonably sized tacos for the price. One is enough for me, unless I'm really starving, in which case two leaves me stuffed.

The tortillas are handmade. They were more floury and less soft and chewy than they should be. Unfortunately, their corn tortillas are not made by hand. My main complaint is that they use American cheese on their tacos. American cheese is blasphemous, especially on a taco, so major points are deducted for that. Another great blasphemy in my opinion, no free chips. I have noticed that there are a lot of restaurants now charging for chips. This is an outrage to me, lover of Mexican food. Charge me an extra quarter for my meal and bring on the crisp tasty salty goodness!

Their vegetarian options aren't terrible and there are lots and lots of meat-eating options. They have been voted to have the best enchiladas in the city more than once, but be aware that there is meat in the sauce, even on the cheese variety. You can ask for the cheese sauce (my favorite) or the ranchero sauce instead. The bean and rice taco is also delicious, and I wanted one this morning, but the rice wasn't ready yet at 9:30am.

At under $2 for my taco and almost $2 for my tea, the price was right. The overall flavor and texture of the taco was pleasing. Don't expect wonderful service, though

I give them 2 1/2 out of 5 tacos.