Taco Libre

It seems like people have been talking about birria tacos quite a bit recently. So, I did a bit of research and found that Taco Libre in Edina has them and they are rated pretty favorably. Simply order at the counter or online and your number will be called when the food is ready. Pretty simple and straightforward. 

I had the quesabirria tacos which have beef, cheese, onions and cilantro inside with a side of consommé and limes. I had mixed feeling on the quesabirria. It was filling and tasted fine, however I'm not sure the consommé added all that  much flavor. 

John had the asada burritas with cheese, onions and wrapped in a flour tortilla. Simple and filling. 

Taco Libre was a good spot for a quick meal. I'd maybe try a torta or the al pastor tacos next time we visit. The prices are certainly affordable and the portions are generous. 

Taco Libre
5125 Edina Industrial Blvd #800
Edina, MN 55439
Phone: (952) 303-3360
http://www.tacolibreusa.com

Colita

We were supposed to meet some friends at Colita, but it did not work out for them to meet us, so John and I went anyway. We were also supposed to sit on the patio, but chances of rain were high, so on arrival they seated us inside. The tables were very, very spaced apart, so it seemed ok. I believe to order you write your selections on a piece of paper and they space out the arrival of the food depending on what you order. 

We started with the tuna tostada with raw tuna, avocado, sesame, tomato jam, cilantro, celery leaf. Very fresh and bright tasting. 

Next up was the Kansas City pork ribs with amarind, sweet herbs, peas, radish, tortilla crumble, parmesan. These were very tender and flavorful. 

We shred the tempura fried shrimp tacos topped with jalapeno, cabbage, fresno mayo, cilantro. The breading was light and the toppings added just the right amount of spice and flavor. 

Last, was the seared scallops with corn puree, corn salsa, tamarind, burnt husk. A nicely seared scallop was divine after not having scallops for some time. 

We had the churros for dessert. This was the only dessert on the menu, but it was a good one. Freshly cooked churros with some cream and caramel sauce were a great finish to our meal. 

The service and food were both excellent. Everyone was masked and distanced and we felt very comfortable and safe. They are doing a great job and Colita is certainly worth adding into the rotation. They also have online to go ordering available. 

Colita
5400 Penn Ave S 
Minneapolis, MN 55419
Phone: (612) 886-1606
https://www.colitampls.com

Animales BBQ Company - Burger Night

Animales BBQ has been doing a burger night on Thursdays over the summer. Not sure how much longer it will be happening, probably not long, but it was a delicious change for a quick weeknight meal. We usually made a reservation at Able brewing so we could order a beer and have a table for our meal. Online reservations are kinda handy!

They offered a single or double burger on a fresh toasted bun. The burger was juicy and I quite liked the special sauce served on the side. It was a bit spicy actually. 

To stay up to date on Animales menu and events, I recommend following them on Instagram and Twitter. 

single cheeseburger

double cheeseburger

Animales Barbeque Co.
(at Able Brewing)
1121 Quincy St NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413

https://animalesbarbeque.com

Tequila Butcher

Our second visit to Tequila Butcher was much more successful than our first attempt. The first time, we were quoted a 2 hour wait, so we went elsewhere. The second time, I arrived early and put in my name. I tried to call ahead to get my name on the waitlist, but the phone was either busy or not answered. I was quoted 45 minutes In think. I also managed to get a place to sit at the bar, so that helped make the wait better. I wish I had taken pictures of my drink, but I totally forgot. Trust me, the drinks are good. Order a cocktail. They have some interesting selections. They have a huge variety of tequila, so if that is your thing, this is your place.

We started with the queso fundido with quest, pico and chorizo and fresh tortilla chips. 

Kelly had the Pork Tacos with smoked pork, pickled onion, quest fresco and salsa. 

Michele had the Chicken Nachos with chips, pico, chihuahua cheese and smoked chicken.

I had the Brisket gorditas. The gorditas themselves were quite dense. The smoked pork was quite good though. These were also topped with pickled onion, quest fresco and salsa.

Once we got a table the service and food were all great. It just requires a long wait to get in right now, I suppose since it is a new place.



Tequila Butcher
590 W 79th St
Chanhassen, MN 55317
Phone: (952) 934-6127
http://www.tequilabutcher.com/

Centro

Centro is a quick service taco joint in Northeast Minneapolis. We find ourselves in this area a lot, but did not realize exactly where it was. You order at the counter or  sit at the bar and food and drinks are delivered to your table. The process works quite well.

The chips and guacamole were really excellent. Great flavor. Some guacamole can be way too bland! This was not. The chips were the thicker style, like you would get in Mexico.

John had one carnitas en adobo taco (pork), one pollo a la plancha taco (chicken taco) and one chorizo taco.

I had one carnitas en adobo taco and one papas con chorizo taco. Both tacos were excellent and had tons of meat in them. The chorizo was spicy, but in a wonderfully perfect way. These were some of the best tacos we have had outside of Mexico.

I think we really need to try Popol Vuh, which is the fine dining sit down restaurant in the same building as Centro and the same chefs. I suspect we would enjoy it a lot.




Centro
1414 Quincy St NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413
Phone: (612) 345-5527
https://popolvuhmpls.com/centro/#tacos

Animales BBQ Company

We made it back to Animales BBQ recently. It is worth seeking this little trailer out. Seriously!!!!!

John had the sampler platter. It included ribs, sausage, brisket and pork belly. The brisket and the pork belly are both excellent. I even liked the sausage quite a bit.

I had 2 chicken tacos. They changed the tacos a bit since last time we were here. These were just OK. The brisket tacos were better.

I think I’ll be going with the sampler platter as well next time around.



Animales Barbeque Co.
(at Able Brewing)
1121 Quincy St NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413

Taco Teresa's

A new Mexican restaurant opened near us recently called Taco Teresa’s in the strip mall near the Cub off highway 55 and 169 in Plymouth. I could not find a website or much information, so we just decided to give it a try. (I have since added website information below.)

The restaurant is very large and open with an industrial look and open kitchen. The menu definitely features authentic Mexican standards like tacos, burritos with many different fillings to choose from.

Each order includes tortilla chips and salsa bar.

I had the al pastor tacos. The meat was very tender and juicy and there was a nice amount of grilled pineapple inside as well. These were probably some of the best al pastor tacos I have had outside of Mexico.

John had a burrito filled with steak.  It was huge and very filling.

The service was counter service, but someone did come around later on and ask if our food was OK. This is certainly a nice addition to the area.


Taco Teresa's
10100 6th Ave N
Plymouth, MN 55441
Phone: (763) 270-5572
https://www.loc8nearme.com/minnesota/plymouth/taco-teresa-s/4890517/

Animales BBQ Company

We’ve gone to Able Brewing a couple times now since it is dog friendly indoors and out, which our dog Maya loves. She would rather be a good girl and come with us on field trips than stay at home and take a nap. Anyway, Animales BBQ is operating out of a trailer parked at Able Brewing for the time being. We decided to try Animales BBQ since it was nearing dinner time and we had been reading some good reviews of the food.

John had the pork ribs. They were very large and had a nice smoky favor too. The BBQ sauce was very tasty, not that the ribs really needed it.

I had the taco platter. This included everything to build your own tacos with chopped pork. The meat was very tender, smoky flavored and delicious. The salsas were also very flavorful and quite spicy, which was great. This is worth the trip alone!

The menus are pictured, though I suppose they change somewhat and they can run out of items any time. It gives you an idea of the prices and selection at least.



Animales Barbeque Co.
(at Able Brewing)
1121 Quincy St NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413

Maya Cuisine

Maya Cuisine has been making the best tacos in the Twin Cities list for awhile, so we finally went to check it out.

The front part is more of a fast food dining option. If you walk though there to the back there is another section with a full sit down restaurant and a full bar. The room is very bright and colorful and there are TVs in the bar also. 

 Chips and salsa to start. 

We both had the al pastor tacos. There were the best al pastor tacos I have had outside of Mexico. The meat was plentiful, tender and the pineapple added just the right amount of sweetness. I even liked the fried rice. It had nice flavor and was not super bland as most places serve it around here. The refried beans were not bad either. 

We found the service to be great and the food was also very good. We may have to return and try the quick service tacos up front. Seems like the prices might be slightly cheaper up there as well.

Maya Cuisine

1840 Central Ave NE 

Minneapolis, MN 55418

(612) 789-0775

El Taco Riendo food truck

So I guess I’ve been on a bit of an el pastor taco kick. I recently had the el pastor tacos from el Taco Riendo food truck, while we were visiting Insight Brewing. Food trucks are breweries are awesome and magical. I love this trend so much, even several years after Minneapolis first allowed food trucks.

These el pastor tacos were much better than the last batch I’d had. The pork was juicy and tender and generously filled the tacos. The grilled pineapple added a nice hint of citrus as well.  The tacos were topped with onions and cilantro, just as el pastor tacos should be. The truck offers many combinations of fillings, toppings and tortillas as well as tortas, burritos and tacos. Highly recommend.


El Taco Riendo food truck and restaurant
2412 Central Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55418
Phone: (612) 781-3000
http://www.eltaco-riendo.com/

Jefe: Urban Hacienda

We tried Jefe at the recommendation of one of John's co-workers. It is on Main by the river in Minneapolis, kind of one of those hidden spots we tend to forget about. It has a great view and a nice patio once that weather comes back.

We were seated right away and greeted pretty quickly by our server. The inside is lots of dark wood and high ceilings with lots of cool art flourishes around the room.

I had the Jefe margarita and it was excellent. Good margaritas should be easy to make, but sometimes they are not if the ingredients are not good.

 We started with some chips and freshly made guacamole. 

Next up, the augachile, basically a  ceviche with hamachi , lime, cilantro, cucumber, jalapeno, avocado, onion, and housemate tostadas. It was fresh tasting and the serving of fish was generous.

We both had the camarones tacos made with sauteed shrimp, pickled pineapple, jalapeño, cilantro crema, peppers, cotija, and avocado. The fillings were generous and the shrimp had great flavor.

The tacos were very good and I even liked the corn tortillas, which I don't usually love. These were very fresh tasting and very soft and flavorful. You could tell they were made in house and fresh.

We both enjoyed Jefe and I thought their brunch menu looked interesting as well as the happy hour deals. We will have to go back soon!

Deals & discounts: we just missed happy hour, I think it goes form 4-6pm Monday to Friday. But you may want to verify that in advance.


Jefe: Urban Hacienda
219 SE Main St
Minneapolis, MN 55414
Phone: (612) 255-2000

Sweeto Burrito - Grand Forks, ND

We went to a couple new places on our last trip to Grand Forks to visit family. The main menu items are tacos, and burritos with French fries and tots as sides. We placed our order at the counter and it was brought out to us pretty quickly.

I had the grilled chicken street tacos chipotle lime style. The chicken had a rather sweet sauce and it was topped with chopped cabbage and chipotle lime sauce. The lime sauce got lost in the sauce the chicken was cooked in. Some of the chicken was dry and chewy too. The cabbage was fresh. There was also only a single sift taco shell. It really needed two as it broke halfway through on all of them. I ordered chips and salsa as my side item. The salsa was pretty potent with a lot of garlic flavor. Not bad, but quite strong.

John had the chicken tacos fresca style with a side of tater tots. Fresca style is chopped tomatoes and onions. His also only had a single soft taco shell.

I maybe should have tried the burritos as it is their core menu item. The tacos are newer to the menu apparently.  The nice thing about their burritos is that you can order them in different sizes depending on how much you can eat. The food is certainly interesting and has potential. We should probably try it again next time we are in the area.

The brand has an interesting story- they started as aa food truck in the oil patch in western North Dakota and grew from there with franchise locations. They currently have five locations with more on the way.


Sweeto Burrito
1419 S Columbia Rd
Grand Forks, ND 58201
(701) 757-4455
http://sweetoburrito.com/

Rusty Taco truck

I was in the mood for some fish tacos the other day so I went to see if any of the food trucks had fish tacos available. I ended up trying the Rusty Taco truck.

I ordered a fish taco and a shrimp taco.  The fish taco had a light breading, with chipotle creama, red cabbage and cilantro. The shrimp taco also had a light breading with a spicy baja sauce, cabbage and cilantro. Both tacos were good, though I think I liked the shrimp taco better as the sauce had more flavor and spice.  I thought both tacos were quite good,  but I was disappointed the tacos did not come with any chips or salsa. I guess there is an extra charge for chips. As a result I did not think the tacos were a very good value. For two tacos the price was $7, which seems a bit steep to me with no chips.

Rusty Taco
Twitter: @rustytacomn
http://www.rustytacomn.com/

Topolo Tacos truck

I think I have been neglecting the food trucks in Minneapolis this summer. I had better get back out there before they are gone!

I tried the newer Topolo Tacos truck the other day since I was in the mood for tacos. I think this truck has been out on the streets since June.

I had the carne asada tacos and they were quite good. I liked the fact that the tacos came with a side of chips and salsa. A selection of salsas are available to try as well. The green one was tomatillo based and the red one was pretty spicy, but not overly so.  These are authentic Mexican style tacos, so don’t expect lettuce or cheddar cheese on them. My tacos has some cilantro, radishes and crumbled Mexican cheese on them. Overall, I liked the Topolo tacos and I’ve like to go back and try a few other menu items like the elotes and other types of meat fillings for tacos.

The truck is very bright and colorful.

Note: The website only provides an image and a phone number. No menu or twitter information. The truck can usually be found on Marquette Avenue in downtown Minneapolis around lunch time.

Topolo Tacos
http://topolotacos.com/
763-257-7802
https://www.facebook.com/Topolotacos

Bar Abilene

Just a quick post today. I wanted to share our recent visit to Bar Abilene. We went back last Friday for National Margarita day. We had happy hour drinks in the bar and moved over to the restaurant for dinner.

Here is a link to our last visit to Bar Abilene:
http://whereshouldwegomsp.blogspot.com/2012/08/bar-abilene.html

 I had the stacked enchiladas. They were good with a lot of tomatillo flavor and it was a lot of food! 

John has the tacos al pastor again. 

Deals and Discounts: This time I found a coupon through the Star Tribune Daily Steals site. It was a $40 certificate for $20 and it had very few restrictions. I think you only could not use it after 11pm on Friday and Saturday nights.


Bar Abilene
1300 Lagoon Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55408
612-825-2525
www.barabilene.com

Sonora Grill

We visited Sonora Grill for a late Sunday lunch a couple Saturdays ago. It is a relatively new stall at the Midtown Global Market and we had seen it featured on a couple of food shows on TV. So we had pretty high expectations. First of all, we were a bit disappointed when we arrived and and found out they were sold out of the Sonora dog, the bacon wrapped hot dog. How do you run out of bacon and hot dogs? We we looked at the menu a bit, walked around the rest of the market and ended up coming back and ordering other menu items instead.

We each ordered the shrimp caramelos, and they were described on the menu as red tempura, cilantro and cabbage sonora style tacos. The tacos were quite tasty, and had just a tiny bit of spice. The red color made me think they looked like they would be quite hot and spicy, but I guess that was just an illusion. The shrimp were cooked well and this was a tasty taco. I think I liked this taco more than John did though.

We both ordered the beef skirt steak caramelos that had chihuahua cheese, sauteed onions, cilantro and salsa verde. We both thought these were good tacos with lots of steak and onion inside. The cabbage added  a nice crunch too.

I also got a side of the eggplant fries with chimichurri aoili. The eggplant fries were quite tasty, but they were also quite greasy. They really soaked up the oil they were cooked in. We ate about half of the eggplant fries and had enough of them. The dipping sauce that came with the fries was quite good and it gave some good flavor and spice to what is otherwise a very bland vegetable. The breading on the eggplant fries did not do much to give them more flavor either. I wanted to keep my arteries free for tastier greasy goodness.

Unfortunately, while eating my steak taco I bit into a piece of wood inside the taco. I should have taken a photo of it, but I forgot. (Major error on my part, I know.) I put it on a napkin and took it up to the counter and told them this was in my taco and I thought they should know about it. The employees did not seem very concerned. They said the steak is cooked on skewers, so that is where it came from probably. I told them I thought they would want to know about it because it ruined my meal for me. They did not offer any apologies or anything at all. I was very disappointed in how they handled the situation and would have at least liked a sincere apology. Their apathy led me to feel that they did not care if I returned again or not, which is too bad. So, to say the least, the service was not exactly great.

Sonora Grill
920 East Lake Street
Minneapolis, MN 55407
(612) 871-1900
http://www.midtownglobalmarket.org/sonoragrill
www.facebook.com/SonoraGrill

Taco John's

Yes, I'm really writing a post about Taco John's. Why? Well, it is an old favorite growing up in Mankato for me. I was very excited to learn that there were two Taco John's locations in downtown Minneapolis too. I honestly think it is a good lunch option if you are looking for inexpensive food that tastes good. And I may be addicted to it or something.

The soft shell tacos are pretty basic and standard with meat, cheese, salsa and lettuce. I think they are good for a light lunch anyway. They sort of remind me of tacos you might make at home though.

One of my current favorites is the mini super nachos. They are just the perfect size for a light lunch. I feel way too guilty if I order the regular sized super nachos! Anyway, there is ground beef, refried beans, nacho cheese, shredded cheese, tomatoes, guacamole, sour cream and a couple black olives. You have to eat them right away or else the chips get soggy from the nacho cheese.

Taco John's also has a variety of specials throughout the week. If you go on the right day it can make for a very cheap lunch. But beware! The lines on Taco Tuesday can be quite long!

Daily Specials:
Monday: Free churros with any combo (Six Quebec location at least)
Tuesday: Taco Tuesday hard shell tacos $0.69
Wednesday: $1 off Meat and Potato burrito
Thursday: $1 off Taco Bravo
Friday: soft shells $0.99 each

Taco John's
Downtown locations: TCF Tower and Six Quebec building

Taco John's #8034
(612) 339-2396
121 S 8th Street
Minneapolis, MN 55402

Taco John's #8045
(612) 332-7000
607 Marquette Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55402

Taqueria La Hacienda taco truck

Another new food truck out and about this summer is the Taqueria la Haciencda truck. They've been visiting downtown Minneapolis all summer with their rather fancy yellow taco truck, yet I have not heard much about them yet. I was aware that they have a few brick and mortar restaurants in Minneapolis and Burnsville, but I have never had the chance to visit.

On this visit I ordered the Tacos Arebes one with chicken and one with pork. Inside the tortilla, in addition to the meat was some cheese and grilled onions. They come with a side of chipotle sauce as well. I really liked the chicken taco arebes and it was especially good when dipped in the smoky and flavorful chipotle sauce. I was not very crazy about the pork taco arebes though. The meat was dry and seasoned with some sort of a red seasoning that was not a good match with the chipotle sauce.

I also ordered a side of chips and salsa. The chips were pretty good, I'm not sure if they were freshly made or not, but they were thinner chips. The salsa was a bit watery with no chunks of tomato, but there were some pepper flakes floating in it which gave it some heat.

The prices were a bit more affordable compared to other taco trucks though. The tacos arebes were $2.68 each and the chips and salsa were $1.99 I think.

I think I will probably go back to this truck and try some of the other items on the menu as they offer a rather wide variety of items such as tortas, burritos and quesadillas.

Taqueria la Hacienda taco truck
http://www.taqueriaslahacienda.com
Menu: http://www.taqueriaslahacienda.com/tacos-truck/

Bar Abilene

I saw a Groupon for Bar Abilene come up awhile back so I grabbed it since we have not been there in a couple years, maybe longer. It is always fun to go out in Uptown Minneapolis, especially in the summer time.

We started off with a couple drinks (margarita and mojito I think) and an order of chips and guacamole. They mix and mash the guacamole right at your table, and I love table side preparation of any food for some reason. The guacamole had great avocado flavor and it was a huge portion for two people.

I ordered the chipotle barbecued shrimp from the appetizer menu since we also had the guacamole to eat. I loved the shrimp. The barbecue sauce was very flavorful and actually rather spicy. And I mean spicy in a good way. The barbecue sauce had a nice tomato flavor too. The toast with goat cheese helped cool things off at bit anyway.

John had the tacos al pastor which had pork, pineapple and salsa in them on corn tortillas. These were very good and the pork was very tender. He really liked the touch of sweetness from the pineapple.

The service was very good throughout our meal and we enjoyed our visit very much. The food was much better than I was expecting and what I remembered from past visits and I think we will try to head back here again soon.

Deals & Discounts: Bar Abilene has a great daily happy hour with both food and drink specials. On this visit we used a Groupon I bought recently. It was only good on weekdays, but it was a good deal anyway.


Bar Abilene
1300 Lagoon Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55408
612-825-2525
www.barabilene.com