16. Los Taquitos De Puebla
LOS TAQUITOS DE PUEBLA
1201 S 9th Street
If you've followed this "Clash of the Tacos" from the start, you know I'm not squeamish. I've tried tongue, goat and – yep – cricket tacos along the way. But I do have my limits. And Los Taquitos de Puebla went waayyy over those. Looking at the menu, I felt like I should be sitting next to Andrew Zimmern on "Bizarre Foods."
Let's read down the list of "Tacos Traditionales," shall we? There's Mexican Sausage. Okay, fine – I think. Then, Beef Tripe. Pass. Then, Beef Head. Ugh. And then . . . Cheek . . .Lips . . . Tongue . . . and finally, Eye. Yep, tacos made from a cow's eye.
Listen, every culture has its oddities. Try explaining Scrapple to a non-native. But I drew the line on this side of trying a taco made from a bovine's eye.
What I did try was the Carnitas, a standard taco made from chunks of pork (along with not-too-pleasant chunks of fat), along with onion and cilantro. I also did try the Tongue Taco, which arrived not as diced-up pieces of meat, but instead, an actual uncut long slab of cow tongue sitting in a soft burrito. Close my eyes and eat it – too soft, soggy and overcooked.
Not much more to say.
Score: 68/100
