La Tapatia No. 2 on the East Side rides on an even keel. None of the four tacos I had blew my mind, and none blew.
La Tapatia No. 2 definitely has it’s act together, as I imagine the other La Tapatias do. The fact that there’s a La Tapatia No. 1 (Fair Avenue) and No. 3 (Culebra Road) suggests a certain level of consistency for a small chain. And it shows in the spot-on services. There’s a system and a dozen waitresses (it seemed) know exactly what they should be doing at all times, including the youngest waitress at one point advising, perhaps even consoling, an older gentleman (presumably a regular) named Jerry.
But back to those even-keeled tacos.
My favorite was the country ranchero, which is a gorgeous taco with charred — but not burnt — dark red sausage. This one doesn’t need salsa, because the peppers from the ranchero sauce has adequate pica.
The bean and egg had bits of bean suggesting they cooked and smashed them in house. The egg nice and soft and the overall taco piping hot.
The migas on corn was solid with the chips providing some crunch, which is an accomplishment considering the sogginess of its sister ingredients. Also, not dry.
Wasn’t thrilled about the chorizo and egg, which lacked a flavor punch.
I got nothing on the green and red sauce. Again, even-keeled.
The flour tortillas were kind of chewy, which brings up the place’s ambient sound. Loved the Mexican novella playing on the TV behind me — you know, adds to the experience. But there also was this periodic screeching and I immediately thought of the gears of a tortilla machine. And that would synch up with the whole chain theme of this ultra clean restaurant. Like, the tortilla machine is a synecdoche for the La Tapatia machine.
However, never asked about the screeching. Bad reporting on my part. It will remain a mystery for now.
(My apologies for using synecdoche in a taqueria review.)
Taqueria La Tapatia No. 2, 3054 Rigsby Ave., (210) 333-9885
— Worth traveling across town for
— Average S.A. taqueria. Some hits, some misses
— Mostly misses
— Benjamin Olivo
What do you think? Is there a taco I should have ordered, but didn’t? Have any taco news, issues or concerns? Email me at ben@thetacoist.com.