Taco Fresco Burgers & Fries Continues to Amaze!

Even Better Than We First Thought!

As we posted here, in the Search for the Best Crispy Fried Tacos in South Sacramento, Taco Fresco Burgers & Fries - on Florin Road just east of Power Inn Road - took the early lead.  Their crispy fried fish and shrimp tacos, with freshly made corn tortillas (you can watch them make them!), and then fried until puffy, with delicate fish or shrimp, and their own sauce, set the high standards for deliciousness and freshness.  I just haven't found any tacos like this anywhere else in Sac Town.

But we put those tacos in their own category - fish and shrimp - tacos, because that's how they are listed on the menu at Taco Fresco.  In other words, the other tacos at Taco Fresco, with carnitas, beef, and chicken, are offered on the menu with the soft - non-fried - corn tortilla.

We returned to Taco Fresco the other day to verify our belief, and to our pleasant surprise, we discovered that we were wrong.  So to clarify:  The amazing crispy fried tacos at Taco Fresco Burgers & Fries are available with any filling they have, such as fish, shrimp, as well as beef, pork, and chicken!   All you have to do is ask.  People, these tacos are incredible.  For one thing, where else do they make their own corn tortillas?  Why there isn't a line out the door here is beyond me.

Here's some pics of their fluffy fried tacos, one with carnitas and the other with chicken.  Note the generous servings of cheese.

It gets even better.  As you can see, we also ordered a torta with carnitas, and  . . .

Our minds and taste buds were completely blown.  It was delicious!  The bun and carnitas by themselves would have been tasty and filling, but as you can see, the torta also has fresh avocado, jalapeno, lettuce, and tomato.  I think I would rather get one of these than a sandwich at Togos, or Subway - and I do love my Subway tuna fish sandwich on Fridays.  But check out this offering from Taco Fresco:

Size comparison.  Two tacos and one torta (cut in half).  This hearty sandwich will fill you up.

Taco Fresco also has a pick-up window for telephone orders.

In our search for the best crispy fried tacos in South Sac, Taco Fresco Burgers and Fries is the clear front runner.  But we are ditching the larger chain restaurants to investigate the smaller establishments like Taco Fresco.  We suspect there are other taquerias out there in South Sac that will pleasantly surprise us.  And we are determined to find them!

There is so much delicious food down in here in South Sac, thanks to this region's diversity, that we are in awe.  

Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill - No Crispy Fried Tacos

Not a Contender for Best Crispy Tacos

South Sac Blog's search for the best crispy fried tacos in South Sacramento continued yesterday at Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill.  Alas, Rubio's is not even a contender, because they don't offer crispy fried tacos.

As I blogged here, when I was growing up, my mother, who was Mexican-American, made tacos by wrapping the filling in a soft corn taco and then frying it in a skillet. That's how her mother made them. When prepared properly, the corn tortilla is slightly crispy, but not anything like the dreadful hard shell taco sold in boxes.  Because it was soft, the tortilla absorbs the juices and flavors of the seasoned meat filling and oil, making it moist and soft inside - and muy delicioso!

The problem is that although I have lived here in South Sac for 13 years now, I had not stumbled upon an establishment that sells those delicious crispy fried tacos like my dear mother used to make. So we have devoted the resources of South Sac Blog to identify any local restaurants and taquerias that do prepare them that way.

Rubio's is famous for its fish tacos so we were anxious to see if crispy fried tacos were also on the menu.  We went to the Rubio's in South Sacramento, on Bruceville.  It's right behind the Target.




We strolled to the counter and inquired about Rubio's tacos.  No, we were told, there are no crispy fried tacos made there.  But something called the "'Grilled Gourmet Taco' has toasted cheese, and offers a bit of crunch, so why not try that?"  I agreed and ordered the two taco plate (comes with rice and beans), with my second taco being the "Classic Taco" for comparison.  South Sac crew members ordered various soft tortilla fish tacos.

The lunch crowd was there consisting of professional types from the nearby medical offices.  The atmosphere was pleasant and welcoming.  We found some empty tables and waited for our orders.

Here's my taco plate:

The Grilled Gourmet Taco offers a blend of mozzarella, Monterey jack, and white cheddar heated directly on a hot flat grill until it’s melted and toasted.  This cheese mixture is then layed on a warm, stone-ground corn tortilla to create the foundation for the rest of the taco.  The filling has your choice of meat, bacon, avocado, cilantry, onion and two chile sauces.  I wish the grilled cheese bed had been a little thicker.  I thought the chile sauces tended to drown out the flavors of the other items.

The Classic Taco has fresh guacamole, cheese, salsa fresca, lettuce, and is drizzled with chipotle sauce.

Quite honestly, I thought my tacos were okay.

I didn't care much for the large drizzling of sauce.  I thought it made the tacos too wet and runny.  I had terrible heartburn an hour later and I suspect it came from the chipotle sauce.  But everyone is different and your tummies may vary.  I left disappointed, because I'm searching for a taco prepared in a particular way, and didn't find one.  However . . .

I must emphasize that my reaction is not a reflection on the other items on Rubio's menu.  There are seafood tacos which crew members raved about.  It's obvious Rubio's has made an effort to infuse its seafood offerings with rich flavors.  The fish and shrimp have a nice seared exterior with delicate interior.  The fish tacos come with traditional cabbage or slaw on top, and are made with Mahi Mahi, Tilapia, or Salmon.    

Also on the Rubio's menu are seafood burritos, regular burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, and other items.  The Rubio's down on Bruceville offers a pleasant place to sit down and enjoy lunch or dinner. We didn't see any unhappy faces.  I would stick to their famous fish tacos if I returned.

So there it is.  In our search for the best fried crispy fried tacos in South Sac, the amazing Taco Fresco Burgers & Fries holds on to its early lead.

We're going to venture back into the wonderfully diverse heart of South Sac for our next review.

Chando's Doesn't Sell Crispy Fried Tacos - the Search Continues!

South Sac Blog has been searching for the best crispy fried tacos in South Sacramento.  We've been to Super Taco, Taco Fresco Burgers & Fries, and we even strayed into Elk Grove to check out Flakos and Chevys.  Today we resumed our search here in South Sac to see what Chando's Tacos on Power Inn offers.  Concerning crispy fried tacos, the answer is: nothing.  But don't let that discourage you from going to Chando's for their delicious street-style tacos and other items.

When I was growing up, my dear Mother, who was Mexican-American, made tacos by stuffing the corn tortilla with the filling and then frying the entire thing in a skillet.  The tortilla was crispy on the outside, but a little soft on the inside having soaked up the juices from the meat.  Yes, it may have been just a little oily, but that only added to the incredible flavor.  The sad thing is that I have not been able to find any crispy tacos like that sold in restaurants or taquerias.  Well, except for one place.  Cactus Taqueria down in Berkeley offers incredible crispy fried tacos that sets the standard.  My mission is to find similar tacos here in South Sac.

Taco Fresco Burgers & Fries took the early lead in my search with its crispy shrimp and fish tacos.  They actually make their own corn tortillas fresh and fry them just for you.  Their tortillas puff up a little when fried and are simply amazing.  I'm not even sure if Cactus Taqueria makes its own tortillas!

Enough small talk.  Chando's certainly makes the best filling for its tacos than any place I have sampled so far in South Sac.  You can read about the different meat fillings here, and Chando's history here.  When we were there they were grilling the meat outside.

Here's my three tacos below with chicken, carnitas, and carne asada; all with cilantro, onions, and salsa:

But those are in their soft corn tortillas - not fried.  And since I m searching for crispy fried tacos, there's no point in going further.  I did order a tostada just to fill my crunch craving.  I had the carne asada and you can see they don't skimp on the meat:

Yes, we got the delicious super nachos, too:

The nice thing about the super nachos is that the meat and cheese is layered between different rows of chips, not just all dumped on top. 

Anyway, Chando's isn't in the running for the best cripsy fried taco in South Sac.  So the search continues.  Where to go next?