Talkin' Tacos - Food Review
When it comes to the South-western United States, nothing screams American food like tacos.  No, really! 

Historically speaking this little bundle of food joy originated from Mexico, but its charm and good looks helped it to quickly jump the border, and was enthusiastically adopted by Americans. 

Now in its new home, the taco has been reinvented.  Traditional toppings were changed, discarded, or updated, and things like shrimp tacos and choco-tacos were born. 

In fact, the taco is so widely venerated by Americans that it has its own unofficial weekly holiday—Taco Tuesday.  (A wondrous day where many cantinas offer spectacular deals like $1 tacos!)

Few cities take their tacos more seriously than in my hometown of Phoenix, Arizona.  Our annual two day Taco Festival is a smorgasbord of the best and most creative tacos in the region.  This year boasted 45 different food and drink vendors!

Needless to say, it was a challenge even for this taco connoisseur to try everything.  But here is a list of just a few of the best tacos, in my humble opinion, that are worth trying if you’re in town:

Dos Gringos

With the motto, “It’s not just a taco joint, it’s a lifestyle,” Dos Gringos dishes out the kind of greasy delight you crave after a night out!  (Uni students will know what I’m talking about!) 

Taco 1: Pork Green Chile 
  • Served on a soft flour tortilla, shredded pork meets salsa verde with green cabbage and cilantro 
  • Flavour: Zesty with nice balance between meat and salsa
  • Spice level: mild—spice virgins will feel a small nip on their palates as if the chillies are playing peek-a-boo
  • Manageability: excellent handheld size—you can fit one in each hand no problemo! 

Taco 2: Pull Chicken with Chorizo 

  • Also served on a flour tortilla, the shredded chicken is not something you get everywhere—definitely worth trying just for that
  • Flavour: three distinct layers of flavour—the chicken overpowered the chorizo, but still satisfying blend between juicy meat and crunchy cabbage
  • Spice level: mild—this one is a fraction of a degree spicier than its counter part, but the heat easily quenched with a sip of cerveza
  • Manageability: same awesome handheld size as pork; in fact you can have one for each hand!  

Taco Pirates

Run by Chef Karsten Hartig and team, they swept the competition last year like Captain Jack Sparrow.  No one expected this private chef team to be so amazing! This year they already took home the title of Grand Champion on the first day of the festival! 

Taco 1: Grilled Chicken with Mandarin Oranges, salsa, and cabbage
  • Soft flour tortilla, chicken grilled to tender perfection and topped with juicy mandarin oranges
  • Flavour: The mandarin oranges gave this taco an almost tropical flavour that was almost like mango salsa; the sweet and spicy makes this one finger lickin’ delicious
  • Spice level: mild—more sweet than spicy; this taco will transport you to the Mexican Riviera 
  • Manageability:  street taco sized, easy to hold in one hand, and easier to eat!

Taco 2: Pulled Pork with Red Salsa and Onions

  • Soft flour tortilla, pulled pork with red salsa (a different take on the typical green salsa variety), generously topped with onions and cilantro 
  • Flavour: Clearly red salsa is just as good as green when it comes to pork tacos.  The lack of cabbage works really well as the onions provide a good “crunchabilty” factor.  Excellent balance of salsa to meat ratio.  
  • Spice level: mild/medium—this taco takes it up a notch.  The spiciness sits longer on the tongue and provides an authentic Mexican heat.  Om nom nom! 
  • Manageability: same size and “eatability” as the chicken taco.  Open wide! 

Milagro Grill

Reigning 2012 champions, Milagros came back with a vengeance this year!  This family owned and operated restaurant has over 60 years experience of serving up mouth-watering Mexican cuisine in the Phoenix Valley

Taco 1: Grilled Beef with Cabbage and Jalapeños and mystery sauce

  • Elegantly presented on a soft flour tortilla, this taco was like biting into the magical mystery tour.  With a seemingly secret recipe that was a delight to all the senses.
  • Flavour: complex and multi-layered, the flavours were zesty but sweet.  The meat was marinated in an almost mole-tasting sauce.  Beyond tender, the beef melted in your mouth.  Lightly sprinkled with almost micro “strings” of cabbage, white cheese, and red and green jalapeños—a lot happening here! 
  • Spice level: medium—the spice is hidden under the sweet flavour of the mole-esque sauce.  For spice virgins, it might come as a surprise, so keep your beers handy! 
  • Manageability: palm-sized for maximum hand-to-mouth leverage

Taco 2: Grilled Pork with Jalapeños and Cabbage  

  • Soft flour tortilla generously topped with chunks of marinated pork.  Similar in taste with the beef taco, and cooked to perfection
  • Flavour: Like the beef, the pork taco seemed to have the same sweet-mole flavour, but with a hint of chipotle.  The meat was dark and tender, and it melted like chocolate on the tongue
  • Spice level: mild/medium—the spice here is noticeable for those with sensitive palates, but it is just the right amount 
  • Manageability: same delicious size as the beef taco 

The Herb Box


A restaurant and superb catering joint, the Herb Box supplied the best vegetarian taco I’ve ever had—hands down!  They are on my list of must visit restaurants—and you should try them too!

Taco 1: Sweet potato taco

  • Grilled red onions and a zesty corn-salsa complimented the lightly charred sweet potato taco on a flour tortilla
  • Flavour: A taco from heaven!  This little beauty is jam packed with sweet and spicy flavours that are divinely inspired, and a personal favourite.  Sweet tangy notes from the red onions were complimented by the crunchy corn salsa.  And the sweet potatoes were so delectable that I didn’t even miss the meat!  
  • Spice level: mild—there was more sweet than spicy in this taco
  • Manageability: hand-sized taco, wrapped in tin-foil makes this the most easily portable taco out there.  A definite plus for the mobile eater!   

Of course there were many, many more, but not all made my list of best tacos. But I would hands down recommend The Herb Box’s sweet potato taco, and Milagro Grill’s beef taco with mole-secret-sauce.  Be sure to try both these places for tacos like no other! 

Arizona is a place like no other when it comes to tacos!  See the other delicious contestants here.
Originally published on TigrisIgnis October 20, 2014