Leave the Taco . . .Have a Beer

Final post about Phoenix . . .

Since I was in the Southwest, I wanted to get a sense of the local flavor so I searched for a good Mexican food restaurant. Before I start, I need to provide a disclaimer that I am very picky about my Mexican food, every restaurant needs to live up to a very high standard when it comes to authenticity and flavor. Simply said it needs to be close to my grandmother’s cooking or it is not acceptable.

I went on a recommendation, from a fellow co-worker, to Tee Pee, 4144 E Indian School Rd, Phoenix, AZ. Tee Pee is very old school Americanized Mexican food restaurant, with a large full service bar, televisions that blare the baseball game and large portions of food.

A mixed crowd of trades people to men in suits flowed in for my lunch time visit. A couple of businessmen bellied up to the bar to have a shot of Patrone before heading back to work and the full bar hand plenty of drinkers for the mid-week afternoon drink. Tee Pee offers mini pitchers of draft beer for patrons looking to have a little more than a 12 ounce beer. Drinks in the bar were reasonable $3-$4 for beer and $3-$6 for a mixed drink.

The place was packed for lunch and you may have to wait for a table if you get there during the lunch or dinner rush. I understand that a crowd is very common. The dinning area is very Spartan with a bunch of tables and some booths crammed together. This is not a fine dinning experience; it is noisy and has a bustling pace.

I soon as sat down the server had chips and salsa on the bar. The salsa was well balanced and had great flavor. I was really encouraged by the initial offering. I then ordered a Number 1 (Taco, Tamale, Enchilada, Rice & Beans — 10.50), to get a variety of items and test them out.

So with anticipation, I wait for the food to come out, but I soon as I saw the dish I knew I was in trouble when I saw the plate covered in cheese and the taco overfilled with lettuce. The taco shell just could not handle the weight of everything stuffed inside and as soon as picked it up in began to crumble. The enchilada was okay, something I would have again, but the sauce lacked any punch and it is the sauce that makes a good enchiladas, and this missed the mark. The tamale was dry and lacked any real flavor. Overall the plate was below average.

Overall the experience was very average; this is gringo food nothing more and not worth a special trip. I truly wished I would have found a better representation of the true local Mexican food flavor in an area filled with tradition. Next time I will have to do a little more searching to find a more authentic dining experience. I did like the bar and the drink prices, would definitely hang out to watch a game, have a beer and some chip and salsa.

www.teepeemexicanfood.com

Tee Pee Mexican Food
4144 E Indian School Rd
Phoenix, AZ
(602) 956-0178

More Tacos

Taqueria Ramiro and Sons

A couple of Fridays ago, I wrote about San Francisco’s Mission District and the search for the perfect taco and I though it only fitting to give a plug to couple of my local Alameda Taquerias. These are no Taco Bells or sitdown Mexican restaurants; these are quick in-an-out places that serve fresh, quality food. So if you visit this little Island, I have two places for you to grab a taco and/or burrito.

Best Taco – Calaifa Taqueria at 1445 Webster Street

These are best tacos in town. A corn tortilla, perfectly seasoned grilled steak or chicken, a little onion, cilantro and salsa. Two tacos and a beer and this is a perfect meal. The place is small, but always clean, with about eight tables inside and two outside. A salsa bar an assortment heat levels to spice up your order or dip in the free chips. The owner’s son is a huge soccer fan and there is almost always a game on the TV. The tacos are fantastic but if you are not in the mood try the tamales. Three pork or chicken tamales for $5.00 and you won't be disappointed. On Tuesday afternoons, you can go to the farmers market in the parking lot next door and then head over to grab a taco.

Best Burrito – Taqueria Ramiro and Sons at 2321 Alameda Ave at Park Street

A taqueria has been in this location since 1982, before the big ass burrito was a staple for college students, and the staff works the steaming quick and efficiently. Ramiro took over a few years after the initial shop opened and with the change in ownership it has been an Alameda institution since it rolled its first tortilla into a burrito. The Super Burrito will tame the hungriest person and must way close to two pounds. If you are picky about Beans, Ramiro offers refried, whole and black unlike other locations in town. Ramiro is known in the area for their Carnitas and people will travel from neighboring cities just to get their fix. They chop up the fried pork in front of you and drop a heaping mound into you tortilla. You want to reach over and grab a piece; the meat cleaver keeps all hand at bay. My staple is the carne asada, just because the carnitas is way over the top. Not a big fan of the chicken, boiled. If you have a small appetite, try the child’s burrito it is a good option when you are not looking to blow out your stomach. If you are not in the mood for a burrito, can’t believe that, try the super quesadilla. The place can get flooded when the High School, half a block away, is in session, avoid the place from 12:15 to 12:40. They have four or five tables, not a great place to sit and eat, but the burrito is worth the stop.

La vida en la Misión: Tacos, Cerveza and much more

24th Street at Mission

As promised, I headed to San Francisco's Mission District yesterday. I took BART to the 24th street exit and planned to work my way back to 16th street, searching for some great hangout and good tacos. The visit to the Mission was very fruitful.

When you exit the BART station towards the eastern side, you come up from the underground station to a plaza. Walk through the plaza and on 24th Street you will find two good stops. Even if you don’t venture far from the station you can find five taquerias and one good waterhole. Carlos’ Bar, Taqueria El Taco Loco, Taqueria El Farolito, Taqueria San Jose are within a hundred yards.

Carlos’ Bar is a true neighborhood bar. Regulars bring in food from the local neighborhood restaurants, Tejano music blares from the jukebox and there is a pool table. The long bar can accommodate a big crowd. If you are into oil paintings of bare breasted women, this is a definite stop. Carlos’ boast four, very large paintings, of Romanesque women draped with very little and breast in full view as they hang throughout the bar. A beer cost $4.

I tried tacos at both El Farolito and El Taco Loco. Farolito has a line that goes out the door. It has a full taqueria menu and serves beer. The taco was $2.25 and the the Mexican Beer was $3. The Taco was a solid B. Good tortilla, the steak was seasoned well, but the meat quality was a bit on the cheap side. El Taco Loco fared on the C side, by my grading standards. There are much better places in the neighborhood, so I would skip it.

As you walk down Mission, you can see a neighborhood that once must have been a thriving district. I counted four, former large movie theaters that are now dilapidated and following apart. The street is full of shops, low cost shopping and place to eat on the cheap. There are two nice dining stops on the street, Foreign Cinema and Cha Cha Cha. I have eaten at both in the past, but this was not part of the excursion.

The street has some of the best little Mexican bakeries. If you have a sweet tooth, stop into any of them. I stopped at Acaxutla, they have these large cookies for a quarter. I did not know you could still by anything for a quarter. The cookies are perfect for a cup of coffee.

The final stop on this trip was Taqueria Pancho Villa on 16th Street. This is the cleanest and brightest place in the neighborhood. The food is excellent and the salsa bar is bursting with incredible flavors. Pancho Villas boast their wins from the State fair in the Salsa Division on the wall. I had the grilled Chicken Taco $2.44 w/tax included. A boast that they definitely backup. For more local flavor, head next door to El Tin Tan for a drink. The Mission is a great place to spend an afternoon.

There is so much to take in and to experience. I covered very little ground, after several hours, and still have Valencia from 16th to 24th Street to write about. Well another afternoon.

Weekend Planning

With the long weekend approaching, for some myself included, I like to stay away from driving anywhere and find a bunch of small things to do in one neighborhood. I do like to dive into neighborhoods and see what I can find: from the classic neighborhood bar complete with bartender/local historian, cheap eats and cultural happenings.

This weekend I am going to try and hit two neighborhoods the Mission and probably the Richmond District, not locked into the Richmond. The Mission is a must, I am still in search of the perfect street taco. I love tacos and burritos. Growing-up in a house where my abuela, would make the best chicken mole and homemade tortillas. So, I am a bit of a snob when it comes to tacos and especially tamales.

The Mission between 16th and 24th gives you a ton of options, so tomorrow will be a quest to find another great place to eat, plus it gives me more to write about here.

Heading to the Cal Men's Basketball game tonight, so more about the Mission on late Friday or Saturday.

Salute