I have previously enjoyed the food at the Melted food cart, and a couple of years ago, the owner opened Taco Local on Willy Street.
Of course, you’re going to encounter a robust selection of street tacos on the menu here. Each order comes with three tacos and esquites (Mexican street corn), and you can convert the tacos into a bowl with rice and beans for an additional $3.
My first choice was the seared steak tacos ($16). You get a generous portion of the cubed prime ribeye, which I wish was cut into smaller pieces to more easily fit on the street-sized tortillas. They’re topped with house-made crema, which was subtler than most sour creams, as well as onion and cilantro. I should have ordered some salsa for these tacos, as they were fairly bland.
The accompanying esquites were fresh and tasty. The corn is mixed with green onion and chives and is not drowning in mayo like so many other versions of this dish.
Other tacos include the adobo mushroom and kale ($13), jerk sweet potato and zucchini ($11) and tequila lime chicken ($13).
From the dinner menu, I tried the lamb birria tacos ($18). First, let’s discuss the birria sauce. It’s got the right consistency between broth and sauce, and it’s not too salty with a good tomato/beefy flavor. Combine that with the delicious lamb, which was tender and not gamy, and you’ve got yourself one heck of a taco plate (though mine was missing the queso quesadilla cheese).
The pozole ($4 cup, $8 bowl) is a really nice way to begin your meal. It’s hearty as it’s filled with stewed pork, hominy, radishes and pickled red onion, and the chili broth has a bit of a smoky flavor. Other starters include ceviche made with wild Alaskan halibut ($17) and nachos topped with queso, pico de gallo and guacasaca ($10).
For breakfast, I ordered the chorizo hash ($10), which unfortunately is no longer on the menu. The hash is very tender, from the over-easy egg to the avocado to the soft (not crispy) diced potatoes. As a result, I was craving a slice of toast or a baguette to go with this dish. The crumbles of sausage were tasty, though much milder than I expected. Next time, I’ll get the chilaquiles ($9).
Taco Local is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner Tuesday-Sunday.
