Pasco's TACO CRAWL 2017 is a great fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club and a promotion for the local taco joints. You purchase a booklet of tickets for 20 different taco joints and you have two weeks to try as many as you can (1 taco per restaurant) and vote on your favorite. Each taco place gets a small reimbursement for each taco and the rest of the money goes to Boys and Girls club. Since it is my first year and I haven't been to many places yet I decided to compare them all on carne asada tacos. Maybe next year I will branch out and try adobada, shrimp, carnitas and some of the other delicious options. Until then, here are my thoughts on 20 taco places near downtown Pasco.
A: Willy's Mexican Restaurant
1315 E Lewis St
Carne Asada Taco
Score: 32/40
Employees were very friendly and my taco was ready very quickly.There is a little condiment bar with salsas , lime, radish and a cilantro/onion mixture available near the register.Taco filling could use a little more seasoning, the tortillas were fine but nothing special. All in all I need a little more flavor but it wasn't a bad taco. it came with cilantro, onion, and a little cabbage/lettuce on top.
B: Taqueria Mexico
404 W Lewis St
Carne Asada Taco
Score: 30/40
I am not impressed with this place. It was empty with extremely loud music playing and it took a while to get my food. The meat was greasy and chewy, and the seasonings were odd, not bad, just odd. All in all I wouldn't go back.
C: Fiesta Foods
115 S 10th Ave
Carne Asada Taco
Score: 22/40
While the tortilla was fine and they gave you some fried onion on the side, everything else about this taco is unpleasant. The meat is not very well seasoned and it has a slightly odd flavor too it. Plus it was extremely greasy but the meat was very dry. The meat sits in the grease in a warming pan and they cook the tortillas fresh for you and scoop some on. So that's probably how it gets dry and greasy at the same time.
D: Carniceria La Barrata
214 N 4th Ave
Carne Asada Taco
Score: 26/40
Go in the store and head to the back. It took a little longer than I expected for my taco even though I was the only one there but it still wasn't long. I asked for no salsa but they still put some on top. There toppings included some red cabbage, cilantro, and onion. The meat itself was fine but not the best seasoning but with the salsa I couldn't taste the meat. Mostly, the toppings were what disappointed me.
E: La Fama
1501 W Sylvester St
Carne Asada Taco
Score: 31/40
My favorite part about this place is the condiment bar. They had onions, peppers, cilantro, lime, crema, and cheese. The meat was a little under seasoned and they put a lot of lettuce on top and a slice of tomato which I don't like on my street tacos.
F: Taqueria El Sazon
2226 W Court Street
Carne Asada Taco
Score: 36/40
The whole process from order to eat was fairly quick. I liked their condiment bar. The meat was not the best I've had but it did have good seasoning. The only criticism are that the tortilla could have cooked a little longer and I would have preferred a little more cilantro and less onion on top. All in all a great taco.
G: Tacos Palomino Corp
1515 N 4th Ave
Carne Asada Taco
Score: 29/40
They were extremely fast to serve the taco but the taco was a little under seasoned, the tortilla was a little underdone, and they had too much lettuce on it for my taste. Overall, acceptable but not fantastic.
H: El Charrito
130 N 10th Ave
Beef Cheek Taco
Score: 30/40
I decided to change things up for this taco and get a beef cheek taco instead of carne asada. The meat was falling part tender and very juicy. However there was a little too much moisture and the taco got soggy. Also, there was something on there that was just a little bitter and a little too much fat in the meat. But the flavor was great.
I: Junior's Tacos
530 W Court Street
Carne Asada Taco
Score: 34/40
Here too I was in and out really quickly. They have a great condiment/salsa bar available with lots of options. They asked me if I wanted lettuce or cabbage (no thank you) and everything else was available at the bar. The tortilla was a single fluffy tortilla which I enjoyed. The meat was just barely under seasoned and a little greasy but still moist.
J: Lara's tacos
620 N 28th Street
Carne Asada Taco
Score: 31/40
Long story short, this taco is bland. Sure, I don't want it spicy with salsa on top but the meat should still have some flavor. it was just a boring bland taco that needed salsa and toppings to make it okay.
K: El Paraiso
913 W lewis Street
Carne Asada Taco
Score: 37/40
This was a great taco. There was little too much lettuce on it but it was easy to pick off. Underneath, the tortilla was cooked well, the meat was moist, plentiful and very flavorful, and the cilantro and onion were the right proportions. I could taste seasoning and the flavor of the beef itself. Overall it was a great taco and if I asked for no lettuce it would probably be one of the best ones I've had ever. As a bonus, when they saw me checking out the menu for all the drinks/snow cone they have, they gave me a free sample of the strawberry coconut snow cone which was amazing.
L: Nuevo Amanecer
1411 N 4th Ave
Carne Asada Taco
Score: 31/40
I had high hopes for this one because they have a 24 hour drive through window. but then it took way longer than I expected to get my taco. When I opened up my wrapped up plate I was excited to see some sauteed onion and jalapeno on the side. The taco also had plenty of onion and cilantro. While the first bite was good (meat was a little dry), the heat just kept building and it ended up too much more me. I know I am a wimp when it comes to spicy but I think without additional salsas it shouldn't be that hot.
M: Los Pinos
1504 W Lewis St
Carne Asada Taco
Score: 31/40
Even after taking off most of the lettuce on this taco, the main flavor I tasted was lettuce. The little I could taste of other flavors was nice though.
N: Supermex
720 N 20th
Carne Asada Taco
Score: 36/40
There was a line at this restaurant inside the store so it took a little while to get my taco. The meat was well seasoned, great toppings (cilantro, onion, radish and lime with salsas available) and the tortillas were just crisped but not crunchy. the only downfall is that the meat was greasy and dripped oil a little. Otherwise-delicious.
O: Tacos la Esperanza
1315 N 4th Ave
Carne Asada Taco
Score: 37/40
This was last year's Taco Crawl Winner and it is easy to see why. The meat is seasoned well and moist (just a tiny bit greasier than I like. It comes with cilantro, onion and some cabbage slaw on top. Usually having the slaw on top would be a mark against it but they put just enough on for texture and complexity of flavor but not enough to overpower the meat like happens most of the time I eat a taco with lettuce/cabbage. They also put a few slices of avocado on top which was a great surprise. I love avocado. The tortilla has some crisp on it as well-almost too much but they pulled it off just in time to be delicious and crisp but not crunchy and overdone. Finally, they include some of the delicious fried onion and jalapeno on the side that I am really enjoying. The taco itself is really no better or worse than any of the other top contenders but the additional side and topping and the restraint on the amount of cabbage push it just ahead of the others.
P: Taqueria El Tacoyote
1623 W Lewis St
Carne Asada Taco
Score: 35/40
This taco is definitely a top contender. the meat is moist and flavorful and they top with onion and cilantro which I like. Pork rinds are offered as a tasty snack while you wait as well. The only issues are that the seasoning on the meat is a little different than I am used to- not bad but I prefer what I have had other places, and I think the tortilla could use a little more crisp.
Q: Tacos Tiscareno
1214 N 4th Ave
Carne Asada Taco
Score: 32/40
This was a decent taco, the meat had a nice seasoning, there was a little to omuch slaw on top but not bad. The tortilla could use a little mroe time on the heat. But it was a solid taco I wouldn't mid eating aggain. Nothing special but not bad either.
R: Mi Lindo Nayarit
1315 N 4th Ave
Carne Asada Taco
Score: 31/40
I didn't expect to be seated and given water, chips, and salsa for a single free taco but that was nice if a little awkward. The meat was not dry but not very moist either and a little under seasoned. There didn't seem to be as much either as the single regular tortilla seemed too much for the amount of filling. It was nicely topped with red onion and cilantro though.
S: El Antojito
1915 W Court St
Carne Asada Taco
Score: 33/40
Unlike many of the other places, this restaurant didn't have a menu board-but actual menus. It is a sit down place- through they do to go as well. The taco came with lettuce, onion and cilantro and a lime (which was too dry to squeeze). Mostly I tasted lettuce on my first bite. But after I took the lettuce off, the meat was a little under seasoned. The best part about this taco was the tortilla. They didn't do the classic two tortillas with the street taco but one slightly fluffier tortilla. That was great.
T: Donita's Tacos
316 N 20th Ave
Carne Asada Taco
Score: /40
Once again, too much lettuce ruins a taco. Okay, not ruins, but it does overpower the flavor of the meat a bit. I don't want to taste mainly lettuce when I eat a taco. The seasoning on the meat was fine, and the meat wasn't dry. Without the lettuce this is a fine taco.
