Pasco Taco Crawl 2017

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. 

Rice Wok

Rice Wok is located at 1468 N State Street Orem, UT

Staff was busy cooking, taking phone orders, and orders at the counter so it seems a bit slow and they didn't really acknowledge you till you were ordering but service wasn't bad by any means. I would reccomend phoning your order in ahead of time if you are in a rush.


I ordered the appetizer sampler and Pork Lo mein combination plate.


The sample comes with 2 of each appetizer (except the bbq pork so 5 types) for 6.99. It also includes four dipping sauces; a great option for someone who wants to try it all. 4/5 were fried but it didn't feel greasy. It wasn't a tempura on the shrimp, more of a bread type batter but it was well seasoned. The egg roll, potstickers, and cheese wonton were all good but nothing extraordinary. The paper wrapped chicken however was interesting. It seems like chopped chicken seasoned with a soy based sauce then wrapped in tinfoil and pressed into a little triangle then cooked. It was moist and flavorful but an odd (though not unpleasant) texture.

As for the pork lo mein. It was good but not super flavorful and the pork was a bit tough. A good amount of vegetables though.

Spicy Thai

Spicy Thai is located at 3230 N University Ave, Provo, Ut


I ordered Beef Pad Thai and Thom Ka soup.

Staff was friendly and my to go order came fairly quickly.

A cup of soup is 2.99 and the pad thai was 8.79. You can customize your spice level and since i am a wimp I asked for no spicy. None. Unfortunely that apparently menat no flavor to them. I have had pad thai other places where even without the heat the flavor was strong. Not so here. I hope their spicy dishes have more flavor.

Luckily the Thom Ka was delicious. Good chunks of vegetable and slices of tender chicken and a coconut based broth that is well flavored and immensely satisfying. I wish I had skipped the pad thai and gone for a bowl of that instead.

Pad Thai

I love Pad Thai. It is one of my favorite dishes to get at almost any restaurant. I recently got it at this little restaurant Rice and Noodles at 3315 Court Street in Pasco. The owner treats you like family and the food is delicious. This is my attempt to recreate restaurant quality Pad Thai at home. You can use any kind of thin sliced meat or even shrimp or more veggies to make this. I found all the ingredients for a pretty reasonable price at my local Asian Market. Beware though, as you simmer the sauce, it smells really powerful and not necessarily pleasant. But, by the end, everything comes together to taste fabulous.

Sauce:

• ·         1 cup tamarind paste
• ·         1 cup palm sugar
• ·         3 tbs fish sauce
• ·         3 tbs shrimp paste

Simmer ingredients together on medium-low in a pot for 1 hour, stirring often.

• ·         ½ carton mushrooms- sliced thinly into matchstick sized pieces
• ·         ½ onion diced into small pieces
• ·         White parts of 1 bunch of green onions dices into small pieces

Sauté these ingredients in a large pan or wok over medium heat with 1 Tbs oil till starting to brown. Remove from the pan and reserve. Add 1 more TBS oil to the pan.

• ·         2 large chicken breasts sliced thinly across the grain
• ·         2 TBS corn starch
• ·         2 TBS soy sauce

Mix these ingredients together in a bowl then put in the pan over medium heat until the meat starts to brown. Add back in the cooked veggies.   

• ·         1 package of thick rice noodles prepared according to directions on the box and drained

Then add in the cooked noodles and sauce and stir quickly to mix everything together.  

• ·         3 eggs

Push all the mixture in the pan to the side and crack in the three eggs. Let them start to cook then place the pasta mixture over the top. After about a minute, start stirring. Until the egg is just cooked.

·         Green parts of the bunch of green onions diced into small pieces

·         1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
·         1 cup of chopped bean sprouts

Add in these final ingredients and stir until everything is warm through. 

Serve and top with the following.

• ·         ½ cup of crushed salted peanuts
• ·         1 lime cut into wedges

Kalispell Trip

I recently went back to where I attended high school for an awesome week of fun and food. Hello again to the beautiful Kalispell Montana. Here are a few of the food highlights from my trip.

Montana Coffee Traders

328 W Center Street

Kalispell, MT 59901

$5 Bowl Lobster Bisque: This item is a special that is not always available, but it is well worth checking in for. It has a lovely flavor with large chunks of lobster throughout. I would definitely order this again. Look forward to a coming post with my version of lobster bisque.

$8 Trader’s Traditional Breakfast with Bacon: The traditional breakfast comes with two eggs cooked any style, hash browns, two triangles of buttered toast, a small section of fruit and the optional meat. In my case I chose bacon but ham and sausage were other options. The eggs were cooked exactly the way I ordered (over easy) and the hash browns were nice if a little underwhelming. The bacon was cooked perfectly though. It was a good thick sliced bacon that was crispy and delicious. Overall, a filling breakfast that was a better choice than many national chains for both flavor and price, but nothing incredibly special.

Midori

2835 Hwy 93 N

Kalispell, MT 59901

$10 Teriyaki Beef lunch special: It was a nice dish that included a cup of miso soup, a small salad, and the main dish with teriyaki beef, white sticky rice, and tempura veggies. The veggies were good and I liked the batter but they tasted a little oily. They didn’t feel oily but there was an oil flavor to them. The miso was a touch bland but still good. The salad had a great strong flavor but was slightly overdressed so it ended up a little overpowering. The rice and meat were cooked well and the sauce was just right, not too sweet.

Alley Connection

22 1st St W,

Kalispell, Mt 59901

$3 Wonton Soup: This soup comes with pork, and fried and boiled wontons in a nice broth. The broth was just a touch bland but with a tiny bit of soy sauce added it was really good. The bowl is actually quite filling for the size.

I have eaten other dishes at Alley Connection in the past and enjoyed them as well.

Bullman’s

175 Hutton Ranch Road # 107

Kalispell, MT 59901

$19 Large Bitterroot Pizza with Prosciutto: This is a thin crust pizza cooked in a wood fire oven. It has an olive oil and sea salt base with mozzarella cheese, pistachios, red onions and rosemary. On its own it is delicious, but adding prosciutto takes it to another level. This is a pizza that I crave and I have yet to find a similar one elsewhere. Look forward to my version of this pizza coming up in a future post.

$7 Cheese Sticks: The cheese sticks are a simple pizza crust with tons of seasoned cheese cooked in the wood-fire oven. Delicious, I order it every time.