Beaumont taco guide
If there is one food that best represents Beaumont’s population and culinary scene, I can think of no better food than the humble taco.
Consider the anchors of our local dining scene: Mexican, Tex-Mex, Cajun and seafood. Vietnamese cuisine obviously factors in, to a lesser extent, but the harsh truth is that Mexican and Tex-Mex eateries dominate our local culinary offerings.
That said, there is some taco trickery afoot, and it’s time we establish some rules about just what a taco is — and what it isn’t.
1. If you order a taco and the server’s first question is “Soft or hard?” you’re in the wrong place.
The only appropriate question upon ordering a taco is, “Corn or flour?” in reference to the soft, preferably in-house-made tortillas your taco fillings will be delivered in.
2. Tacos are, by their very nature, inexpensive. Last week, a reader tip sent me to an obscenely popular Tex-Mex eatery in the West End. When I looked at the menu, I was immediately taken aback by their taco price-point: $15 for two beef tacos al carbon.
Unless those tacos are topped in foie gras and drizzled in virgin’s blood, there’s little that could justify a price tag of $7.50 per taco. Never forget that you can get a delicious, authentic taco in the Avenues for $1.25 a pop, covered in all the fresh pico de gallo, guacamole, cilantro and hot sauce your little heart desires, at no extra cost.
3. Anything can go in a taco. If the only options on the menu are “beef” and “chicken,” you might be in the wrong place.
On our Beaumont taco adventure, we had everything from pork skin in green sauce to a glorious chicken mole and beef tripe taco. (Mole is a traditional, sometimes chocolate-based Mexican sauce, and tripe is chewy but oh-so rich cow stomach)
If you’re ready to put the hard-shell taco down and get a taste of Beaumont’s true taco potential, we’ve got some tips for where to go:
For authentic tacos
Tacos La Bamba
Where: 2005 Calder Ave., Beaumont
Info: (409) 838-6222
Ask anyone where to find the best tacos in Beaumont and they’re likely to respond — enthusiastically — Tacos La Bamba. This Old Town eatery has been serving street-style Mexican tacos since 1997 and is a great starter spot for taco newbies.
On La Bamba’s taco menu: asada (beef fajita meat), carnitas (pork), barbacoa (beef), al pastor (spicy pork) and pollo (chicken), served on either corn or flour tortillas. The trick to getting the best La Bamba taco is to get it with everything — a taco with meat, grilled onion, avocado and gloriously creamy, crumbly queso fresco will only set you back $1.99, and you’ll probably want three for a full meal.
El Paraiso
Where: 1880 College St., Beaumont
Info: (409) 832-9209
The home of our aforementioned chicken mole and tripe taco, El Paraiso is a dive that serves some of the freshest, tastiest eats we’ve had in Beaumont — and they make a mean michelada, too.
The trick here is to order a plato, a plate meal of two meats that comes with rice, beans and the corn tortillas they make fresh in-house. Fill the tortillas with everything on your plate and top ’em off with some color from the bountiful fresh salsa bar, which is filled with various salsas, pickled veggies and pico de gallo.
Taqueria De Buey y Vaca
Where: 1801 College St., Beaumont
Info: (409) 830-9002
Like El Paraiso, this is an Avenues dive where you might run into a language barrier, but as long as you can point and smile, you’ll do fine. Here, your $1.25 taco comes wrapped in paper with nothing but taco meat inside.
Head over to the salsa bar and fill those bad boys up with fresh guacamole, salsa verde and pico de gallo. This spot gets bonus points, too, for making their tortillas in-house.
Pancho’s Taqueria
Where: 150 MLK Pkwy., Beaumont
Info: (409) 832-8226
Pancho’s is a curious Old Town eatery that may or may not be open when you visit — that’s just how they roll. But if they’re adhering to their normal hours of operation, they’re open until 4 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays serving a mix of authentic Mexican food and American-fied options like carne asada fries and tacos slathered in sour cream.
Regulars here rave about the tacos al pastor, tacos piratas and their green salsa.
La Salsita
Where: 612 Washington Blvd., Beaumont
Info: (409) 885-5133
This is the only spot on our list that’s open 24 hours a day every day, which makes them pretty popular among those who seek sustenance after a night at the bar. Here, you can go with the plate option — ordering a meat that comes with beans, rice and tortillas — and make tacos at your table, topping them with fresh goodness from the salsa bar.
They recently opened a second location — at 3297 College St. — that’s also open 24 hours. Don’t leave without trying their aguas frescas, particularly the sweet, cinnamon-filled horchata.
For seafood tacos
Katharine & Co.
Where: 1495 Calder Ave., Beaumont
Info: (409) 833-9919; home.roadrunner.com/~katco
If you’re looking for a classy kinda taco, go with Katharine & Company’s grilled tilapia fish tacos covered with cabbage, mango salsa and chipotle sauce. At $4 a taco, they’re not exactly cheap, but in this case, you get what you pay for: Freshness, bold flavor and exquisite lunchtime ambiance.
Stingaree’s DownUnder
Where: 1295 N. Stingaree Dr., Crystal Beach
Info: (409) 684-2731; stingareerestaurant.com
Stingaree’s soft shall crab taco is the beach taco to end all beach tacos. Served at DownUnder, the bar and eatery beneath the main dining room, this taco is filled with gorgeous soft shell crab and cabbage slaw.
It’s best eaten outside at sunset as a ship passes by on the Intracoastal.
Bayou Cafe
Where: 1255 N. Major Dr., Beaumont; 8460 Central Mall Blvd., Port Arthur
Info: “The Bayou Cafe” on Facebook
Bayou Cafe’s shrimp taco is like a summer-flavored taco — it’s light but flavorful and filled with fresh ingredients that won’t weigh you down. The slaw that surrounds these delectable grilled jumbo shrimp adds a lively crunch, and the green onion on top is a nice touch.
I bet they’ll even add some slivers of avocado if you ask nicely (and pay a little extra).
For American tacos
Fuzzy’s Taco Shop
Where: 5655 U.S. 69, Beaumont; 1039 Nederland Ave., Nederland; 110 Strickland Dr., Orange
Info: fuzzystacoshop.com
This is the epitome of the American-ized taco experience, but some of their tacos are pretty tasty and there’s quite the variety. The crawfish taco is topped with garlic sauce, cilantro and feta, there’s a veggie taco for the meatless among us and our fav is the tempura fish taco, made with lightly battered fried fish.
There’s shredded iceberg lettuce and some kind of American yellow cheese on these tacos, but all of it together makes for a pleasant dining experience that’s nice and light, as should be the case with tacos.
Tia Juanita’s Fish Camp
Where: 5555 Calder Ave., Beaumont
Info: (409) 434-4532; “Tia Juanita’s Fish Camp” on Facebook
If we had to choose one flavor to sum up the American palette, it’d probably be ranch dressing — and at Tia Juanita’s, you can top your tacos with jalapeno ranch sauce that’s made in-house.
The refreshingly light grilled fish tacos are the house favorite here, but they’ve also got shredded beef tacos, and they make guacamole fresh each day. As should always be the case, here you can top your taco with fresh pico de gallo.
beth@thecat5.com
@BeaumontBeth on Facebook & Twitter