Hidalgo Mexican Restaurant (All Tacos Are Not Created Equal)

Witness this, the give the people what they want taco:

So wrong. Why serve this, when it's indistinguishable from cheap fast food? Oh, I know people say they want it, maybe, but do they really? Maybe keep a couple of those shelf-stable hard taco shells on hand for the hard-core Old El Paso lovers.

Then take a look at these tacos:

That's what I'm talking about. Taco plate number 1 came from an unnamed restaurant in Fife, which I suspect could probably make a mean taco if they weren't trying so hard to please a 1950s NW palate. You'll notice from the picture I was more interested in the rice than the main attraction.

Taco plate number 2 came from Hidalgo restaurant, in East Tacoma.

Granted, there is a good way to do the hard taco. Fry those shells in-house the way they do in Southern California and they're the best thing since.....well, they're way better than sliced bread. Greasy and amazing, like a really good sloppy burger. Unfortunately, I don't know anywhere around here that does that, but there are some great places to get taco-truck style soft tacos, like Hidalgo, Taqueria El Antojo, and Vuelve a la Vida.

Like the others, Hidalgo offers tacos with your choice of filling, including the basic carne asada or chicken, branching out into the more challenging lengua (tongue) and cabeza (head) varieties. I'm not up for cabeza, just yet, but I did enjoy two tongue tacos, two carne asada and a chicken. Hidalgo's carne asada was a little overdone and dry, maybe they gave me the remnants of a batch, but the tongue and chicken were very good. Their flavors were pretty basic and definitely improved with the addition of the bottle of house salsa that arrived with my plate. The tortillas were just a little bit on the crunchy side, which gave them structure and made them easy to pick up. All tacos are $1.50 each, which makes ordering simple.

Hidalgo has a colorful interior, and a friendly staff that put up with some less than ideal behavior from my kids, who - although normally totally happy with beans and rice - insisted upon ordering a cheese burger and a chicken burger (Which were enormous and very cheap) whilst arguing loudly about which songs to pick at the juke box. (Mind you, they've never heard of any of the songs, and all are in Spanish.) I'd have made them leave but having dragged them all the way out there on a mama-venture, with the promise of a trip to the farm and my usual avoidance of freeways, there was no quick escape to be made. Mango juice helped settle things down a little at our table, they also have a small selection of aguas frescas.

Hidalgo Mexican Restaurant #1

806 72nd St E

Tacoma, WA 98404

(253) 476-1097

Mexican, East TacomaWitness this, the give the people what they want taco:

So wrong. Why serve this, when it's indistinguishable from cheap fast food? Oh, I know people say they want it, maybe, but do they really? Maybe keep a couple of those shelf-stable hard taco shells on hand for the hard-core Old El Paso lovers.

Then take a look at these tacos:

That's what I'm talking about. Taco plate number 1 came from an unnamed restaurant in Fife, which I suspect could probably make a mean taco if they weren't trying so hard to please a 1950s NW palate. You'll notice from the picture I was more interested in the rice than the main attraction.

Taco plate number 2 came from Hidalgo restaurant, in East Tacoma.

Granted, there is a good way to do the hard taco. Fry those shells in-house the way they do in Southern California and they're the best thing since.....well, they're way better than sliced bread. Greasy and amazing, like a really good sloppy burger. Unfortunately, I don't know anywhere around here that does that, but there are some great places to get taco-truck style soft tacos, like Hidalgo, Taqueria El Antojo, and Vuelve a la Vida.

Like the others, Hidalgo offers tacos with your choice of filling, including the basic carne asada or chicken, branching out into the more challenging lengua (tongue) and cabeza (head) varieties. I'm not up for cabeza, just yet, but I did enjoy two tongue tacos, two carne asada and a chicken. Hidalgo's carne asada was a little overdone and dry, maybe they gave me the remnants of a batch, but the tongue and chicken were very good. Their flavors were pretty basic and definitely improved with the addition of the bottle of house salsa that arrived with my plate. The tortillas were just a little bit on the crunchy side, which gave them structure and made them easy to pick up. All tacos are $1.50 each, which makes ordering simple.

Hidalgo has a colorful interior, and a friendly staff that put up with some less than ideal behavior from my kids, who - although normally totally happy with beans and rice - insisted upon ordering a cheese burger and a chicken burger (Which were enormous and very cheap) whilst arguing loudly about which songs to pick at the juke box. (Mind you, they've never heard of any of the songs, and all are in Spanish.) I'd have made them leave but having dragged them all the way out there on a mama-venture, with the promise of a trip to the farm and my usual avoidance of freeways, there was no quick escape to be made. Mango juice helped settle things down a little at our table, they also have a small selection of aguas frescas.

Hidalgo Mexican Restaurant #1

806 72nd St E

Tacoma, WA 98404

(253) 476-1097