Taqueria

sillytash

30th October 2009

0 found this helpful

Very easy going place. Drop in for a great taco with prawns and cabbage! Love this place for an early evening snack or dinner before a movie. Best time to go is at 6pm before the whole of notting hill arrives.
Great beers, great service, good times spent at this mexican delight.

sulin

Tacos at Taqueria 20th April 2009

4 found this helpful

From the Old World to the New World now… Mexican food! I’d been wanting to try Taqueria in Notting Hill for ages; their initial reviews when they just opened years ago were not promising but it says a lot when the restaurant is still there and is still bringing in the customers. Actually, perhaps that doesn’t say a lot seeing that this can be used to describe many fast food joints…

Anyway, one bright and sunny Saturday afternoon, I met the girls in Notting Hill and we wove our way through the streets, avoiding the market, to Taqueria on the western end of Westbourne Grove. The place was almost full already and we grabbed one of the last remaining tables.

The menu was longish and made for fun reading but difficult decision making. A lunch menu full of platters of this and that added to the confusion. To drink I had yet another flor de jamaica (£1.50) - this version was much darker and punchier than those I’d had in Wahaca and all the better for it. Along with our drinks came a little ramekin of spicy pepitas, pumpkin seeds, for munching.

We all started by splitting a Botana, “refried beans with fresh cheese, guacamole, salsa, pickled jalapenos and totopos” (£8.50). The totopos (tortilla chips) were made of blue corn which made for a striking chip but unfortunately were a mix of hard/stale and perfect/crisp. The refried beans were gorgeous though and the real highlight of the platter.

Then it was time for tacos! I chose the tacos al pastor, described on the menu as “char grilled marinated pork, pineapple, diced onion, coriander on 3 small tortillas, red and green salsa on the side” (£5.50). The pork was tender and flavourful, the pineapple fresh and the salsas a tasty addition (the green was milder than the red).

Rachel had the tacos Camaron, “beer battered prawns, avocado mash, chipotle mayonnaise, Mexican salsa, shredded cabbage, on 2 large tortillas” (£6.50). Meanwhile, Mirna chose the Pescado, beer battered sustainable fish, avocado mash, chipotle mayonnaise, Mexican salsa, shredded cabbage, on 2 large tortillas (£6.50). Yes, they both had essentially the same tacos but one was with prawns and the other fish. Both were given the thumbs up.

After the disappointment that was Wahaca, I am very happy to have tried Taqueria. Shame about the totopos; if they were all crisp, the meal would’ve been even more enjoyable but overall, the food here isn’t so greasy and it’s delicious and not all one-dimensional in flavour. I like it!

Photos here: http://tamarindandthyme.wordpress.com/2009/04/09/taqueria/

NotWithoutMy

Authentic Mexican 4th March 2009

2 found this helpful

In England, real Mexican food is hard to find. I get the impression that many restaurants start out with good intentions, but ultimately anglicise their menu to fit the English concept of Mexican food and stay in business.

Taqueria, for the most part, doesn't do this. I believe this may be because it's owned by a Brit who has a passion for it and opened it to effect some small change, rather than a Mexican family which is just trying to stay afloat by whatever works.

I made the trek from E9 to Taqueria in Notting Hill specifically to pick up corn tortillas for home cooking (hard to come by in London: Old El Paso and Discovery "corn" tortillas are actually wheat tortillas with a little corn flour -- nasty stuff). Since I was there, I thought I'd try the food. But first...

THE AMBIANCE
I've seen a lot of reviewers complaining that it was not romantic, posh, cozy, etc. This is a taqueria. Taquerias are little hole-in-the-wall restaurants. They'd generally have a few grubby tables and primarily do what's called take-away here. The Taqueria restaurant, on the other hand, is actually much more upscale than that, which is one place where it does part with tradition.

THE FOOD
I was disappointed that the tortilla chips and salsa weren't free or bottomless. That's a cornerstone of Mexican joints, at least in California (where I moved from 6 months ago). What I did get was very, very good, though.

The food at taquerias in California vary from calmex (lots of veg and huge portions) to the more authentic small portions and little veg. Taqueria sticks to the latter, and you'll pay a lot for small portions of very good food. I got a black refried bean and cheese tostada for £2.40 and two small tacos with fresh jalapeno, beans and cheese for £5.50. Everything was delicious and well balanced. I could have happily eaten twice as much of it, though. The jalapeno was quite hot, but not too much so to eat. The corn tortillas were quite good as well -- tostada crispy without being hard and chewy.

Their classic margarita is one of the best I've tasted. I'll probably try the jamaica margarita next time.

The only thing missing food-wise is the cheese. There are various Mexican cheese with unique flavours and textures which are absolutely unavailable in the UK (I've spent a lot of time checking). Taqueria does a good approximation with British cheeses, but it's still not quite the same.

NOTE TO THOSE WHO LIKE IT HOT
Restaurants don't like having to remake food that's sent back for being too hot, so you'll need to give the staff some clues that you know what you're talking about if you want it authentically spicy.

Try telling them "I want this hot, like you'd make for your Mother" (with a grin), or "not gringo hot" (gringo is a derogatory term for a white person, generally American). Avoid referring to corn chips as "nachos" (nachos are chips with melted cheese on them). Ordering a jamaica (pronouced "hamaykuh", roughly -- not like the island) or horchata when you first sit down will gain you respect points. Eat tacos with your hands, not a fork.

Also, since the dishes are small, you could order one, eat it, and then order the next one, telling them to make it much hotter than the last.

THE SERVICE
I was served by two different waiters, both Mexican. The British owner of the store came over when I had some questions about where to buy ingredients, and he was very helpful and friendly. From the table I was at, I could see where he sat back down and was going over paperwork with a grumpy looking woman. Draw your own guesses and conclusions as to why she might be grumpy, but I suspect that this is the "surly" woman other reviewers have mentioned.

Overall, Taqueria is a great gift to London. I'd gladly make the trek again, and pay their prices.

Vegetarian note: the refried beans have no lard (and are very, very good). There are many vegetarian options on the menu.

Lacrimosa

Spicy hot, not hot hot 4th September 2008

2 found this helpful

I've just lunched with friends at Taqueria, lured by the special lunchtime menu (a selection all priced at £6) and impressed by the positive reviews here on Trusted Places. It's the sort of small, independent place I would have loved to have been able heap praise on, but unfortunately our experience fell a bit short.

We all ordered enchiladas: "Three corn tortillas dipped in a sauce of your choice and rolled around shredded chicken, more sauce, crema, fresh cheese and onion". Now, I'm a HUGE fan of hot, spicy, cheesy, saucy, tomato-y comfort food, so this sounded great. Our dishes arrived and we all tucked in, still deep in conversation - so deep, in fact, that it was a couple of minutes before I ventured to say "Err... is yours cold?". All three meals were no more than tepid, but no one had wanted to be the first to mention it. Now, I prefer my hot food to be sizzling hot, so, with the agreement of the others, went off in search of our waitress to ask for our meals to be reheated. To Taqueria's credit, they were apologetic and actually cooked the dishes again from scratch, although given that this was a weekday lunchtime it might have been a good idea to check whether we had time for this. Second time around it was warm but still not very hot, so I can only assume that authentic Mexican cuisine is supposed to be like that? If so, who am I to argue? Personally, though, I'd have enjoyed my food much more if it had scorched the roof of my mouth off, leaving me begging for mercy.

On the plus side, we enjoyed our drinks - jugs of tap water, Pacifico lager and some really yummy Clamato, which had been presented like a Bloody Mary with black pepper around the rim of the glass and a stick of celery. Meanwhile some chaps on the next table, who clearly knew what they were doing, had ordered a selection of smaller dishes from the regular menu. These looked a good deal tastier than what we had, although I could hardly shimmy over to their table and stick my elbow in their food to test the temperature.

Aside from us, there were very few others in the place during the couple of hours we spent there, and there seemed to be some maintenance work going on which might have been better left to outside opening hours. I'd try Taqueria again, as it seemed good value and all those excellent reviews are still ringing in my ears, but two strikes and it's out.

NotWithoutMy at 04/03/09

As with any ethnic restaurant, making it clear to the staff that you want it very spicy, and will absolutely never return a dish because it's too spicy, is vital. Sometimes it can take several visits with increasingly spicier food before they'll truly believe you and test your limits.

For example, after first having tried Thai cuisine for about half a dozen times, I was convinced that it was one of the world's blandest and mildest foods. It was only after I explained to a waiter at great length that I wanted it very hot ("like you'd make for your Mother" is my usual line) that I got real, spicy, Thai food.

You may find the phrase "Not gringo hot" to be useful at Mexican restaurants.

Lacrimosa at 05/03/09

NotWithoutMy - all good advice but, with respect, I don't think you can have read my review very carefully before commenting on it. We had no quibble whatsoever with the spiciness (which, indeed, I barely mention here). Our problem was that the dishes were served practically cold. In instances like these I don't think it at all unreasonable to send a dish back.

NotWithoutMy at 05/03/09

You injure me! *g* I did read your review thoroughly before commenting (a couple of times), but it was just after a long day of work and I apparently misunderstood that the entire thing was about temperature rather than merely mentioning it as an aside. Indeed, for some reason I thought that the title meant "only a little spicy, not blazingly spicy." Dur.

Anyways, by means of apology, if you ever happen to bump into me at Taqueria, you get one free margarita on me (which is, properly, served ice cold).

Lacrimosa at 05/03/09

Oooh, thanks! No hard feelings. ;-)

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sue

No Frills Mexican 20th July 2008

2 found this helpful

Popped into Taqueria one afternoon for a quick, late lunch. It is a no-frills type of place, with basic décor and smiling staff. Not the venue for a romantic rendezvous, but perfect for good value snack or meal.

After quite a while perusing the menu, and a couple of questions to our helpful waiter we ordered a few things to share - the Pollo Tostada; the Choriqueso Tacos; and the Carne Asada Tacos; along with sides of Frijoles de la olla and Plátano frito. And of course a couple of beers.

While we enjoyed the food, it didn't particularly thrill us, though I would consider returning again to try some more dishes.

nopstar

Satisfying my carnitas fix! 7th July 2008

5 found this helpful

Since leaving San Francisco earlier this year, I have been suffering serious taco withdrawal. My lunch repertoire included a weekly visit to my local truck for some carnitas and carne asada tacos. I’m happy to report that I’ve finally satisfied my taco fix.

I stumbled across this little gem this past week. For those looking for an authentic taco experience, I whole heartedly recommend you get to cool Chiquita Taqueria. They serve up good “street style” tacos. No crunchy pre-formed shells, red meat and dodgy orange cheese here... only the real deal.

I order some tortilla chips and salsa for an app. Check the price before ordering... the chips came with a healthy dollop of Guac, Salsa, beans and an £8 price tag!

mazphd at 07/07/08

wow taco's worthy of SFO, if only there were sushi in the city to match! I'm going to see how far the taco's here match my own SFO exeperience! :-)

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moorej

Notting Hill gem 13th June 2008

4 found this helpful

For those seeking dribblingly delicious Mexican fare only ('Old El Paso' lovers need not apply - there's nothing remotely resembling a chimichanga here!) Famous for bringing real tacos to London, I'd put this marvel of a place in my top 10 London restaurants - and would willingly walk the marathon on my hands to keep this place open. Don't expect a romantic setting or a quiet meal. This place is bustling with smiling, salivating customers.

Hugo

Authentic, tasty and original 4th April 2008

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Went here about a year ago and have been meaning to go back.

Taqueria is an authentic but desperately tasty Mexican gastronomic adventure.

I confess that I cannot remember the names of all the dishes I had (maybe the beer was a little tasty too) but I was struck by how tasty and original the food was. I have since moved out of the area but need an excuse to go back...

mikezoomf

Best Mexican in London 14th December 2006

6 found this helpful

This place hasn't been around that long. The owners started out selling authentic tex-mex ingredients in Borough Market. So many people thought they should start a restaurant, they went and did it.

They won't have nachos or the pub fare in the UK that tries to pass as mexican. This is the real stuff.
It's a small dining area and it's like eating at a tapas bar, where you buy lots of plates and share.