Want tacos? Here are Main Street’s best

Cinco de Mayo is bigger in America than in Mexico. It has become a celebration of Mexican culture, drink and, of course, food. Cinco de Mayo is really a holiday celebrating the Mexican Army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla in the Franco-Mexican War. In observance of Cinco de Mayo and in anticipation of the many residents that will likely head out looking for Mexican food on May 5, we took stock of the best tacos on Main Street.

THE RULES

We visited four restaurants that specialize in tacos, Mexican food or both. We asked the manager or employees of those restaurants to give us their best or most popular tacos, which we then tried and reviewed.

Swell Taco

First Choice: Crispy Chicken Taco

Second Choice: Fish Taco

Honorable Mentions: Steak Taco, Shredded Chicken Taco

It’s almost a sin to limit the crispy chicken tacos to just Mondays, but I suppose one day a week is better than none. The beer-battered and fried chicken is wrapped perfectly with aioli, cheddar jack cheese and seasoned cucumbers to make a juicy, crunchy taco.

The fish taco is also beer-battered and fried, and eliminates the “fishy” taste that could easily ruin the taco. Decently juicy and packed with pico de gallo and cheese, it’s a good combination if you’re looking for a lighter option.

The steak taco and shredded chicken tacos are your standard options, but each is done well, providing well-seasoned meat and full flavor.

Del Fuego

First Choice: Beef Brisket Taco

Second Choice: Carne Asada Taco

The beef brisket taco is a match made in heaven. A true Tex-Mex creation, the taco combines finely cooked beef brisket in a Mexican style vehicle, glued together by a decadent poblano aioli. The brisket is a unique flavor to find between tortilla walls, but its seasoning mixed with toppings gives it a Tex-Mex mask appropriate for a taco.

The skirt steak taco comes with a couple of slices of steak marinated well and decently juicy, also packed with the goods: cheese, aioli, lettuce and tomato. While the taco could use more steak, it’s cooked well and the flavor stands out.

Rhum

First Choice: Buffalo Soldier Taco

Second Choice: Carnitas Taco

Honorable Mention: Smothered Pulled Pork Taco

Rhum’s MO is island-themed foods, which certainly came out in their Buffalo Soldier taco. It’s crispy chicken with coconut sriracha sauce, topped with blue cheese and island slaw. The coconut sriracha is a unique flavor that has a tangy island taste with the bite of sriracha. The blue cheese just brings it all together.

The carnitas taco is a braised pulled pork shoulder with a delicious avocado-lime crema with pickled red cabbage and cotija cheese (similar to feta cheese). The cabbage adds a hint of acidity to the taco and the crema provides a sweetness that pulls everything together, both sitting atop tender pork.

The smothered pulled pork taco also has the tender seasoned pork, but with barbecue sauce and crispy onions, making it a great summer taco.

Don Quijote

First Choice: Beef Taco

Second Choice: Chicken Taco

I usually don’t order beef tacos, as I think they can be somewhat bland, but I was happily surprised at Don Quijote. The ground beef was incredibly juicy and tender, bursting with flavor. It was complemented by lettuce, tomato and cheese.

The shredded chicken taco was also very juicy with the same toppings, bathed in a light salsa, which gave a deeper flavor to the chicken.