There is a movement happening in Texas to declare tacos the official state food. I see a good case for that, although brisket is a strong contender as well. In California, I think making the taco the official state food would be nothing short of a slam dunk. Sure, Southern California is the birthplace of the fast food burger and up in San Francisco, a whole style of burrito awaits you. Still, North or South, big city or quiet surf ...

The Vitals: recipe: Al Pastor tacos difficulty: medium health rating:healthy time: 1 hour + marinade time <scroll down for ingredients and instructions> As much as I love scouring the country for Cheap Eats, I love grilling at home just as much. My preference is to cook over a “live fire”, which for me is hardwood charcoal. These days I have a backyard, so lighting up a grill is pretty easy but back when I lived in a loft, I had to ...

The Vitals: the spot: Red Mesa Mercado 1100 First Ave N St. Petersburg FL 33705 the eats: Chile Relleno Burrito with Pork Colorado,   the bucks: $7.95 the full nelson: The best Bang for your Burrito Buck outside of Mexico Considering this is my third post on the food scene in St. Petersburg FL, I think it is safe to say that I am pretty impressed with the food down there. If you saw Cheap Eats St. Petersburg, you might remember the ...

Day 3 of Austin City Limits Music Festival would be the grand finale of my ACL Eats Fest, and I think I went out with a bang. Micklethwait Craft Meats is not only my favorite vendor amongst the food court here but also ranks up there with the top three best barbecue joints I have ever been too. But don’t sleep on Tamale Addiction, which ended up being the biggest surprise ACL Eat of the festival. Which one will be ...

It is a daunting task, trying to anoint one taqueria that serves the best burrito in San Francisco. It’s almost a mission meant to end in defeat when one thinks of the sheer volume of celebrated taquerias in the famous Mission district alone. Even as I posted a teaser on Instagram about my San Francisco Burrito Quest, suggestions started to come in from Oakland . . . and the East Bay is its own beast, worthy of a separate “best ...

The Vitals: the spot: Pueblo Viejo 502 Brushy st Austin TX 78702  the eats: lamb barbacoa, taco Nes, taco chicharron the bucks: $3.75, $3.75 and $3.20 respectively per taco the full nelson: you can’t eat more than three. but you will want to.  My people, sometimes I just gotta come at ya and flat out say it: right now Pueblo Viejo is my favorite taco spot in Austin, may the whole damn world. They take the idea of cheap tacos and ...

Ask someone about Texas BBQ and they will respond with something to the effect of “it’s all about the beef“. True, but also true is the Bovine Supremacy of the Tejano Taquero. The best beef tacos I have ever had, have been in Texas, and as of now that means Austin, Texas. And I ain’t just talking fajita platters and skirt steak tacos either. My time in Austin has been a revelation in what can be accomplished with a $2+ ...

Late Night Tacos. It’s a beautiful sight to come across. A random carwash that has been closed for hours, taken over by a string of work lights, and a crowd of people happily staring at large piles of sizzling meats. You dream of your impending taco order while being mesmerized by a spatula that is oh so carefully herding those sizzling morsels, ensuring that each one has a perfectly crisped edge, a juicy interior, and is worthy of a salsa that ...