Academy near San Mateo. They also have a location in Elephant Butte.
First visit: Feb 2021
Didn't get a chance to finish our impromptu trip back from Arizona. So after stuffing our faces at RelicRoad, we took the long - and somewhat boring - drive east towards Albuquerque on I-40. We arrived in the late afternoon, did a little bit of thrifting, and then it was dinner time. We didn't want anything too heavy, something along the lines of tacos y margaritas. We wanted to try a place called Craft Republic, but like our La Choza experience, we figured it was a long shot. And sure enough, with the very small capacities allowed by the Chancellor, we were looking at an hour wait. OK, we'll go next time. How about something less ambitious? Casa Taco came up on Google Maps, and we decided to try for it.
Casa Taco is a counter service place, that seems to cater to a more gringo oriented crowd. And their offerings go beyond typical taqueria fare. This is exactly what we were looking for. And the restaurant had some patrons, but there was still room for more. Perfect. They do have beer, but it's all bottled Mexican brews. We ordered water instead (same thing lol).
We ordered chips and salsa, and 4 tacos (ground beef, grilled chicken, and 2 carne asada's) and we each got rice and beans. A few minutes later, our food was delivered, and she asked if we wanted the hot or mild salsa. Of course we took the hot. The chips were excellent, light and crispy. The salsa did have some kick, and was very flavorful. The ground beef was nicely seasoned, and the pollo asado was excellent, grilled to perfection. The carne asada was not as expected. They call it marinated, but so much so, it seemed like beef stew. Not so much to our taste. Or we received the wrong item? We're just not sure. The rice was heavily seasoned, perfectly cooked, with an excellent flavor. Highlight of the meal. The beans were heavier than we prefer, and we didn't finish them. They also brought out a tomatillo taco sauce, which is of the avocado variety, which neither of us care for (though Mrs. RJG loves avocado's, but not like this).
Would we go back? Definitely (want to try some other items on the menu), but it will have to be on a longer visit, as there's just too many other great places in front. Thumbs up from us all the same.
3/3/21 (new entry)
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