Tacos Lucy

Reviewed on November 1, 2009

Return of the Living Tripas!

As a side note, there was a shoeless wild woman running rampant through the parking lot, which is a dirt lot between the taco stand and a church. She looked dangerous, but in reality could have been neutralized with a jab to the nose.

Our arrival and initial thoughts

Right upon entering, you feel like you're in a third rate circus in a run down border town. The staff is friendly and attentive. There is also visible hand washing by all staff members, which is semi-rare for taco stands.

There are many menu items including tacos, burritos, and tortas. The "Taco Chile" is Tacos Lucy's answer to the legendary San Pedro Taco. The beans are served in an actual dish and not styrofoam, which might be a pro or a con, depending on the dishwashing technique. They were tasty and good enough to keep you warm during a cold winter night. The pina contained less pulp and seemed slightly oily, which is not good. Tortillas are slightly bigger, so you get a bit more taco for your dollar.

The Food

The asada was lacking flavor. There is a nice smoky mesquite smell radiating out of the area, but I think they forgot to use it to help flavor the meat. It needs salt. The tacos are larger than average, which could be a plus if Tacos Lucy gets their act together.

If you are looking for a good taco from Tacos Lucy, pastor is the way to go. It isn't bad by itself and requires condiments to help it pass the "above average" mark. It could be a great meat, but it is missing something.

Taco Chile lacked taste and needed a lot of salt. The taco itself is larger than a San Pedro taco, and if it is dressed up with the right condiments, might just be a better value. Unfortunately, the flavor is what is holding this back from being great. There were a few unchewable pieces, which is a major turnoff for AndrewEats.

Andrew is a fan of the offbeat meat cuts, such as cabeza, tripas, and lengua. He ordered the tripas, which are intestines. After the first bite he said it was horrible. We tried to mask the hideous flavor of these tripas with a generous helping of everything on the condiment tray. It didn't work at all. It tasted like a dead cow's asshole full of rotting bacteria. This was one taco that could not be finished, a first for Andrew.

Conclusion

This review may be slightly biased. The taste of tripas was still rampant on Andrew's tongue. He took two bites and felt like he should have not taken any. The strong acid taste of lemons didn't have any effect on the aftertaste of the tripas. It is quite possible that he will never eat tripas again.

Overall Grade

Tacos Lucy barely escaped with a very low 3. The tripas ruined the meal, but everything else wasn't too bad. We would return, but it might have to be after a good two months. After eating a whole lemon, rind and all, the aftertaste of the tripas was finally gone. If you end up being brave or stupid enough to fall into the tripa trap, make sure you have a good strong lemon, plenty of pina or horchata and a whole lot of patience. Hours after the meal, Andrew smelled cooking tripas from another taco stand and felt sick. A case of soup ass soon followed.