Tacqueria Mercado

Lo que pasó con todos los elogios 
from a couple of years ago?

Tacqueria Mercado Sangria

      We stopped by their downtown version for dinner a few weeks ago.  Eric and I were looking forward to dining there as we had heard good reports shortly after its opening a few years ago.  Looking at the menu, I was inspired by seeing Goat Soup and Tripe Tacos.  I wasn't interested in ordering
them, but I found it a step ahead of a typical Mexican Cantina.  Unfortunately, that's where the originality ended for me.  Looking through the rest of their offerings, it repeated most of the fare you'll find elsewhere.  We joined Katy and Denny who had been there a few weeks prior to that night with their visiting family.  They thought the menu had perhaps changed since that time, a theory which may explain the earlier praise we had experienced from others. 

      We settled in with drinks, chips and salsa.  The hit of the evening was their Sangria, a concoction highlighted with blackberry apricot brandy and Jarritos grapefruit soda.  I've never been to a Mexican restaurant where the chips and salsa were not served gratis, but at last —I have.  The chips were obviously house made, flaky and light.  Unfortunately, our first batch was more crumbs than chips.  Of course, that didn't stop us from devouring all of them and ordering more.  

Fajita Super Especial, Fajita Suprema, Chips and Salsa

      Eric and I decided to share the Fajita Super Especial (for two).  I'm never fond of photos on a menu, but in this case our actual food presentation was much better than the pictorial.  Two skewers of grilled shrimp stood tall atop sizzling chicken, steak, and chorizo with sautéed bell peppers and onions.  Two plates of all of the sides you might expect were served alongside.  It was plentiful and filling! My only complaint was the steak, which I found had a bit of gristle.  Katy and Denny were more practical by sharing the Fajita Suprema, which was basically a pared down version of our dinners.  At almost half the price, it was definitely the way to go in regard to value.

Dining Room and Bar

    The décor was a bit predictable and our server was more attractive than attentive, although she could have used some assistance.  Luckily, we just finished our meals as the entertainment for the night started playing.  They may have been better if they hadn't been miked, which was definitely unnecessary for such a small space and a killer for our dining experience. 

taqueriamercado.com