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After wandering around downtown Cd. Miguel Alemán, and exploring the municipal park, my friends Jerry Flinn, Dick Gall and I had developed quite an appetite, and we were in the mood for lunch. When it comes to enjoying local cuisine, Dick isn't particularly adventuresome, but when he gets hungry, much of his inhibitions seem to fly out the window. During our travels, I spotted a van and a trailer, parked on Calle Sexta (6th Street,) at the north end of the park, and several people busily preparing tacos, so without hesitation, it was a "Let's go" moment.
Photo: Tacos Chapa operates out of a trailer, pulled by a Chevy van, and is parked at the corner of 6th and Hidalgo. Note the bench that's used for seating. This restaurant seems to have a trash can, exclusive for its use. Today is late morning, Wednesday, October 04, 2006, and my friends and I are in the mood for brunch. Tacos, barboca... what sounds great? Barbacoa tacos, si, como no! Tacos Chapa operates out of a 1980's vintage Chevy van, which fulfills the role as the supply and logistics wagon, but all of the cooking is done in a trailer, which is pulled behind the van. The trailer, which fulfills the role of the kitchen, is covered in a blue, plastic tarp, to protect the cook, and her assistants from the sometimes scorching sun, and the ample rain that falls in the area. The restaurant, if you want to call it that, doesn't have a name; I had to ask one of the staff members what they call the business, and the menu consists of a hand-printed sign posted on one of the rear windows of the van. The menu offers such local favorites as machacado, chicharrón, barbacoa, desebrada and picadillo fillings, available in corn tortillas, and made as tacos. Barbacoa sounded good to me (it always does...) Dick was a bit reluctant, but after a bit of persuasion came around, and Jerry decided to pass. I don't think Dick knew what he was ordering, but I assured him that barbacoa is delicious...
Photo: Jerry checks out the restaurant, while Dick relaxes on one of the bar stools. Seating for customers is bar stools at each end of the counter, and the long bench, facing the counter. Tacos Chapa is operated by a husband and wife team, and the lady was very friendly, and she seemed happy to chit-chat with me while she went about her business. The man was a bit more reserved, and mostly busied himself retrieving supplies from the van, and keeping the place clean. I learned that they have been located at the same location, which is on 6th Street, between Av. Hidalgo and Zapata for the last seven years, and they're open seven days a week. Barbacoa is breakfast food in Mexico, so they set up shop in the morning, and stay open for lunch, and remain at their location until they run out of food. Most of the meat is prepared at home, before opening the store, and its kept warm in stainless steel pots, which are built into the kitchen range, next to the griddle. Since the meat is already made, the griddle seems to be used mostly to toast tortillas, although I suppose that it could be used to make beans, or another meat entree. The warming pots and the griddle are heated by propane, and I noticed several propane lanterns in the unlikely event they are still serving tacos after dark. Several bar stools and a bench are furnished near the kitchen for customers to sit on, while enjoying the fine cuisine, so Tacos Chapa can be considered a sit-down restaurant.
Photo: Wife seems pleased that I'm taking the photo, as hubby toasts the tortillas on the griddle. The pots contain various types of meat filling, including barbacoa. Lunch at Tacos Chapa is a bargain, as all tacos, irregardless of the variety, are priced at MEX $7.00 each, and soft drinks are only MEX $7.00 as well. Dick and I each ordered 6 tacos and a Coke, for the price of only MEX $49.00, which is quite a bargain. I'm a huge fan of Mexican street food, not only because of the reasonable price, but because it's fresh, made right before your eyes, and you get the opportunity to get to know the people who serve you. In many cases, you actually get to enjoy a meal with the fine people who prepare it for you.
Photo: From a warm pot, wife spoons barbacoa on a toasted tortilla. Note the completed tacos to the right of the photo, awaiting the diced onion and cilantro. After placing our orders, we watched as the husband began to rummage in the back of the van, searching for tortillas. I didn't see a tortilla press, so I asked the lady where they got their tortillas, and she told me that they purchase them from a nearby tortillería. It seems they were out of tortillas, and the lady apologized for the delay, as the husband left to make a tortilla run. He returned in a few minutes, with a couple of large packages of corn tortillas, and within a few seconds, he had a six of them cooking on the griddle. When the tortillas began to bubble, and become slightly brown on the high spots, he removed them from the griddle and placed them on a cutting board, that was situated between the griddle and the pots of meat. He then placed six more tortillas on the griddle...
Photo: Wife assembling tacos de barbacoa, as hubby looks on, with one tortilla still toasting on the griddle. The gal to the right of the photo is a customer, who really didn't want her photo taken. While the other tortillas were cooking, the lady dipped a spoon into one of the pots, and spooned barbacoa on each tortilla, followed by diced white onions and cilantro, and folded them over to make a taco. When all six tacos were completed, she placed them on a styrafoam plate, and handed the plate to Dick. (Since I was taking photos, I requested that Dick be served first...) About the time that she finished with Dick's order, the tortillas for mine were ready, so the process was repeated. It's obvious that the husband and wife have been doing this for quite some time, as they operate as a well-synchronized machine.
Photo: My order of six barbacoa tacos, complete with diced white onions and cilantro for garnish. The tacos were delicious, as the barbacoa was moist and juicy, and the fresh onions and cilantro complimented the meat. I asked the gentleman which variety of barbacoa I was eating, and he replied "mixta," which is a mixture of all the cuts of meat, with the exception of the tongue, from the cabeza. I asked Dick what he thought about his tacos, and he said they were good, as he proceeded to consume them with great gusto. I don't believe that he knew what he was eating, but I wasn't about to tell him, as I didn't want to spoil his meal.
Photo: Dick snaps a photo of me enjoying a delicious lunch of barbacoa tacos, and a Coke. No, mustard isn't in the yellow squeeze bottle; the bottle contains picante sauce. Both Dick and I enjoyed our lunch, as the tacos were delicious, and the service was fast and very friendly. It was my turn to pick up the lunch tab, so when we finished eating (you always pay at the end of the meal, right before you leave) I gave the gal a MEX $100.00 bill, and she gave me my change of 2 pesos, but I left her a tip of MEX $20.00, which is above the customary 15% tip.
Photo: After preparing our orders, the lady takes a break. Note the hand-printed sign taped to the rear window of the van that advertises the filling selections for the tacos. Av. Zapata is in the background, just past the stop sign. No matter how you do the math, it adds up to a bargain, especially when you factor in delicious food, fresh ingredients, friendly service, and the unique atmosphere of enjoying a meal on the streets of Cd. Alemán. Tacos Chapa is a the kind of restaurant where I prefer to dine. If you're in the mood for a delicious taco, I highly recommend Tacos Chapa. Tacos Chapa Copyright(c) 2006 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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