180 STREET TACOS

Where: 180 Street Tacos & Chopped Salads (phew! Long name!), 3368 N University Ave, Provo

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 2

What We Ordered: 4 Tacos -- Buffalo Chicken, Thai Fried Chicken, Steak Asada & Mojo Roasted Pork, plus Chimichurri Mac & Cheese

What It Cost: $11.24

What We Thought:

Crazy tacos with unheard-of flavor combinations -- yeah, count us in! 

When this place first opened, I was a little hesitant because the sign looked pretty temporary out front, and the name seemed long and annoying (I make quick judgments, okay?). But after hearing about it from a few people and scoping out their menu online, I decided a visit must be made! Of course it was made as a very last-minute decision so I only had my phone to take pictures on, not my real camera...I apologize, but this place was pretty good, so I figured I needed to share anyway! 

Okay -- let's start with my tacos. I'm a little annoying and a show-off, so obviously I wanted to order the spiciest taco on the menu to see if I could handle it. The Thai Fried Chicken taco was the only one with two chili peppers by its title, so naturally, I ordered it. The chicken had good flavor, and I really liked the fruity-cucumber slaw which totally counteracted the hotness and made it very bearable for those looking for some heat. We were a little disappointed with the tortillas over all -- these tacos only have one tortilla (many street taco places I've visited usually use two, for good reason...) and the tortillas broke on nearly all of our tacos, causing fillings to fall out. Not a huge tragedy of course, but I'd recommend picking up a fork because you might be eating the remains of your taco more in salad-style.

Owen got the Mojo Pork and Carne Asada -- he prefered the carne asada, with its crispy strips and flavorful meat, though I actually liked the pork one better! So, I guess they are both good :) Same problem with the tortillas though. Use caution!

I ordered the chimichurri mac and cheese because it sounded weird and I'd never had anything like it before. I liked the wonton strips and chimichurri flavor added it -- it was a good combo. But the mac was a little dry and not very warm, kinda like you had heated it up 15 minutes before and then had to take a phone call or something. Would prefer saucier and warmer mac and cheese, please.

This horrendous picture doesn't really look like anything...but surprise -- its the buffalo chicken taco! Yeah, never thought I'd put those words together. But it was yummy! They pickled mirepoix (chopped celery, carrots and onion) added a nice crunch to the slightly spicy chicken, and I was a huge fan of the corn. Owen thought the taco was kinda weird, but I really enjoyed it, so I guess if you like weirdness, then this is the place for you (and me :)

What You Should Do: I would definitely say this place is worth a visit or two. Its super cheap (as tacos should be :) and they have something fun and creative that will definitely interest most palates. If they would start wrapping these tasty little morsels in two tortillas, I would be soooo close to giving them four stars because they are really fun and a good value, but for now, its still an awesome place to visit, and we will probably be stopping by there another when I don't feel like cooking!

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TACO BELL

Where: Taco Bell, many locations

Who Went: Chelsey, Owen & Devynne

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Cool Ranch Doritos Taco

What It Cost: Like $2?

What We Thought:

I've really not been the biggest fan of Taco Bell for most of my life (too many post-chalupa stomachaches after tennis matches...), but I had to try their newest concoction - the taco that is made with Doritos for the shell. Sounds amazing, right? I was disappointed when the first one they came out with was the classic nacho cheese flavor -- everyone knows Cool Ranch is the BEST. So obviously when Cool Ranch come on the block, I had to try it. Yeah, the Taco Bell meat is still gross, the lettuce still horribly pale, the cheese still plasticy, and sadly there was nothing an awesome giant Dorito could do about it.

What You Should Do: Pretend this never happened, and don't get sucked into the wonderful marketing and dreams of what could have been. It's still Taco Bell and it's still gross.

Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill

Where: Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grill, 530 E University Parkway, Orem

Who Went: Chelsey, Owen, Mom, & Devynne

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Chipotle Orange Shrimp Salad, Grilled Grande Bowl, Baja Grill Burrito, Mango Habanero Pacific Mahi Mahi Taco, and Gourmet Taco with Chicken

What It Cost: $16.59 for two people

What We Thought: 

I kept hearing about Taco Tuesday, but somehow I never seem to manage to make it there on a Tuesday so when we were driving by the other day, I knew we had to go in and give it a try! 

Look how fun and colorful that salad is! The flavor wasn't quite as vibrant as the salad appears, but it was still pretty good. The shrimp was good and marinated nicely, but the salad's dressing was a little weak. We also wished that the salad itself had more lettuce, which is cheap to add and would have made the salad seem more substantial and worth the cost.

What a sad looking burrito! Especially when it follows that colorful salad...It didn't look super fancy, but it was still a fairly decent burrito - I've had so many smothered burritos lately, so it was nice to go back to the classic, pick up with two hands kind of burrito for me! The burrito wasn't too dry and there was a good amount of chicken inside, but it didn't have the freshness or quality of ingredients you can get around here, like at Mountain West Burrito.

Devynne ordered the rice bowl, which was basically like a jumbo burrito opened up without the tortilla. Once again, good, but not amazing. The guacamole tasted fairly fresh, which was nice, and I liked the salsa, but the meat and rice themselves were rather boring.

They are known for their tacos, and if I were ever to return, I think that's what I would order after trying Owen's dish. They have a little salsa bar that you can visit to dress up your tacos to your choosing, and they were pretty cheap and good for Utah fish tacos. The salsa on the mahi mahi taco was spicy and delicious, and the avocado on the grande taco was enjoyable as well. We liked the thick and soft tortillas, and thought they were pretty decent overall.

What You Should Do: Well, I think I definitely have to go there on a Tuesday! They are $1 each for their typical tilapia taco after 2:30 on Tuesdays, and if they are anything like their other fish tacos, I can't wait to try them! Stick with the tacos here at Rubio's - everything else was alright, but not as good or as cheap as the tacos.

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Tortilla Bar

Where: Tortilla Bar, 1454 S State Street, Orem

Who Went: Owen & Chelsey

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Chorizos, Pork Belly Tacos, & Tres Leches

What It Cost: $24.26

What We Thought:

Okay, I know, I know, two taco places in a row... I can't help it! I love tacos, they are quick and delicious and inexpensive.

We were driving home from shopping at those new dangerous outlet malls in Lehi the other night around 10, and decided that we were not quite ready to call it a night...and we wanted TACOS. Rather than stopping somewhere gross like Del Taco or Beto's (sorry to those who are fans...) we decided to stop at the long-anticipated Tortilla Bar - seriously, we've been following this restaurant since like April or something waiting for it to open! It was such a spur of the moment decision so I didn't have my camera - I apologize for the crummy phone pictures, but I just had to share this one right away!

The atmosphere was fairly dark (once again, not amazing photos, I know) and industrial, with very limited seating. It's kind of fun because the hot kitchen is right out there in the open with a bar right where you can watch the chefs work their magic. I originally tried to order the gordita from their menu, but the server said that they weren't serving that tonight, instead I could get something the guys in the back call "chorizos" that has squid. It sounded interesting, so I decided to go for it! I'm pretty sure that chorizo is really a spicy Mexican pork sausage, which seemingly had very little to do with this meal, but what the heck. I've only ever had squid in a fried form as calamari, and here in an unadorned, very fresh manner, it was new and delicious! The squid was served on top of little slices of crispy baguette with a creamy and savory sauce. The only thing that was a slight turn off where the large bits of rock salt that were sprinkled on top - they were a little overpowering, but fortunately there were only a few. On their Facebook and Twitter pages, this restaurant keeps talking about being a food rebel, and this plate definitely lived up to that reputation - it was unlike anything I've ever had before, and was very enjoyable.

The pork belly tacos were a little more similar to food we've had before - a rich juicy pork topped with pickled, sharp onions, refreshing cucumbers and crunchy chicharrónes. The tortillas were clearly freshly made, tender with a real delightful corn taste. I think I may need to have a tortilla show-down between Tortilla Bar and Taquería 27...they were both so good! The tacos were a little difficult to eat without everything falling out - a typical problem of tacos I suppose, but I felt like if the cucumbers were cut up a little bit (maybe even in half), it would have been much easier to enjoy. Nonetheless, it was a perfect little late-night snack and definitely satisfied our craving for something unique and tasty.

We weren't ready to quite be done with Tortilla Bar yet, so we went for the tres leches dessert. Not that you can really tell from the photo above, but it was a little square of soaked sponge cake with a banana topping, shaved coconut, and red pepper flakes! If you like milk at all and have never had tres leches, you are very much missing out on this sweet and satisfying dessert. It was a little disappointed with the small portion, but I guess since tres leches is very rich, you don't really need much to make an impact. I enjoyed the banana pairing, and the spicy red pepper flakes really gave it a fun kick, with a nice crunchy texture addition of the coconut. I thought it was absolutely delicious, and only regretted that I couldn't eat like four more of them!

What You Should Do: Definitely go and support this new and very unique restaurant! After all the hype, I would definitely say that Tortilla Bar is a wonderful new addition to the Utah County restaurant community, and I am very much looking forward to visiting there again and seeing what else they have to offer. One thing to be aware of though is their rather strange hours, which are posted on the door as this:

Breakfast 5 am - 11 am
Lunch 11 am - 4 pm
Late 8 pm - 5 am
Saturday Brunch 9 am - 12 pm (not sure on that last one, somehow my note got partially deleted...)

I am not sure if they really aren't open for dinner, and if they are really open all night long (I do not envy the person who has to work that shift!) but it's a great place to get a unique culinary delight at pretty much any time of day! I definitely want to try their Saturday brunch, and don't worry, I'll get better pictures next time!

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Taquería 27

Where: Taquería 27, 1615 S Foothill Drive, Salt Lake City

Who Went: Chelsey & Mom

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Roasted Guacamole, Carnitas Taco, Fish Tacos (Fish of the Day - Ono), & Carne Tacos

What It Cost: $30.18

What We Thought: 

I'm really excited because I have a lot of places to share with you that I've been lately - something about the holiday season coming up (and also finals season) has made me want to eat out all the time, so we've been to tons of restaurants lately!

Though it was difficult to find (especially if it's snowing outside!), we stopped by Taquería 27 because I noticed they've been getting lots of press of Urbanspoon. We started out with some roasted guacamole which had highs and lows - though the guacamole was very good and given in a good portion, the flavor of the roasted peppers didn't really come through. The chips were not very salted, which was a little disappointing, since they don't have salt on the tables, but overall we still enjoyed the guacamole, thought it was a good starter, and it was just the right size. Very fresh taste.

Of course we ordered some tacos for our lunch, starting with some more traditional carnitas tacos. The pork was very tender, which was a nice contrast to the crunchy chicharones, and I really enjoyed the flavor of the charred tomatillo salsa. The corn tortillas are some of the best I've ever had - they taste freshly made, are not dry at all, and add a wonderful soft flavor to the tacos.

The fish tacos were my second favorite - a delicious crunchy slaw was paired nicely with the fried fish, and I thought the jalapeño cream sauce was very good. Only one of the tacos came with a little bit of lime, which really heightened the flavor, so it would have been nice if they both had the lime. The ono was a little overcooked, but still had a nice taste, fairly decent texture, and was overall enjoyable.

These carne tacos were my absolute favorite. In so many Mexican-style restaurants we've been to lately, the carne asada meat always seems SOOOO dry. Taquería 27 wonderfully did not fall into this category - the carne tacos were succulent and flavorful, and I loved the chimichurri sauce with the savory meat. The avocado and radishes provided a delightful dichotomy of creaminess and crispness, and I wished that we had ordered 6 of this flavor!

What You Should Do: I would definitely recommend Taquería 27 as one of our new favorite taco places in Utah! This place is a little expensive for tacos, so I probably wouldn't add it to the top of my list, but it was still pretty darn good. It was the fresh-made corn tortillas that really sold me - this place aims for the freshest flavors and they claim that they don't have a freezer or microwave! I think I would have to go shopping a lot more often without those two things, but it's great for eating out!

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Laura's

Where: Laura's, 664 N Freedom Blvd, Provo

Who Went: Chelsey & Owen

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Chicken & Green Chile Tamale, 4 Tacos -- Barbacoa, Carnitas, Chicken, and one that was fried...can't remember the flavor!

What It Cost: $9.68

What We Thought: 

Laura's is the perfect place to bring that (potentially annoying) return missionary friend who always loves to show off their funnily-accented Spanish. Most of the menu is not in English and the only person speaking English at the restaurant was the kid who was working the register, but if you can figure out what it is you want to order, you can get delicious results! Between Owen's Portuguese and my high school Spanish classes, we were able to order a variety of tacos with a fair amount of confidence in what we were going to get!

We started out with our tamale -- this is where your Spanish speaking ability comes in handy because they just shout out the orders as they come up and you have to remember what you ordered! This tamale was definitely the best I've ever had in Utah County...I've recently become obsessed with tamales, and this soft, flavorful and super cheap tamale will definitely satisfy my cravings! This one was stuffed to the brim with filling and was not dry at all. Perfection.

They have a little salsa bar near the register where you can customize your hot and fresh tacos. Though not as extensive as some places like Tarahumara, their salad bar had all the basics you needed to make these tacos perfect. They were double-lined with soft corn tortillas which helped to keep all the goods in, and each taco presented a unique and flavor-packed taste. The carnitas taco (or was it barbacoa?) was smothered in a delicious sauce, and we had a hard time only eating half of each in order to share because they were  just too good! Rich authentic flavors, fresh preparation, and excellent seasoning all contributed to the wonderful fillings of these tacos.

I can't remember what flavor this fried taco was, but there wasn't a single flavor that we didn't like, so I'm sure it was delicious as well. The fried tortilla was a little messier to eat so I'd probably stick with soft ones in the future, but it was still fantastic. Normally I turn my nose up at any type of iceberg lettuce, but theirs was so fresh and crisp that it added a nice crunch that I don't think you'd get with other types of lettuce! I'd definitely recommend adding cilantro and a fresh squeeze of lime to all your tacos.

What You Should Do: Umm....did you see that below $10 total cost? Yeah, this place is CHEAP. And GOOD. Two of my favorite things :) Fortunately it is just outside of quick walking distance from my house, or else I am pretty sure I would go order a tamale every day. And the best part is that it wouldn't even break the bank! The only challenging part about this restaurant comes to those of us who are not very fluent in Spanish since the majority of the menu is not in English. Here are a couple of words to give you a head start:

• Pollo = Chicken
• Barbacoa = Barbecue
• Carnitas = Pork
• Lengua = Tongue
• Al Pastor = Pork with Chiles and Pineapple
• Pescado = Fish
• Carne Asada = Beef
• Camarones = Shrimp

That's all I can remember, but if you're feeling adventurous, order something new! We were pleasantly surprised by everything we got, but make sure to write it down and remember so that when they call up your order, you know to pick it up! Or just bring that return-missionary friend (you all know who I'm talking about...)

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Black Sheep Cafe

Where: Black Sheep Cafe, 19 N University Avenue, Provo

Who Went: Chelsey & Sidney

Number of Visits: 1

What We Ordered: Chile Verde Navajo Taco and Bleu Burger

What It Cost: ~$25 (including tip, at lunch hour)

What We Thought:


I've been hearing lots of good news surrounding this new and trendy restaurant Black Sheep Cafe, and decided to check them out with my friend for lunch the other day. We went on a normal weekday at noon, so they weren't super busy, though the service wasn't exceptionally fast. I loved the rustic interior, natural lighting and wood paneling, which really added to the Southwestern feel of the restaurant.

I can't even remember the last time that I had a Navajo taco, but I can definitely guarantee it was nowhere near the level of this one! The frybread was crisp and savory, but not loaded down with grease or heavy at all - probably the most delicious piece of fried food I've had in a very long time! And I loved the sweet spicy green chile pork on top of the taco, which was full of huge chucks of juicy pork and loaded with flavor. There was just the right amount of chopped tomato and cream to balance the whole thing, and even though it was more than filling, I forced myself to eat every last bite because it tasted so good. The one thing I did regret was that since there was so much chile verde topping on the taco, it kind of made the frybread less crisp in the middle towards the end of my meal, so I think next time I would try one of their Navajo tacos with a less liquid topping.

Next up, the Bleu Burger. If it was a little cheaper, it would easily climb the list of my favorite burgers! The beef patty was so thick and juicy, bursting with fresh flavor and tenderness. There was just the right amount of blue cheese on top to give it a nice bite, and was paired with savory bacon, caramelized onions, and fresh mixed greens. I was a little confused as to how a burger fit into the whole Southwestern theme, but served in this unique flatbread wrap, it somehow seemed just right. I really loved the flavor of the sweet potato fries - and the fact that they were actually made with sweet potatoes, not yams (unlike many other alleged "sweet potato" fries)! They weren't as fried or crisp as many people are probably used to, but I thought that they were a perfect balance to this intensely flavorful burger.

What You Should Do: Though it is a little pricier than your typical burger or taco, it is definitely worth it! Black Sheep Cafe manages to manipulate familiar flavors into new and exciting entrées, and I can't wait to take Owen here so he can experience it. The only tough decision will be choosing between the heavenly fried Navajo tacos or the succulent and scrumptious burgers! Who would have thought Southwestern style burgers would be so amazing?

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