Street Tacos. They’re pretty much everything. They are the heart and soul of us brown people. So when a friend of mine suggested meeting for lunch at Taco Teresa’s, I was excited.
This friend of mine is visiting from Florida, and because she heard that Minneapolis is a “foodie town” she came in with the intent to see if we could live up to the hype. I personally had never been to Taco Teresa’s before, it’s a little place in a strip mall that I’ve never had the need to visit. I’ve always wanted to see what was back there but didn’t have a reason. Now I do.
Taco Teresa’s is an unassuming joint that specializes in street tacos, but there is a variety of all things South of the Border. I feel like I need to go back and try everything. You want Lengua? They got you covered. Feel like Chorizo? Don’t even worry, they got it. There’s Tortilla Soup on the menu in case it’s chilly and you need something comforting. The Lindo’s Special- grilled chicken, steak, and shrimp grilled with onion, bell peppers, mushrooms and zucchini served over a bed of rice, covered with cheese sauce and served with a side of tortillas sounds divine! Maybe I’ll try that next.
The décor is simple and that’s ok. This isn’t about that. You even order at the counter, take a number, peruse the hot sauce bar and grab some chips to dip, and wait for them to bring out your order. The prices are reasonable, nothing ostentatious here. This is one place you’re going strictly for the food – don’t get it twisted. I noticed the variety in the clientele, with people on their lunch breaks, construction workers, young people, older people... just your every day people. What I DID notice, was that there were Latin looking people, and that is super important, amirite?
*Side note: I have a weird thing about ordering counter style- like at Chipotle or Qdoba. I feel rushed and I never know how to do it. The nice thing about Taco Teresa’s is that there is room to stand back and browse the menu before going up to the counter and placing your order. The staff is friendly and helpful, and the only awkward thing is that when you pay with a card, they turn the screen to you in order for you to choose to tip or not. The NICE thing about this, is that you just have to press the corresponding button depending on what kind of a tipper you are. As a former waitress, I’m a tipper, so I just touched the 20% option because that’s just what I did. This isn’t a place for obnoxious tipping, just do your thing.
I ordered the street tacos with Carne Asada chopped beef. Ivonne exclaimed that these were REAL street tacos because they even doubled up on the small corn tortillas per taco! (Did this mean they had “Street Cred?” I wanted to blurt that out but I don’t know Ivonne well enough to let her know I’m a nerd.) I also ordered a side of beans and a side of guac. You need the guac. Plus it’s a good fat, right Pizza Girl?
We sat by the window chatting, waiting for the food to arrive. We munched on the chips and salsa while we waited, and I couldn’t help but notice that the windows were so clean, if it weren’t for the perfect temperature in the restaurant, I could have sworn you could reach right outside to the 80 degree sunshine - you couldn’t even see the glass! That’s kind of crazy, because restaurants generally have smudges in the window seating. At least, the kind of restaurants that are family friendly and well-priced do. It was pretty nice to see such cleanliness in there, if they care about the window treatments and glass, they probably cared about all of the other places it matters as well.
Our food was brought out, and I was impressed with the amount of Carne Asada that was piled on to the little soft corn tortillas. There was no skimping on the goods. Another A as far as I was concerned. The limes that accompanied were fresh tasting and just enough. I probably could have fit another taco in my belly, but I’m trying to get rid of the belly so that was a no. The food was the right amount though, and since Ivonne didn’t quite finish hers, I wasn’t about to say, “Hang on while I have another round.” The beans were different from the traditional beans I’m used to, and although they were delicious and not disappointing, I probably will try something else next time. I think this is due to certain parts of Mexico or South America cooking differently from other parts, and nothing to do with quality.
They do come by and remove your containers of food, so there is nothing to clean up when you are finished. I thought that was nice, being as I expected to clear my own place. On the way out, I noticed they had a sign for flan. I’m weak when it comes to flan, so I was going to take some home to share with my daughter Bri. They were out though, and so that was a bit of a bummer. Guess I’ll have to come earlier next time.
Yes, next time. I’ll be bringing my family here because this is an excellent little discovery! I’m glad Ivonne introduced me to this place, I might not have ever seen it or ventured in that way had she not!
Sunday night, we did go to dinner with Ivonne and Jose for some fancier dining, and you can read all about that here.
Thank you for checking in friends, and until next time- try something new!! Go to that place you never really considered. Try out that out of the way diner. Discovering diamonds in the rough is one of my favorite things!