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| - This space on Copeland Street has seen it's share of different business and, despite having lived here for 10 years, it's the first time we've set foot on this floor of the building. But with growling stomachs and a nearby parking spot secured, the promise of a little south of the border lunch lured us in.
Chica Loca Taco is a suprisingly bright space despite minimal windows. It's very clean and spare with bright, colorful artwork and furnishings. One drawback that my partner picked up on upon entering was a thick smell of cooking in the air. We avoid any bars that allow smoking because it penetrates your clothes. Although the smell in Chica Loca was not unpleasant (as cigarette smoke is to us), we really prefer to not smell like a restaurant when we leave. We're not sure if this is due to inadequate ventilation or just a byproduct of the open cooking area. Can you fix this?
The menu featured several different types of soft flour tacos with either chicken, shredded pork, veggie, chorizo and a few other options. I asked the server (who was very perky and smiley) if most people order one or two tacos. She said people usually order two because they are about 6" round. So, two it was!
I ordered one each of the carnitas and chorizo tacos. They were automatically dosed with cheese (quesa fresca), onions and cilantro. Other fixins were available at additional cost but the standards were fine for me. As we waited for our order, we were given one bowl of house fried tortilla chips with two small cups of salsa (of our choosing). My partner's medium house salsa was run-of-the-mill red tomato salsa with just enough bite to avoid having to down an entire glass of water before our meal arrived...maybe just a few sips. My tomatillo salsa was disappointing. Then again, sometimes you get what you ask for. It was finely diced tomatillos, nothing more. It was pretty bland and would have benefited from a touch of salt, garlic, onion and perhaps some jalapeño.
The tacos arrived in about five minutes and were pretty darn tasty. The soft flour shells were a little dry but the fillings were flavorful, which is the most important part (for me, anyway). Each taco was wrapped in two 6" tortillas which was a pleasant surprise instead of only one which would have likely fallen apart under the weight and wet of the insides. The chorizo was mildly spicy and melded swimmingly with the cheese and accoutrements. The shredded pork was juicy and flavorful. We made short work of them and were a little surprised how full we felt despite the seemingly small lunch. Oh, and for all this around 15 bucks. Not too shabby for a tasty Shadyside lunch.
Chica Loca is not Mad Mex or Taco Bell (thank God it's not the latter). Chica Loca hews a little closer to authentic Mexican food which does not drown it's offerings in sauces and gooey cheese. Simple, fresh (my partner remarked how fresh the tacos tasted) and fast. It's definitely worth fighting for a precious Shadyside parking spot.
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