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| - The hype here is not real, but its not bad. Whenever I visit a place in the Tempe/Phx area receiving loads of rave reviews, I come in with reserved expectations because this area loves bland food. And that's what the barbacoa and tinga are, soaking wet, watery meats lacking the oils and proper levels of cooked-in spice. The chicken texture was very dry. The carne asada is just alright, better flavors there from spice, but im never a fan of well done beef.
Packaged tortillas are just lazily thrown on the grill for a few seconds to warm up and not even flavored, or seasoned, or given a light browning or crisping for texture. The just serve as a soggy vehicle for your taco meats.
The salsa bar is the star, the green tomatillo sauce brings you serious heat that creeps on you at the end. The chunky smoked jalapeno "relish" is also a delicious spicy topping.
Service is friendly and they do a great job of moving quickly thru a large group of people.
Again, these are not bad tacos. But they are definitely not 5-star, "OMG so Authentic!" tacos. Tacos are serious business to me and they do not come close to the effort and attention that La Merced, Sahuaro, or Tepehuaje put into the tacos they provide.
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