Taqueria del Sol

By Christopher Taylor
After a Couple visits to Taqueria del Sol, the defining quality I've come to find about the place is a burning desire to do things well. Teh place isn't burdened with restaurant service or culinary tradition, but it isn't opposed to the meither. The menu, service and layout all demonstrate a unique approach to dining and come together for a thoroughly enjoyable whole.

The ordering method is a cross between fast food and traditional sit-down takeout. You wait in line with your own copy of the menu in hand, go up to the single cashier, order and pay up front. This process has been well thought-out for the sake of the diners, I think; I often find myself not really feeling like paying for food after I've eaten it. I like this system.


It doesn't share the fast food method of delivery; there's no standing around awkwardly next to the counter waiting to be handed a paper bag with plastic forks. After ordering, you fill your own drink but then you find a place to sit (there are indoor, bar and patio options), and wait for your food to be brought to you, as it would in a traditional sit-down place.

The menu is impressively diverse also; the tacos and enchiladas have several choices of meat, and for each enchilada vresion several sauce options as well. To avoid difficulties with substitions, there are no combos or platters. Everything is served a la carte, allowing diners to have exactly what they want together on their plates.

The brisket taco combines the simplicity of the flour tortilla, fresh tomato and pepper of the pico de gallo, and the tenderness of the traditional barbecued beef. This is a taco that puts up no fight in the eating of it, although it may leave a few drips of sauce on your chin to remember it by.

The cheese enchilada with beef and red chili is also and impressive though simple combination. It's an excellent choice for those who want to regulate their mouthfuls by deciding just how much chili and beef to mix with just how much tortilla and cheese. It's beautifully presented as well; the wide cream platter with the neatly folded enchilada, drizzled with the red sauche looks almost like a brush covered in oily auburn paint, fresh off the canvas.

The starters were the only area that perhaps left something to be desired. The salsas, while made, are nothing to write home about. The red sauce is neither very hot or distinct; it seems to have been made with almost too many different spices; the flavors get muddied along the way. The brown sauce suffers from similar problems. It's almost just a chunkier version of the red. The cheese dip is well done; it kept just the right consistency for the duration of the meal. I don't enjoy Monterey Jack, so I still wasn't completely thrilled. This is a small compalint, however, for an otherwise brilliantly varied and thoughtful menu.

If it's nothing else, Taqueria del Sol is a restaurant that does things its way and sticks to them. It's clear that each and every choice, from design to execution, was carefully considered in favor of the best experience for both all customers and each customer as an individual. I can't wait to go back and try something new.