Guadalajara (#3)

What's it like?

A little background info

As a kid growing up in North Carolina, my family often cooked taco dinners. That is, we piled ground beef seasoned with “taco seasonings,” fresh tomatoes, lettuce, onion, cheddar cheese and salsa in a crispy corn tortilla—I don’t eat it, but others in my family would also add sour cream. If we ordered tacos at a restaurant, we’d get the same thing, but served with rice and beans.

Honestly, I thought that’s all there was to a good taco. I heard “carne asada” mentioned in a Taco Bell commercial once, but I wrote it off because…well, I heard it in a Taco Bell commercial. After moving to Fresno, a friend introduced me to Jimboy’s Tacos, and I enjoyed several Sunday lunches there before they left town.

Then, on a trip to Ensenada with our church, I visited a taco stand in the neighborhood where we were staying. It wouldn’t have passed American health safety standards, but the food was ridiculously good: warm, homemade corn tortillas piled with carne asada, pulled from the grill and chopped on a stump. A little lime, cilantro and onion, and I was hooked.

Back to Fresno

Fresno isn’t lacking options when it comes to taco stands and Mexican restaurants. I’ve heard recommendations for seemingly dozens, which becomes a bit overwhelming when trying to pick a place to grab a quick bite. Honestly, I’ve only frequented Javier’s and a few of the Salazar’s/Bobby’s/Bobby Salazar’s.

But then I met a taco enthusiast, who has spent countless hours in field research. Today, he and his wife introduced me to Guadalajara #3.

At Mike’s recommendation, I tried the carne asada tacos—two of them, topped with lemon, cilantro, and two salsas. Now I’m hooked.

A little extra

Mike noted that he saw one of the members of the family that owns Guadalajara on the news last night; he was interviewed because the family prepared food for the crew and volunteers. With cameras rolling for Extreme Makeover, there is no shortage of businesses hoping to gain a little publicity from “volunteering” their services, but Mike explained that the family’s motivation was different.