If God really wanted to tempt Adam and Eve, the tree of knowledge would have bore tacos instead of apples.
Following up on the wildly popular The New OKC Taco Tour (Part 1) comes the not-terribly-originally-named The New OKC Taco Tour (Part 2).
This time I was lucky enough to blackmail/convince a couple of lovely ladies from Plaza District hot spot The Pritchard to join me on my quest to eat just a whole lot of tacos.
Today’s guest experts: Shelby Sieg and Mindy Magers.
Sieg is executive chef at The Pritchard and Magers is the general manager/wine expert par excellence and they are both fans of really excellent food. Sieg lived in Mexico, so she’s got a handle on how it should taste. Magers lived in L.A., which has all of the flavor of living in Mexico with a slightly higher chance of seeing Andy Dick.
FIRST STOP: Taqueria Los Desvelados
1516 SW 29th St., Oklahoma City
(405) 616-2115
Mon, Tue, Thurs - 9 a.m.-midnight, Fri 9 a.m.-3 a.m., Sat 8 a.m.-1 a.m., Sun 8 a.m.-1 a.m.
Despite having a mom who taught Spanish for most of my life, I do not speak the language outside of the words and phrases you might pick up watching “Sesame Street” or by eating at taquerias. So I required Google Translate to tell me that Taqueria Los Desvelados literally means “taco shop of the sleepless.”
That...is pretty badass.
“Where do you get your tacos?”
“Me? I go to THE TACO SHOP OF THE SLEEPLESS.”
“Wow. What about doughnuts?”
“THE BAKERY OF THE DAMNED!”
Los Desvelados is also fairly accurate, as the popular eatery is open until midnight or later six days a week.
We got...tacos. Lots of tacos. Particularly some carne asada and al pastor tacos ($2.25 each) and a big bottle of Mexican Coke.
The al pastor was so tender it must have been illegal. Each bite was like eating a Boyz II Men slowjam.
The asada was big and beefy and very tasty, but I’d steer everyone to consider the tacos dorados ($4.95) above all else.
Much like the fabled city of gold, tacos dorados literally means “golden tacos,” because they’re fried crispy. Inside can be anything, but most places in OKC stuff them with mashed potatoes, because they’re awesome.
There’s just something about puncturing that crunchy, chewy fried tortilla and being met with a steaming hot bite of creamy mashed potatoes. Douse with hot sauce and use the scattered lettuce and tomato if you like, but get these. Get them hard.
SECOND STOP: Taqueria Cardenas, SLP
1233 SW 29th St., Oklahoma City
(405) 631-2002
facebook.com/taqueriacardenasslp
Mon-Sun 6 a.m.-3 a.m.
I am as guilty as anybody about reducing Mexican food to a single cuisine. Mexico is a big country with a lot of different climates and cultures.
It’s like saying crab cakes, deep-dish pizza, shrimp and grits and roast beef are all “American food.” You’re not technically wrong, but there’s a lot more nuance.
So it’s nice at Taqueria Cardenas, SLP to know EXACTLY where the food is coming from.
Cardenas is a city in San Luis Potosí, a state in central Mexico. It’s the Mexican version of Oklahoma!
I know this is the taco tour, but the winner here was Shelby Sieg, who ordered the pozole. Pray for me, folks, because there was no way I was leaving room for Jesus between me and that soup.
Pozole is a traditional pork and hominy stew in a bright red, chile-infused broth. Cardenas served up an enormous bowl. How big? Shelby had to take a giant to-go cup full and there was still some left over for me to take.
I ordered something called a “gringo,” which was a chewy boat of tortilla filled with meat and cheese. I mean, I’m not going to tell you I didn’t enjoy it. I absolutely did.
The one thing I didn’t order that I regret to this very day, hour, minute and second is the $24.99 MEGA HAMBURGER PLANCHET. I need your help, Oklahoma. I need you to come with me and help me eat this burger. They say it’s the biggest hamburger in Oklahoma City. Contact me through the site if you’re interested in taking this challenge.
Oh, and I got some kind of taco filled with grilled hot dog slivers and steak. Guys. It was pretty good.
That concludes the second part of the New OKC Taco Tour and we’re just getting started. Shout me out in the comments, Twitter, Facebook, on the street, via text, etc. and tell me your favorite taquerias. They might be included in upcoming installments.
