Having grown up in Chicago with an authentic Mexican restaurant almost always somewhere in my five-mile radius, my quest to find satisfactory Mexican food in the city of Boston is seemingly never ending
Sure, I had the luxury of living in Myles Standish Hall my sophomore year with Boca Grande right next door, but their sloppy, bean-bogged burritos that contained a questionable landing strip slice of cheese glued to the tortilla could only satisfy my cravings for so long.
So instead of some frozen guac from Qdoba, I ventured into the city to find fresh avocados at a few restaurants that are offering special taco deals.
First up was La Verdad, a taqueria on Lansdowne Street. Often overlooked since it is sandwiched in among a slew of bars, La Verdad’s taco Tuesday special allows customers up to five tacos at only $1 each from a choice of three of the menu’s specialty choices.
Choose among the Carne Asada (skirt steak, caramelized onions, guacamole and green salsa), Carnitas (confit pork, cilantro, onions, green salsa and chicharrones) and the Pastor (pork adobo, pineapple, lime, cilantro, onion).
I tried one of each with a side of fresh guacamole (a ‘small’ is $8.95, but it’s actually big enough to share) and a strawberry margarita ($10). The margarita really isn’t worth the price tag, but if you want to feel like you’re in Cabo rather than a dirty ballpark street lined with sausage stands, you might as well splurge.
Of the three tacos, the steak is definitely the best. It was grilled perfectly, whereas both pork tacos were slightly dry. The Pastor is also a safe bet, with the pineapple adding a sweet, moist touch to the otherwise dry (and spicy!) pork.
Looking for a change of scenery, I headed to the South End to try Taco Tuesday at the unlikely Tremont 647. The typically American restaurant offers $2 tacos that are slightly more ‘abstract’ than your typical Mexican fare. They were even offering pumpkin tacos.
While the pumpkin tacos didn’t really taste like pumpkin ‘- they actually really didn’t taste like much of anything ‘- the pork carnitas were at least tasty, albeit slightly skimpy in comparison to La Verdad’s.
The ambiance is nice ‘- if I ever want to snarl tacos and hunt for a South End Sugar Daddy, I know where to go ‘- but for better tacos and a better deal, La Verdad offers a far more authentic and satisfying meal.
La Verdad, 1 Landsdowne St., Boston
Tremont 647, 647 Tremont St., Boston
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