Cabo Taco Baja Grill in La Mirada California

A couple months ago, before we started Taco Tuesday Junkies, we found this colorful little taco joint in La Mirada, California. Instead of reviewing this restaurant based on our memory, Capsaicin Head and I decided to head back there and give Cabo Taco a proper review.

The Establishment
There is one thing that you will certainly notice when you walk through the front doors and that is this establishment spared NO expense in the interior-color department! Even though this place looks pretty big (there are quite a few booths lining the permieter walls as well as a few set up in the middle of the room), I would suggest getting there as early as you can to get a table. This place fills up quickly. That being said, we still had chips and salsa on the table in no time. Margaritas showed up soon after, as did our side of Guac. As with most restaurants, most servers are assigned a set of tables for their shift. This means you pretty much have to grab your server if you need anything. Not at Cabo Taco! We actually had a different server walk by our table and pick up a couple of empty plates. And she smiled. And she asked if we wanted a refill on the drinks. And she was smiling. Great service!

Chips, Salsa and the coveted Guacamole!
Our table chips showed up in a nice big bowl as did our salsa. We always ask for another salsa as my partner-in-crime tends to load up everything she orders with it! The salsa had good flavor without being overly hot or spicy. I'm not 100% sure, but the salsa tasted a little like the peppers and tomatoes might be grilled before they are chopped. I might be completely wrong, but that is what my taste buds told me...so, either way, it was a good thing! If you're like us, you'll be disappointed to know that there is not a salsa bar here. The ability to try different salsas is something we crave. We didn't inquire if they made any other salas (uh, ya, must have slipped our minds), so if you do make it here, ask. I'm sure they have something else back there. Shortly after our eyes had finished scanning the room for the missing salsa bar, our side of guacamole appeared in front of us. Creamy with just a few chunks of avocado and tomato, we did notice the abundant flavor of lime. We love lime so, if yer a lime-lover too, you're definitely gonna love this! One side should be good for two people.

The Main Course - TACOS!
I ordered my usual "One chicken, one carne asada and one fish please", but was then hit with the question: Do you want the chicken and carne Cabo or Baja style?". I didn't feel like reading the menu again, so I just threw out there "The chicken Cabo style and the carne Baja". Good thing too, as the Cabo chicken and Baja carne were REALLY tasty! Judging from the ingredients in these two styles, I'm pretty certain you could order them the other way around and still be satisfied. Cabo style adds lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and guac to your choice of meat and then wraps it all in a single flour tortilla. This is a pretty standard taco with good flavor, but not really anything that will jump out at you. The Baja style, however, is high on my list as one of the tastiest combinations I've had so far. A dual-layer corn tortilla is stuffed full of your choice of meat and then topped with bacon, peppers, tomatillo-chipotle sauce and cotija cheese. Talk about a yummy taco. My final taco included a dual-layered corn tortilla filled with beer-battered fish (never did ask what kind of beer, but they do specialize in craft-beer!). This taco is topped with cabbage, chipotle dressing and salsa fresca. As you can see from the picture, it's a pretty serious taco! I put a little salsa and a touch of guac on this one to spice it up a bit...ah, the icing on the cake!

Final Thoughts
We decided to head back to Cabo Taco because we knew how good it was. The atmosphere is fun and festive, and the tacos are really really good. Order the guacamole. Even if you don't like it, order it. And whatever meat you choose for the tacos, you MUST try the Baja style. Take it from us, Cabo Taco Baja Grill is a must visit if you're a Taco Tuesday Junky!

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