The Taco Project
Posted on May 28, 2008 under Mexican food, Silicon Valley, tacos by stett |Metro Balderas
799 S. 1st St., San Jose. 408.292.37109
Metro Balderas’ Almaden Avenue location has long been one of my favorite taquerias. Named after a subway stop in Mexico City, the restaurant specializes in tacos as well as Mexico City street food like pambazos, huaraches, tortas and alambres. It’s great stuff, especially the tacos. On weekends, they haul out an outdoor griddle and cook up delicious al pastor tacos along with grilled onions and other fixins. It’s straight outta DF. So, when the restaurant opened a new location on 1st Street I was excited. Now one of Silicon Valley’s best tacos was only a few blocks from my office. Or at least that’s what I thought.
Alas, after ordering my requite carne asada and al pastor tacos ($1.45 each) I pronounce them solidly mediocre. The tacos are served on two-ply tortillas and are nice and small and minimally adorned with just onions, cilantro and a dab of red salsa. But looks aren’t everything.
Visually speaking, the tacos are great.
The al pastor was the best of the two . The pork was crispy and juicy inside, but it lacked that sweet and savory al pastor. Making matter worse were the gummy, dense tortillas. The carne asada taco is peppery, lightly browned and sufficiently tender but otherwise unremarkable. These tacos would work in a pinch but I’d head to the original location for a better version.
Taco tally
1. Los Jarritos
2. Tacos Eva
3. Tacos El Ranchito No. 2
4. Los Dos Compadres
5. Metro Balderas (S.1st Street location)
6. La Cabana
