Friday I had to run an errand in Smyrna, a mile away from the newly opened . The Facebook page claims they offer Michoacan style cuisine, though I didn’t notice too much out of the ordinary. Then again, I’m not familiar with Michoacan food.
They have full plates of food like carnitas, chicken mole, and fried shrimp, though I went with a three taco plate, with the addition of a pork tamale. The al pastor (pork) was solid, as was the grilled fish, though the beef tongue was dry and chewy. Tacos are reminiscent of Buford Highway – small, double corn tortillas, and inexpensive ($6 for the plate, including properly cooked rice and beans) though they chose to add lettuce and tomato, which I scraped away. Instead, I sampled toppings from BOCA’s stellar salsa bar, which has five or six salsas, onion, cilantro, radish, jalapeno, and probably a few more items. A cactus based pico de gallo was interesting, but the fiery tomatillo salsa was my favorite.
I’m not a tamale expert, but I thought it disappointing. The masa itself wasn’t dry, but the amount of filling was extremely modest, so the ratio of each bite was out of sorts.
I’ll be back though – it’s a fine option for tacos on that side of town, with some specials I’d like to try, like the birria de chivo (goat stew – weekends only) and the barbacoa.
Oh I also stopped in REV coffee afterwards, which is directly across the street. I learned they roast their own coffee there, and had a right good espresso. Very bright, and powerful without being syrupy.
