R&R Taqueria Serves Delicious Food

[elgringoviejo]

R&R Taqueria, located next to the Shell petrol station on Route One at the northwest corner of its intersection with Route 175 serves delicious food at reasonable prices. The bill-of-fare is not limited to tacos, but also includes traditional Mexican full breakfasts, that include my favorite, huevos rancheros. The owner/chef is from Puebla, a region about a hundred miles southwest of the capital that is noted for the quality of its cuisine, and R & R upholds the proud tradition of cocina Poblana. My person favorite antojito Mexicano served at R&R is Sopes con carne pastor, a huge and thick fried disc of corn masa, topped with grilled meat al pastor, chopped romaine lettuce, black beans refrito, grated Mexican cheese, mayonnaise, and salsa verde. I like to mix the salsa verde with the mayonnaise, as the result deliciously flavors the meat, beans, and fried corn masa. The prices are very reasonable. The quality of the food is the equal of MVP and south Florida's Dona Raquel. When in Highlandtown, one should eat at MVP but in Howard county we can be justly proud of R&R.

[Dennis S]

Had the huevos con chorizo this morning for breakfast. The place was hopping! I think it was busier for breakfast than I've ever seen it otherwise.

Good breakfast - but nothing outstanding. The beans were the surprising star of the plate.

[HowChowBlog]

If you to R&R, you should definitely try the tacos -- but also branch out. The sopes sounds like menu for my next visit. R&R has also had a ceviche special, which was delicious and a bargain as well.

[Dennis S]

We've gotten a carne asada there as well which was good. Didn't know about the ceviche. The truck North on Rt1 also has carne asada and sopes. Their Tortas sound odd though - one is "sausage, hot dog and cheese". But the tacos were good (I had chorizo).

And HowChowBlog - you saw the mention of the second pit beef, North on Rt.1, right? I plan on hitting the one near the veggie stand next week, and will post about it.

[mcattrone]

The hot dog in a torta is typically found in Sonoran style mexican cuisine. You can find this sonoran specialty all over the place south of Tucson, AZ. Delicious.

[Jason1]

I did get a torta there once. As the sign says, it was definately "gigante". Overall it was ok. I can't remember what was in the one that I got, it was one of the hot ones (as opposed to their cold cut tortas) and it definately included a hot dog. It was also a huge mess to eat. Overall not bad, but not what I normally think of as a torta. My favorite torta in the area (ok, a wide area) is the Torta Cubana at La Sirinita in Glen Burnie.

[Marty L.]

"The quality of the food is the equal of MVP and south Florida's Dona Raquel."

Equal of DR? For real? That would be fairly spectacular, if true. What's MVP?

[Dennis S]

I don't know either of those places. I'll say it's top notch tacqueria for around here, but one notch down from TECC. So - a great addition, and since I'm now working near there occasionally I love the option (and now the truck as well that's up the road), but it seems on par with the taco truck on River road, Pepito's, the one that used to be at Rt 7, the one that's occasionally at South Lakes park on the weekend for soccer games, etc.

[Marty L.]

TECC, good as it is, is not Dona Raquel, by a long stretch. Sounds like R&R has great food other than tacos. I would drive (and have driven) many miles to get to DR, but I live *much* closer to TECC (and closer than that to the River Road truck) than to R&R -- and if I'm driving to BWI, there's the allure of Grace Garden. So unless we're really talking about a Dona Raquel-quality joint . . .

-----
Grace Garden
1690 Annapolis Rd, Odenton, MD

[Dennis S]

And I don't know DR - though it sounds like I would enjoy the opp. I'm just trying to give a comparison of regional places - to help set expectations. If it's the GREATEST, then, no, none of them are. If it's a great find in the middle of nowhere with easy access - that is R&R and the truck North on Rt1. If you want to do better and drive to a diff locale - then TECC. That's all I was trying to get across.

[Marty L.]

Tried it this morning. Huevos rancheros; tacos buche and pastor. All fine, but nothing worth driving out of the way for -- and not in TECC's, let alone Dona Raquel's, league. Next time I'll try the sopes.

[elgringoviejo]

I believe that R&R's sopes are the equal of DR's. IMO R&R's strong suit is the basic antojito while DR is broader, and ought to be given the comparative facilities. DR has about four times the space as does R&R. My basci point is that we are blessed in HoCo MD to have a taqueria whose antojitos equal if not excel those of DR. Having said that I would reiterate that DR's salsa verde con aguacate is unmatched. Would also repeat that DR's mixed shrimp platter is a national treasure. We are luck to have both eating houses.

[Pappy]

Where is the River Road truck?

[Dennis S]

It's not 100% reliable as to being there, and I actually haven't seen him a couple of times recently when I thought he would be out there. But - he always used to park on Westbound River Rd, on top of a hill on the right shoulder, between the beltway and Goldsboro - probably just a little closer to the beltway than to Goldsboro

[elgringoviejo]

All of these places have their strong points. I prefer the antojitos at Mi Viejo Pueblito and R&R as they are done Puebla-style. I seem to recall that DR does their thing Michoacan-style. The sopes at DR are smaller than R&R, but I really give R&R the edge when it comes to toppings, as I prefer the Puebla way of topping antojitos to that of Michoacan. OTOH DR's mixed shrimp platter is my fave as this exemplifies the strong suit of Michoacan-style cooking. DR's table sauces are probably the best of the three. To sum up, each of these three eateries has specialities that make them wonderful places to chow down.

[sekelmaan]

Would you mind putting a google map link up? I have no idea where this is. Thanks.

[Dennis S]

Google maps isn't being friendly on this location right now. But it's easy to describe. Take Rt 175 exit off 95 (it's one exit North of the 32/Ft Meade exit). Take the lane that goes East, towards Ft. Meade. Get left as soon as possible because you need to turn left at the first light, and then left immediately into the gas station. R&R is "inside" the gas station. The parking lot is chaotic and the businesses to the side and rear of the station are, well, shady. But it's good - worth a stop.

To get to the truck mentioned, follow these directions but don't turn into the station - keep going North on Rt 1. It's maybe a quarter mile up.

[elgringoviejo]

I park in the shopping center's general parking lot.

[Dennis S]

I tried the truck today. Good. Almost even keel with R&R. I had the chorizo tacos. The torta's actually seem kinda weird. One is sausage, hot dog and cheese.

However, the tacos were the real deal, and good. I think I give R&R the edge, but the staff at the truck was nice, and there is plenty of parking - it's just a little less "edgy" than competing for parking spaces/worrying about theft or muggings/etc.

Next! The pit beef place near 295 - next Wednesday.

[OneSonTwoCats]

Dennis:
Please post when you do go. This sounds close enough that I could hit it during the week on my lunch hour.

[Dennis S]

Will do - I'm sure I'll get there next Wed.

[sekelmaan]

This the pit beef place you are talking about:

Uncle Grube's and Smokey's Pit Beef Barbecue
410-796-0024
7300 Roosevelt Blvd., Elkridge, MD 21075

[Dennis S]

The one I spotted is actually on 175, on the North side of the road, just West of 295, near the Jessup Baptist Church. There's a couple of things going on in the lot - maybe a continual yard sale thing?

But, I'll have to add Uncle Grube's to the list - have you had it?

Use this address to get you near to the stand I saw:
2862 Jessup Road
Jessup, MD 20794

[sekelmaan]

I was trying to find the gas station for a trip on saturday (which I did, Waterloo Shell) and thought I'd see if I could hit up the pit beef place for a sandwich to go at the same time since they are near one another and so far away from me.

[Dennis S]

I've had that thought line, too - for the same area. However, starting last week I will be going up there approximately once a week, so I can pop around to these spots in a little more relaxed manner.

[HowChowBlog]

I saw that pit beef on Rte 175 as well. It is sitting in front of a vegetable stand. I got vegetables there one morning. (Nothing noteworthy.) But the pit beef wasn't open yet. I'd love to know if you visit.

[MaybeKathy]

We tried Uncle Grube''s once and were underwhelmed, not even as good as the Canopy.

[Dennis S]

Much agreed as has been stated before:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/667403 &
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/707260

Have you made it to the Torta truck North of there by a quarter of a mile? I'll probably try it next Wednesday or the new pit beef place just a few hundred yards shy of 295 - trailer and a tent kind of affair.