Question about Rusty Taco
Opening in St. Paul, Minnesota, in April. Very close to my house.
I read one long-ish thread here about wait times (with a small diversion regarding Shake Shack). Reviews about food quality seem mixed, but nothing posted since August. Have they found their groove? What can we expect on the other end of Interstate 35?
We have some very good authentic Mexican places in the Twin Cities that I enjoy very much. Not really thinking Rusty Taco will supplant those. But in the "for what it is" category, is it a decent enough $2.50 taco? And what's the vibe like?
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Opened today! Sort of a Chipotle concept, only tacos. The shrimp taco was scrumptious! (And totally worth $2.50 btw. I went back for seconds.) Homemade guacamole with chunky avocados, not too garlicy with warm chips...yummy. Great vibe, brightly lit, happy staff, fun assortment of music - reggae, 80's alternative,etc. Darling flower buds on industrial type tables, kinda IKEA-ish. $4 beer (bottle and draft) and wine. A super lunch for 9 bucks!
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Chipotle
2605 S I Hwy 35 E, Lewisville, TX 75067 -
Thanks for the responses so far. Sounds like it's worth giving a try at least more than once. They are also going to have tap beer, including local brews, so that's a plus. They will be in a strip mall that shares a parking lot with a Trader Joe's. It's already "competitive parking," and I don't see the addition of a restaurant changing that whatsoever.
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I've been to the Rusty Taco several times in the past four or five months. I'm certainly not a taco aficionado, but I've never had a wait more than five minutes. Granted, I tend to eat lunch around 1 - 2 p.m., but the place is half deserted when I'm there. As for the quality of the tacos, I'd rate them a 3 1/2 or 4+ on a five point scale. Very good, well seasoned, and fresh. Nothing to knock your socks off, but then again, I can count on the fingers on one hand the tacos I've had that have knocked my socks off. The last about three or four years ago in Berkeley, California. Queso and guacamole are both good, and I'd rate the chips very good. Price isn't a big deal for me when it's tacos on tap, but it's damned hard to beat $2/each. I have a mild preference for El Atoron on Henderson, but they're both pretty good.
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El Atoron
2023 N Henderson Ave, Dallas, TX 75206 -
Caroline1
Mar 16, 2011 08:30 AM
I ate there once, about a year ago. It wasn't inedible, but it didn't ring any chimes. With so many other places to try, I've had no inclination to go back. But maybe a change in scenery will improve their food. Give it a shot! You don't have to go back.
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iluvtennis
Mar 15, 2011 04:20 PM
The last few times i went, the wait was minimal. I actually prefer this over fuzzy's, but i'm not sure how it compares with what you've got up in the Twin Cities. The only thing i really like here is their namesake taco, the rusty taco with achiote pork and pineapple on corn tortillas. I get mine with no cilantro. It seems like it's hit and miss though, as i too often get a taco filled with fatty pieces. When the taco is good, though, it is really good...but there's just not enough i like here to rave about the place as a whole.
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air
Mar 15, 2011 08:42 AM
I've made a few recent trips to the Twin Cities myself and your intuition is correct that Rusty Taco won't supplant the Mexican places already there. The clever Nancy Nichols of D Magazine did a little roundup of "chef-driven" or "gourmet" type tacos a few months ago, and maybe that'll help paint a picture of the scene here:
http://www.dmagazine.com/Home/D_Magaz...Based on my experience, I don't quite agree with Rusty Taco being #2 and I'd say they are closer to bottom of the barrel, worse than Fuzzy's. Maybe they've gotten better since my visit last summer, but I haven't read anything that would motivate me to try again. The description of the tacos in the D Mag piece sounds the same as when I had them earlier in the year. The vibe is pretty fun when it's a nice day outside, but I'm far more concerned about the quality of food. And I'm sorry to hear they've gotten more expensive for the MSP location. In my opinion, they don't offer food that would warrant attention from the folks on this forum and that would also be my guess as to why there's hardly any discussion about them here. So for your purposes: subpar tacos at $2.50 a pop with a long wait? Think I'll pass.
