I was really excited when I arrived at Taquería El Paisa. It's a lively, energetic establishment,…read moreand even though there were at least 20 people ahead of me in line, the wait gave me a chance to observe the well-orchestrated kitchen operations. Everything looked authentic, fresh, and incredibly appetizing.
When it was finally my turn to order, I was especially pleased to see the variety of meats available. The suadero immediately caught my attention. It appeared to be the proper cut of meat--a cut that surprisingly few places in the Bay Area use, and even fewer seem to know how to cook properly. I also noticed that they use a traditional "disco"--the large, deep, circular pan with a dome-shaped center--to cook the suadero. At that point, my mouth was watering.
We ordered a burrito, three asada tacos, two suadero tacos, two cabeza tacos (meat from cow's head), one lengua (beef tongue), and one tripa (beef small intestine). I also asked for some of the salsa available behind the counter where they serve your tacos, which turned out to be a delicious house-made habanero salsa.
Unfortunately, not all that glitters is gold. As appetizing as everything looked, the meats simply weren't executed as well as I had hoped. The asada was dry and overcooked. The suadero was dry, tough, and overcooked. I was particularly looking forward to the tripa, but instead of the crispy, rich, savory flavor I normally associate with a great tripa taco, these were soft, soggy, fatty, and somewhat bland.
One of the biggest disappointments was that all of the different cuts seemed to taste almost exactly the same. Part of the appeal of ordering tacos like suadero, cabeza, lengua, and tripa is experiencing the distinct character of each cut. Unfortunately, those differences were largely lost here. By the end of the meal, the dominant flavor in my mouth was simply grease, which made it difficult for the individual meats to shine.
That said, there is a lot to like about Taquería El Paisa. I absolutely loved the décor and overall ambience. The restaurant has a genuine feel of as if you were in a Mercado in Mexico City, and that atmosphere adds a lot to the experience. I also really enjoyed the salsa bar, which offers a great variety of traditional taco accompaniments. The house-made habanero salsa, in particular, is excellent--bright, flavorful, and seriously spicy. A few drops on each taco is more than enough. Seriously, resist the temptation to douse your taco in it!
I think Taquería El Paisa has tremendous appeal and a potential for the best taqueria in the Bay Area. The atmosphere is authentic, the selection of meats is impressive, and the presentation initially builds a lot of anticipation. What I would love to see is a little more attention given to the cooking techniques and handling of each individual cut. Better control of the cooking time, texture, and perhaps work on mastering how the suadero, tripa, lengua, and cabeza can each maintain their own distinctive flavor and character.
There's definitely something special here waiting to come through. With some refinement in the execution of the meats, Taquería El Paisa could really elevate the taco experience and turn that first impression of excitement into an equally impressive meal.
Side note, is there a bathroom at this restaurant? I couldn't find one.