The Taco Box. DISCLAIMER: One of the first things that comes to mind when I hear the word taco is that thin-soft flour tortilla or that crunchy corn tortilla/taco shell, but the Taco Box thinks outside that box by bringing to Rhode Island the Navajo Taco that I remember from my childhood in New Mexico. A Navajo taco shell is a mix of corn and flour dough (or wheat flour in this case) with a bit of yeast that rises . When cooked it adds a nice mouthfeel and background flavor to any ingredients inside, and it doesn't fall apart as easy as the other two taco formats. They go the next step by cooking these taco shells in a brick oven for that char-flavor and smokiness that makes most wood-fired pizzas awesome.
The place is a tiny little trailer out in the yard of a house with a few picnic tables, an outdoor grill, a woodfire oven, and an antique cocoa-cola ice chest. Outdoor seating and service so make sure to go on a good day or pickup on a rainy day.
ON TO THE FOOD:
I ordered a Carne Asado Taco with a creamy chiplotle aoili, grilled marinated steak, salvadorian slaw, and cojito cheese. This combination accented the tender steak, the smoky chipotle, and the mild slaw with nice burst of saltyiness from the cojito cheese. The earthy char of the tender steak did a little happy dance with the smoky chipotle and salty cheese. This was a steak lover's dream.
My girlfriend had the Shredded Chicken Taco. The chicken was marinated in clove, garlic, and cinnamon then grilled. It was then finished with a delicious pico de gallo (so good its almost a salsa) and lettuce, tomato, with thinly sliced red onion. The chicken itself was a star and the rest just ramped up that flavor to a new level. The spicy-sweetness of the chicken danced beautifully in a waltz with the pico de gallo and fresh crisp flavors of the lettuce, tomato, and onion.
We also had an order of the chips and pico de gallo with a side of guacamole. I often rate places on their guacamole and this stuff was the kind of guac you can put on almost anything: ice cream, bagels, toast, a spoon... so sooo good.
This food made me miss the kind of lively flavors I had back in Albuquerque, NM and I can tell you that only a few places in RI have done that. The price point is reasonable and don't expect to order two or three tacos, one taco is plenty of food here.
SERVICE: Matthew, the guy at the wheel, took care of us and was happy to answer any and all questions. He was extremely personable and willing to go the extra mile. He even gave me a side of green chiles because I mentioned how much I love them in my food (I had green chile iced tea, tasty stuff).
All in all, it was a great experience to eat at this tucked away little Taco Box across the side street from Dell's Lemonade. read more