Mexican Restaurants

[ScottS4UofA]

if you are ever out in the Pinson area....Northeast area of Birmingham, you need to try Munoz Mexican Grill in Pinson. It is located at the intersection of Highway 75 and Highway 151 next to Food Giant.

[DangitGirl]

I myself do not like anything "texmex"... I prefer the true blue mexican food... if tongue taco's are not on the list then don't waste your time it isn't real!!! I don't know of any of those restaurants in Birmingham like that, but I do know a fantastic Taco Stand in Oneonta...

[orcrad47]

Originally Posted by DangitGirl

I myself do not like anything "texmex"... I prefer the true blue mexican food... if tongue taco's are not on the list then don't waste your time it isn't real!!! I don't know of any of those restaurants in Birmingham like that, but I do know a fantastic Taco Stand in Oneonta...

Hacienda Mexican Grill in Eastwood area, a block east of new WalMart, has tongue tacos.

[FlyingV]

If you want real Mexican food there is.........This article from Birmingham News. Gordo's is the best to me!

Central
• Gordo's, 433 Valley Ave.
Arguably the best taco ($1.70) in town, served in house-made tortillas. Dress them at a bar that includes onions, cilantro, jalapenos, radishes and six kinds of salsa. Carnitas, sold weekends, are spectacular. Pork belly lovers shouldn't miss the cueritos. Other good choices: lengua, longaniza, cabeza, tripa -- really everything.
News Staff/Michelle Williams You can usually find the Taqueria Guzman truck on West Valley Avenue.
• Taqueria Mi Casita, 360 Palisades Blvd. One of the largest selections ($1.70) in town, including an array of breakfast tacos. Morning eye-openers include eggs (huevos) with ham (jamon), sausage (chorizo), potatoes (papas) and cactus (nopales). Check out the chicharron, lengua and carnitas.
• Taqueria Guzman, 215 West Valley Ave.
Top-notch tacos ($1.75), sold from a truck. Ten choices are served in sturdy corn tortillas with a big corn flavor. Standouts are cueritos, carnitas, buche and cabeza. Tripa, although tasty, is a bit chewy.
• Taqueria La Reyna, 702 Valley Ave.
New restaurant offers nine choices at $1.60. Tortillas are handmade in-house. The lengua may be the city's best. Other good choices: pastor, fried tripa and carne asada.
South
• Taqueria Mexico, 3724 Lorna Road, Hoover
Open since 1999, it was one of the first to serve real tacos in the metro area. Only six choices ($1.75-$2.00), but everything is stellar. The tortillas also are house-made, but they run out on busy days and switch to commercially made ones. Try the carnitas, lengua and chicharron.
• Camino Real, 3083 Pelham Parkway, Pelham
Market with meat counter and restaurant that sells eight different kinds of tacos ($1.50-$1.79). A big bowl of green tomatillo sauce is set out at the communal table when tacos are delivered. Good choices include lengua and pastor.

News Staff Photo/Jerry AyresCantina on Cahaba Valley Road (Alabama 119)
• Cantina, 2901 Second Ave. South and 6801 Cahaba Valley Road
Gourmet tacos ($2.95 and $3.25), served norte-style in flour tortillas. It's one of the few taquerias where you can get fish and vegetarian tacos. They are standouts, along with carnitas. Steak lovers will enjoy the carne asada taco, made with tenderloin.




West
• La Perla, 1516 North Ninth Ave., Bessemer
Market with meat counter and restaurant, is another contender for top taco. Good selection of 11 taco ($1.50) fillings. Chicharron is outstanding, slightly softened in a spicy red sauce but still crispy with concentrated pork flavor. Also recommended: cachete, campechano, tripa and chorizo.

• Girasol II, 723 North Ninth Ave., Bessemer (Another location is in East Lake at 8506 First Ave. North)
Bessemer restaurant has a wide selection ($1.60) with some unusual fillings like buche. Carnitas and cueritos are standouts. East Lake menu is more limited.

North/East
• San Marcos, 1857 Center Point Parkway
Market with a restaurant offers nine choices ($1.50), generously filled. Try the pastor, a little spicier and not as sweet as some cousins.
Birmingham News/Michelle WilliamsReynaldo Vences prepares a steak taco at the Taqueria La Reyna.
Taco Fillings
Here are some taco meats found in the metro area:
• Barbacoa: Lamb or goat, traditionally wrapped in a green leaf and pit-cooked. The meat steams in the leaf.
• Buche: Meat from the digestive tract of pork and/or beef, including esophagus.
• Cabeza: Shredded meat from the cow's head.
• Cachete: Beef cheeks.
• Campechano: Pork sausage (chorizo) and beef slices.
• Carne asada: Thin-sliced marinated beef, roasted or grilled.
• Carnitas: Pork, usually butt, shoulder or ribs, slowly braised then pan-fried and shredded. The best are intensely flavored and crispy without being dry.
• Chicharron: Fried pork rinds that soften when cooked in a sauce.
• Chorizo: Pork sausage with chiles, garlic and vinegar.
• Cochinita: Pit-cooked pork (sometimes suckling pig) with a citrus and chile marinade, traditionally wrapped in a leaf and slow cooked.
• Cueritos: Like pork belly, pork skin slow-cooked for a concentrated rich flavor.
• Higado: Liver.
• Lengua: Seasoned beef tongue, boiled or steamed then cubed.
• Longaniza: Pork sausage, similar to chorizo but with a pronounced clove flavor.
• Pastor: Spicy, sweet flame-cooked pork. Some are cooked on a spit and carved, like gyro meat.
• Tripa: Lining from one of the cow's three stomachs, seasoned and boiled. Some aficionados like them fried crispy before serving.

Hope this Helps

[sto1986]

I love this post.

I always go Two Peso in Pelham and we go there all the time. I don't think they are as authentic as the some of the places listed in the previous post, but they have a pretty large menu with something interesting things on there that you don't find at every Mexican restaurant in town.

I am excited to try some of the places listed above.