Jaco Taco

21 W State Street
Media, PA 19063
(484) 444-2839
Website

There is a Jaco Taco in West Chester I had passed by on weekend strolls a few times, but never had the want/need to try. Mainly because it is a taco and JUICE BAR. While I am no stranger to some authentic fresh juice with my tacos, this was the yuppie version. That being said, I decided to give the Media outpost a shot.

The interior is nice, with a bar or high tops to sit at and your food is complemented with some New Jersey hot sauce, Hank Sauce.

The "Baco" juice drink boasts fresh squeezed OJ, carrot and ginger. I was here for a late breakfast, so I figured I would give it a go. Surprisingly my body reacted perfectly okay to the healthiest thing I have consumed in 2017.

To round it out, I got some tacos. And a burrito. From the top and going clockwise, a "Froman" burrito, a "Baco" taco, a pulled pork street taco, and an adoba chicken taco.

The "Baco" taco was shockingly my favorite. Avocado, sweet onion, tomato, sweet corn, cotija cheese, tomatillo salsa and roasted poblano crema, this one had the flavor that I wanted. Which was "a lot". The sweet corn and roasted poblano crema had the sweet and savory, with some tomatillo salsa bringing just a touch of heat. Can't believe the meatless thing was my fave.

The adoba chicken (hiding under that cabbage) had quality chicken, but it was dry and somewhat bland. This was kind of rectified by the addition of hot sauce, but this should have brought some chipotle fire. Braised chicken, cabbage slaw, cotija cheese, tomatillo salsa and roasted poblano crema should not be mild in flavor.

I could have used some more cheese too. It was lost in the jazz cabbage.



On to the Tijuana street taco with pulled pork. The pork was nicely rendered, but had a serious lack of salt. I want my pork salty, crispy and decadent. They did fine on the crispy edges, but this was again lacking any "pop". I did appreciate the nod to street fare.

The "Froman" burrito features scrambled organic egg, chorizo, potatoes, caramelized onions and blended cheese. This was a pretty tasty breakfast burrito, with the addition of some salsa it was livened right up.

Don't mind the color, just add some red salsa and ask for a side of the poblano crema.

Overall, they had a decent thing going here. If they jacked up the spice beyond basic gringo, I might be a regular.

El Tio

680 Lancaster Avenue
Berwyn, PA 19312
(484) 329-7717
Website

Someone alerted me to El Tio recently, and I thought I might have found a contender for the reigning champion of the Mexican throne in the burbs But unfortunately, it fell a bit short.

I arrived for a Saturday lunch around noon, and they still had the door locked, though they had been open since eleven. The hostess/server was incredibly nice and accommodating, instructing me to sit wherever I wanted.

The menu featured the standard fare for meats. Carnitas are always a plus, and if you don't serve al pastor, then you are doing it wrong.

Some chips and salsa to start. The chips were well salted, though they were not exactly fresh. The salsa had a nice heat to it, despite looking somewhat mild.

Also, some queso, which I ordered after the salsa, because I didn't realize it was offered. The queso had great flavor, but was lukewarm. Almost cold. I like a little more warmth on my melted cheese sauces.

Next up was the entree course. A shredded chicken burrito, smothered in mole and a house platter "El Tio" with al pastor.

The burrito was well endowed, and the shredded chicken was well executed, however the mole was bit lackluster. I guess I am spoiled on the perfect complexity of El Limon, but this seemed a bit flat.

They did not shy away from stuffings.

A well proportioned burrito.

The al pastor had promise, but was pocketed with chewy cartilage and overly fatty cuts. I liked the smoky flavor, and the char the pork received. but having to spit out a bad piece more than once put a damper on my experience. Observe one very said piece below, front and center.

The shredded Queso Chihuahua was a big plus, and melted perfectly on the warm tortillas. The guacamole has a nice acidity, and the beans and rice were alright. Nothing to write home about.

Maybe I caught them after a bad batch from the Carnicería, but I really can't stand inedible bits in my meat. Especially al pastor.

El Limon (take two)

446 Lancaster Ave.
Malvern, PA 19355
(484) 329-7969
Website

I have written about El Limon before, but damn, it's still about the best Mexican food outside of the city, so I have been a frequent customer lately. Take, for example, the barbacoa nachos.

Rich, tender shredded beef, with a heaping portion of fresh tortilla chips. a sprinkle of pico, plenty of guacamole, and an artistic drizzle of sour cream. It's the perfect size, and perfect proportion. Funny how so many local places get it wrong.

The chicken tinga tacos are another killer choice. The stewed chicken has so much flavor, smokey, and deep tomato-ish umami.

Look at the tender shredded pollo. Perfectly juicy, and well presented.

The chorizo is good, but I prefer mine to be fried a bit harder. I like it to be well rendered and crispy. This is not that, but it has plenty of flavor, and again, I still order it so it's obviously above and beyond other places...

Not to mention, the burritos. These are what Chipotle wishes they could assemble with such care and love. Smothered and covered, they come with your choice of sauce. If you can only choose one, I recommend the chipotle. It's a crema that packs so much flavor, you will be dreaming of it later. But don't sleep on the mole. I have yet to be disappointed in it.

I know it's swimming in green sauce here, but I never turn down a good sauce.

Fiesta Maya

1178 Baltimore Pike
Springfield, PA 19064
(610) 604-9599
Website

Fiesta Maya recently opened in Springfield near Swarthmore. I had heard of the original in Exton, but never been there. It's a fast-casual type place that is also a BYOB. At least no one said anything when I brought in some Modelo's.

They have the line set up like their corporate competitors. Although there are some significant differences. Most importantly, instead of picking your items as you go, you have to order them from the register. This creates additional stress if you are ordering more than one item (or making any additions to standard offerings) as you have to remember everything from the somewhat extensive menu.

I much prefer the visual approach letting you pick your items based on sight. You are also charged for all "add-ons" over three. Which is a difficult transition to make from the "all-in" approach (minus guacamole) at the chain places.

The carnitas burrito and chicken al pastor nachos were calling me, and it was quite a bit of food.

The nachos were pretty good, with a healthy serving size, and loaded with toppings. I could have used some more meat, but that is almost always the case with me.

The carnitas burrito was also just good, notably the mayo chipotle dressing (as an add-on) gave it a nice smack of rich heat. The rice was well seasoned, the shredded meat was tender. It's too bad that burritos aren't more photogenic, in general...

I liked the salsa served on the side of the chips quite a bit, and the burrito with chips and salsa alone was a very good deal at about $9. Just have your order memorized, and watch out for those "add-ons".

Taqueria El Limon

446 Lancaster Ave.
Malvern, PA 19355
(484) 329-7969

If you have ever been to the Conshy El Limon, you know this place is no joke. It's easily one of my favorite joints for Mexican food in the Philly area. I happened to stumble across the recent Malvern addition, and figured it was definitely worth a shot. PLUS there is a kick ass Mexican market attached to it, so I could stock up on staples. It's not much to look at from the outside, located in the back end of an old strip mall parking lot, but it certainly makes up for appearance with the usual delicious food.

The chips and salsa/guacamole is a solid starter, but I had a bit of trouble getting past the fact that there was no salt on the chips. Zero granules of tasty sodium chloride to provide mouthwatering salinity to these extremely crunchy chips. The pico is quite hot but fresh and delicious, and the creamy guac had me like.

Oh, did I mention they offer free margaritas? Be sure to ask your server. While these are a bit too sweet and I'm not entirely sure how much liquor is in them (if any), I never turn down a free drink.

On to the torta. The torta here is a thing of beauty. Perfectly executed, with crispy al pastor, charred pineapple chunks, freshly sliced ripe avocado and a chiptole crema.

The al pastor is rich, spicy, and made using quality pork and rendering it down quite well. The griddle-frying approach creates a crust on it, and all of the usual ingredients, including pickled jalapenos, shredded lettuce, tomato, and queso are in perfect balance. The torta bread is also up to the task, though I wouldn't want to let this sit more than an hour or so.

Look at the stringy queso coming off this thing. Perfect.

A sampler of tacos was the next big winner. Chicken tinga, al pastor (I am an addict), and chorizo to round it out. A substitution was made to include cheese on these, blasphemous among some purists, but I pretty much do whatever I want. It was not needed, and I would skip next time. Too many cervezas the night before may have skewed my ordering judgment.

The tinga was just awesome. Hands down the favorite of the taco trio, but to be fair, I just ate an al pastor torta so it wasn't as new and exciting. Rich, deep tomato and chipotle flavors were accompanied by juicy, well cooked shredded chicken. Just perfect.

Again, that pineapple makes it for me on the al pastor.

The chorizo was solid, but I prefer mine to be crispy and well rendered, this retained a bit too much of the chew fat. That being said, it was promptly devoured.

Now, onto the mole. Probably the best thing at this place. Just look at how deep, dark and rich the mole sauce is. Let the darkness surround me.

The depth of flavor in the sauce belies the modest price tag that accompanies this giant burrito. Their burritos come smothered with either a tomatillo,  chipotle or mole sauce. You can't go wrong with any of these options but the mole is my personal favorite. This burrito is so big, I LITERALLY couldn't finish it. I tried and the more I tried the more the rice and margarita worked together to expand in my gut.

The chocolate and coffee flavors are punctuated with a smack of cinnamon that kept me coming back for more, even given my overfull situation. For $7 a grilled chicken, mole smothered burrito is about the best value in the Greater Delaware Valley.

In closing, you'd be hard pressed to find better Mexican anywhere in the suburbs, and even in the city. If you have a challenger, do let me know!