It's 2015 and despite our resolutions to get healthier, we remain committed to finding and discussing the best breakfast taco spots in San Antonio. Tacos are good for the soul, so we can't go wrong. However, we will exercise a little more moderation this year. As a matter of fact, we only ordered two tacos each. (Ignore the fact that we were eating barbacoa two hours later. See Teno's Tidbits below.)
As we mentioned in a previous post, we will also start venturing out further from the Westside, in hopes of finding the best spots in the city. This first visit of 2015 took us to the San Antonio Southside!
Las Cazuelas is located off of IH-35, between Division and Southcross (though closer to Division). The site looks recently remodeled and boasts ample parking. Now, in full disclosure, the restaurant is owned by the family of one of our friends from St. Mary's. We knew this going in and we did our best to remain impartial. We both walked away having both enjoyed a good, filling meal, and we'd recommend you check it out, too.
Ambiance - The decor of Las Cazuelas is simple and comfortable. The yellow walls are soothing and the simple decor includes some colorful animal ornaments. Our favorite decoration though, was the two large cazuelas on the wall. They made us yearn for a meal served in one of those. We also noticed a white Christmas tree on display. The tree had red hearts as ornaments. Valentine's Day tree, perhaps? Bonus points for re-purposing the tree! 4.5 Tortillas -
Service - Service was good at Las Cazuelas. We were seated promptly, checked up on regularly, and the food order came out right and relatively quickly. No complaints here.
5 Tortillas
5 Tortillas
Menu - The menu options were adequate. No surprises. No frills. All the usual suspects. We did notice several different prices for tacos, tough. Maybe this is a philosophical question, but shouldn't there just be two price points? One set for simple tacos (bean/cheese, potato/egg, chorizo/egg, etc.) and one for premium tacos (machacado, chicharron, nopalitos, etc.). (Teno reminds Eddie that if he wants to write a "taco-philosophy piece," he should do that separately. This is a review, for crying out loud!)
Food - (Um...sorry, Teno.) The breakfast tacos we each had were pretty good. Above average, we'd say. Teno ordered a bean and egg and a machacado and egg. The bean and egg featured an "egg-splosion" since it had so much egg. One could have made 2 or 3 tacos out of it. The beans were delicious and held a good taste. The machacado was also pretty good - not too spicy and very flavorful. You didn't need to add any salsa to improve on it. Eddie ordered a bean and cheese taco to go with a papas a la Mexicana taco. The bean and cheese was everything a bean and cheese should be. The papa a la Mexicana featured an "papa-splosion" and really was nothing more than potatoes with some finely chopped pico de gallo dropped in. Eddie would have preferred the pico sauteed with the papas. 4 Tortillas
Overall - We both enjoyed our outing to Las Cazuelas and would certainly return with friends and family. The other breakfast items on the menu, along with the lunch and dinner options, seemed to hold much promise. It's definitely worth a drive to get there, no matter where in San Antonio you live. 4 Tortillas
Las Cazuelas
645 Chalmers Ave
San Antonio, TX 78214
Teno's Tidbits - After breakfast, we had another event to attend at a friend's house. Our friend had made some barbacoa from scratch and invited family and friends over. Even though we'd just eaten, we wanted to go and show support. Our only requirement was to bring a side or accompaniment. We chose to bring some sweet bread and found a small family shop on the Westside. We got a box, loaded it up nicely with all manner of items. Conchas, quequitos, churros, empanadas. About 16 items in total. Being from the Valley, we remembered being able to buy a similar amount of food for around $5. We thought it'd be about that. Maybe $8. Much to our surprise, the total was over $13. That's a little less than $1 per piece. Are we wrong for being shocked at that level of pricing? Has time passed us by? What are your experiences buying sweet bread in town?
Eddie's Extras - First, the last time I lived in the Valley, Ann Richards was governor. (I really miss Ann Richards.) So, maybe we're stuck in early-90s pan dulce prices.
Second, those cazuelas. They looked beautiful. Now I want one. I want to make mole in a cazuela. I want to make mole, with my girlfriend at my side, for my family in a great, big cazuela. I've never made mole without Doña Maria, my family lives in the Valley, and I don't have a girlfriend, but those are all minor details.
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