Another Mexican quickie, this time Taqeuria El Antojo on 38th and McKinley
For a mere $4.99 you too can eat delicious Mole Enchiladas at Taqueria El Antojo in South Tacoma. Kiddy Corner to the now defunct McKinley Elementary, the little taco and burrito joint is bursting with deals and traditional Mexican goodness. You can easily spot it. It’s the one with the slightly disenfranchised looking guy out front with the iPod spinning the $4.99 lunch special sign. What’s with those guys anyway? The Little Caesars guys kill me. I like to imagine they’re listening to something completely opposite to their appearance, maybe some Carpenters or Bread.
The special seems to rotate through different delicious offerings, but incase it’s not up to your standards you can always pony up for some $.50 tacos or $1.99 burritos. The place is interesting, having the appearance of an airport fast food counter: big lcd screens displaying brightly colored menus hang above the long multi-register counter, full sized posters on every window, orders spoken over an intercom system to the chefs working their asses off in the back. It is a small chain with restaurants in Tacoma, Lakewood, Lynwood, and a truck in Birmingham, but it totally feels corporate. Needless to say, I was leery. I was however comforted somewhat by the big round tortilla baking stone up front.
The food is fresh, flavor packed and surprisingly fast. I recommend you ignore the wild sign spinner gesticulating on the corner and head in as if this were a typical mom and pop shop. It’s almost as good.
Taqueria El Antojo 3801 Mckinley Ave, Tacoma - (253) 475-0375
They meet my gold standard for restaurants – a Mexican place that can fix a dish with no onions. We eat there weekly.
The sign spinner is regularly dressed as a taco now in the afternoons and a deviled egg in the mornings. Pretty nice dude. The crosswalk button is out on the corner opposite his across McKinley and he presses the button for me every day so that I don’t have to just guess when I should walk.