Tacos Archives - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog

2026 James beard Foundation: "Best Chef - Southwest" Semifinalist Arizona Diners Drive-Ins and Dives Mexican Rating: N/R (Not Rated)Tacos United States

Tacos Chiwas – Phoenix, Arizona

Gil GardunoJuly 21, 2026August 10, 202612:01 AM

The city of Phoenix has a population of approximately 1.66 million residents, making it the fifth most populous city in the United States. As anchor for the broader Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler-Scottsdale-Tempe, etc., etc. metropolitan area, more than 4.8 million people call the Valley Of The Sun home. So no, it’s not glutted with designer taco shops competing with modest mom-and-pop taco joints. As in Austin, Texas, there can’t be nearly enough taco shops to appease denizens and visitors who believe tacos should be on the USDA food pyramid–maybe at the top right above pizza and burgers. At the risk of delving (or…

Arizona Mexican Rating: N/R (Not Rated)Steak Tacos United States

Huarachis Taqueria – Phoenix, Arizona

Gil GardunoJuly 19, 2026August 10, 202612:01 AM

There are a number of restaurants across the globe for which reservations are notoriously difficult to get. Securing a table at The Lost Kitchen in Freedom, Maine, for example, is widely considered the hardest reservation in the world. Instead of going online or calling, hopefuls must mail a physical postcard to the restaurant just to enter a lottery. From a mountain of mail, only a lucky few are drawn for a chance to dine at the 40-seat restaurant. Then there’s Rao’s in New York City, an old-school Italian spot where tables are privately “owned” by regulars and newcomers can only…

Albuquerque Mexican New Mexico Tacos

Al Trompo Mexican Grill – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil GardunoMay 27, 2026May 30, 202612:01 AM

Comaraderie, brothers-in-arms, esprit-de-corps, commitment, dedication…Unless you’ve served your country in the armed forces of the United States, these terms probably don’t mean much. For those of us who did serve–proudly, gallantly, nobly–these terms mean everything. They’re not just a call to arms; they’re our code of conduct. They’re the way we carry ourselves. They denote our commitment to one another, the importance of taking care of our own. The uniforms worn by the select and exceptional men and women signify the call to duty–the ideals, and the shared title of being an American and believing in all that means. More…

Albuquerque Breakfast Breakfast Burritos Mexican New Mexico Rating: Excellent Tacos

Rio Tacos – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil GardunoMay 8, 2026May 8, 202612:01 AM

In May, Mexico City’s Tacos El Califa de León, in the downtrodden San Rafael neighborhood became the first Mexican taco stand to win a Michelin star. One of the things that makes its selection remarkable is that the taqueria is the antithesis of most Michelin starred restaurants. It’s not elegant and its tables aren’t set with immaculately pressed white linens. There are no sterling place-settings or fine china. Instead, the taqueria has no tables or seats. It’s standing room only with space for only a handful of guests and a metal counter on which they can balance their plates.…

Mexican New Mexico Rating: Excellent Rio Rancho Tacos

Las Villas Taqueria – Rio Rancho, New Mexico

Gil GardunoApril 23, 2026April 26, 202612:01 AM

Upon learning that a new Mexican restaurant named “Las Villas Taqueria” would be launching in Rio Rancho, the bilingual lexicologist in me didn’t immediately ponder the menu. Instead, my ruminations were of the translation of “Las Villas,” a Spanish term with several meanings depending on context. I pondered whethr the restaurant was named for small towns or settlements or for luxurious country homes, both translations of the term “las villas.” Then again, “Villas” is a common Spanish surname. After a superb meal with my dear friend Bill Resnik, I came to the conclusion that “Las Villas” is actually a diminutive…

Albuquerque Bar & Grill Dog Friendly Mexican New Mexican New Mexico Rating: N/R (Not Rated)Tacos

Calavida Cantina – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil GardunoApril 10, 2026April 13, 202612:01 AM

At Calavida Cantina, you’re invited to “party like the dead.” If you haven’t partied like the dead, you’re probably not well acquainted with the Mexican tradition of “El Dia De Los Muertos,” the Day of the Dead. During this Mexican holiday, the profusion of skeletons of all sizes performing day-to-day activities signifies the return to this world of the dead who remain who they were when they lived, doing what they did. For example, skeletal figures depicted on the artwork at Calavida Continue would have been party animals when they graced this earthly plane. Therefore in death, they remain party animals–eating,…

Bernalillo Food Truck Mexican New Mexico Rating: Very Good Tacos

Sazon Con Amor – Bernalillo, New Mexico

Gil GardunoJanuary 31, 2026April 2, 202612:01 AM

The Broadway musical Rent taught us that a year is comprised of “five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes.” Instead of measuring the length of a year “in daylights, sunsets, midnights, cups of coffee, inches, miles, laughter or strife,” Rent encouraged us to measure a year in life in seasons of love. Not surprisingly, Seasons of Love (a song from the musical from which the italicized lyrics originated) came immediately to mind when we espied Sazon Con Amor, a food truck (that’s mobile kitchen to you, Bob) parked on Highway 550 in Bernalillo. Sazon Con Amor translates from Spanish to…

Albuquerque Mexican New Mexico Tacos

Rotiseria Y Taqueria Alcantara – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil GardunoSeptember 18, 2025September 25, 202512:01 AM

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, grocery prices have vaulted up 29% since February 2020. Indeed, an Associated Press survey conducted in 2025 revealed that “the cost of groceries has become a major source of stress for just over half of all Americans — outpacing rent, health care and student debt.” Very, very few grocery items have proven themselves inflation-proof. Among those rare items is Costco’s rotisserie chicken which has remained the same price for years. That consistently low price is a major reason Costco sells more than 100-million ready-to-eat chickens each year. The obvious question when you peruse…

Albuquerque Hot Dogs Mexican New Mexico Rating: Very Good Sandwich Tacos

Dogos VIP – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil GardunoAugust 11, 2025April 4, 202612:01 AM

Thanks largely to a 1974 Chevrolet commercial and its catchy tune, the phrase “As American as baseball, hot dogs and apple pie” has purportedly defined what Americans hold most sacrosanct. Never mind that hot dogs are derivative of European sausages, they’re inextricably part of the fabric of the fruited plain. The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (yes, there is such a thing) estimates that Americans eat seven billion hot dogs (so it’s not just me) during the unofficial summer season which runs from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. That’s 818 hot dogs per second and more than a…

Albuquerque Mexican New Mexico Rating: N/R (Not Rated)Tacos

Arriba Shihuahua – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Gil GardunoJuly 24, 2025April 6, 202612:01 AM

“How do they get away with using the name “Shihuahua” instead of Chihuahua,” I pondered, noting to myself that wokeism and cultural sensitivities have declared offensive virtually any term that is perceived to diminish a culture or an individual (that perception usually being in the eye of the offended). Surely, the National Mexican-American Anti-Defamation Committee would take umbrage at that name, much as it did more than fifty years ago when Frito Lay introduced the Frito Bandito. For those of you not geriatrically advanced enough to remember the Frito Bandito, he was a cartoon mascot who spoke broken English and robbed…

Albuquerque Closed in 2025 Dog Friendly Gone But Not Forgotten Mexican New Mexico Tacos

Taco Santo – Albuquerque, New Mexico (CLOSED)

Gil GardunoMarch 28, 2025June 29, 202612:01 AM

NOTE: In July, 2025, Taco Santo ceased operating as a taqueria, reverting back to Holy Burger, long one of the city’s most popular burger joints. Jay Rayner, one of my very favorite restaurant critics and authors, has an inimitable gift for luring readers with reviews that go far beyond describing food. His review of Santo Remedio, a Mexican restaurant in London, is one such example, starting with his astute observation about the debate between authenticity and verisimilitude in culinary culture: “All too often in the food world, the war of expertise becomes a lumbering battle between the Real Thing and the…