{"id":41520,"date":"2026-03-19T23:20:20","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T05:20:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=41520"},"modified":"2026-04-03T11:53:41","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T17:53:41","slug":"casa-taco-albuquerque-new-mexico","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=41520","title":{"rendered":"Casa Taco – Albuquerque, New Mexico"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
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Casa Taco on Academy Just East Of San Mateo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Nowadays, hoy en d\u00eda, with our world full of war and violence and lack of love, a world full of greed
\nA world of domination, grasping power, venal stupidity, real evil. Don’t get me started.
\nIt\u2019s good to know that a conversation about tacos will always engender a sense of comfort and happiness.
\nIf only we could sit down at a big round world table and eat tacos in a spirit of love we might begin to work on world peace!”
\n~<\/em>Denise Chavez<\/strong>
\n<\/em>New Mexican Author<\/strong><\/a>
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

Not even the beloved taco was excluded from the divisiveness of 2016\u2019s contentious presidential campaign. Marco Gutierrez, founder of the group Latinos for Trump warned MSNBC that without tighter immigration policies\u2026”you\u2019re going to have taco trucks on every corner<\/em>.\u201d While taco trucks may not yet be parked on every corner, tacos have become a ubiquitous favorite across the fruited plain, as American as apple pie, hot dogs, pizza and egg rolls. Their popularity is unparalleled with a market segment outpacing competitors in the quick service restaurant category. Despite a near cult status, analysts believe tacos have yet to reach their peak in popularity–and not solely because their portability and deliciousness make them such a desirable dining option. Culinary anthropologists attribute much of their increasing popularity to their diversity–the adaptation to a wide variety of ingredients across culinary cultures–agreeing that these are not your mom’s tacos.<\/p>\n

\"\"
John Wayne Loved Tacos<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The invention of tacos is largely credited to eighteenth century Mexican silver miners. Largely considered working-class food, tacos made their way north of the border in 1905 when Mexican migrants were brought in to work the mines and railroads of the burgeoning States. From being constructed with offal or shredded beef (when available) in Mexico to being made with hamburger (along with the widely available Cheddar cheese, tomatoes and iceberg lettuce) in the United States, the taco began to evolve. Credit Taco Bell and its proliferation of the pre-fried hard shell with the next significant evolution of the taco. Further adoption, adaptation and transformation can be imputed to other immigrant cultures (such as the Lebanese who introduced the taco al pastor).<\/p>\n

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Salsa Bar<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While many of us are quick to criticize Millennials, Elizabeth Johnson, a Latin Cuisine Specialist at the Culinary Institute of America credits the most recent–and maybe most profound–evolution of the taco to “the next greatest generation<\/em>.” “Millennials are very multi-ethnic…and very interested in cuisine from around the world<\/em>,” she posits, adding that “we are becoming more and more casual<\/em>.\u201d Coining the term “tacofication<\/em>” of foods, she points out the fusion of various ethnic foods with tacos: Korean barbecue, Belgian waffles, Chinese dim-sum, Vietnamese banh mi and more, explaining that “this is happening because the United States is changing, especially the younger generation<\/em>.” That tacofication of foods is evident even in the Duke City where diners are indulging in taco adventures of which our abuelitas could not have conceived.<\/p>\n

In its Fall Food and Wine Issue for 2016, Albuquerque The Magazine<\/strong><\/em><\/a> (ATM) crunched the numbers and told us that in 2015, Americans ate more than 4.5 billion tacos (so it wasn’t just me). That’s more than 490,000 miles of tacos or roughly the equivalent of circling the globe nineteen times. In terms of tonnage, the totality of tacos consumed across the fruited plain is the equivalent of two Empire State Buildings (730,000 tons). In its “Taco the Town” feature, ATM indicated Albuquerque has “nearly 170 restaurants that create and serve some of the tastiest tacos of every ilk–from New Mexican to gourmet; seafood to veggie.” The Magazine sampled and presented several examples of the city’s “unique, unusual, and undeniably savory taco types.”<\/p>\n

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Jerk Chicken Burrito Plate<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With nary a nod to Taco Bell and its own contributions to the revolutionary-evolutionary diversity of tacos (Cool Ranch Doritos Tacos, Breakfast Waffle Tacos), ATM’s feature on unique, unusual, and undeniably savory taco types across the Duke City celebrated several exemplars of cultural taco fusion. One of the best illustrations cited is the Jerk Chicken Taco, a specialty of Casa Taco on Academy. If you’re not yet acquainted with this purveyor of taco innovation, lake-lovers among you might recognize its elder sibling of the same name in Elephant Butte. The popularity of the latter, serving the popular reservoir vacation area since 2002, is one of the reasons the former launched in the Duke City in July, 2015.<\/p>\n

Founder James Pecherski is a Detroit native who fell in love with the Southwest while vacationing with family as a child. He later attended the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Phoenix where his passion for the region’s culinary traditions were further inculcated. It was never his intention to replicate Mexican or New Mexican style tacos, but to honor them with innovative concepts and ingredients. He characterizes Casa Taco as a “Southwestern, contemporary restaurant with New Mexican and central Mexico influences, with a tropical twist.” Those influences are very much in evidence throughout the menu.\u00a0 In 2005, Pecherski founded Casa Taco in Elephant Butte.\u00a0 In 2026, he launched a second Albuquerque instantiation, this one in the burgeoning McMahon area in Albuquerque’s west side.<\/p>\n

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Yucatan Pork Tacos<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you love tacos and can relate to the culinary adventurousness of a Millennial, you’ll love Casa Taco’s menu where tacos are more than just corn or flour tortillas stuffed with sundry deliciousness. Three categories of tacos festoon the menu: Signature Tacos, Specialty Tacos and Puffy Tacos. Strewn throughout that menu are familiar options–ground beef tacos, carne asada tacos, calabasitas tacos–you can find elsewhere. Seek instead those taco options with which you might not be familiar, those innovative creations, tacos unique to the Land of Enchantment. Options such as the aforementioned Jamaican Jerk Chicken tacos were the impetus for our inaugural visit. Not in the mood for tacos? The accommodating staff can create a burrito, wrap, sandwich or salad from any of the ingredient combinations used to build tacos.<\/p>\n

25 November 2016<\/strong>: That’s precisely what they did for me. Rather than order the Jamaican Jerk Chicken Taco plate (spicy jerked chicken breast and a fiery haba\u00f1ero pineapple-mango salsa), I asked for and received a Jamaican Jerk Chicken Burrito<\/strong><\/em> plate (with beans and rice). As if the sweet-fiery qualities of the haba\u00f1ero pineapple-mango salsa and the incendiary properties of assertively seasoned Jamaican Jerk chicken aren’t enough, the amenable waitstaff will top your burrito with your choice of red chile, green chile (both laden with cumin) or con queso. Combustible and delicious, it’s a terrific way to enjoy a burrito. There’s only one drawback–the burrito is served with plastic utensils which make cutting into the soft, pliable flour tortilla a challenge. The accompanying beans are quite good, but the rice is on the boring side (something that can be said about most “Spanish” rice).<\/p>\n

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La Puerto Steak Tacos<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

25 November 2016<\/strong>:\u00a0 When we espied “Yucatan Pork Tacos<\/strong><\/em>” on the menu, we envisioned tacos engorged with the myriad of exotic tropical fruits and vegetables found in abundance throughout the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. Instead we were rewarded with two tacos engorged with l<\/span>ean chile-crusted pork loin, a spicy cucumber salsa and sweet pickled onions. The spicy cucumber salsa is very much reminiscent of the sweet cucumber relish served in Thai restaurants with dishes such as satay. It’s a wonderful complement to the lean, chile crusted pork loin which is plentiful in bite-sized pieces. You can alter the flavor profile of these (or any) tacos with the addition of any one of the lively salsas found on the salsa bar.<\/p>\n

25 November 2016<\/strong>:\u00a0 For a more “conventional” (term used lightly) taco evocative of Old Mexico, try the La Puerto Steak tacos<\/strong><\/em> (cilantro and garlic \u201cmojo\u201d marinated steak with guacamole and cilantro). Lest some lexicologist surmises “mojo” means these tacos are imbued with some magical voodoo charm or infused with libido, in this case mojo is also what several types of Mexican sauces are called. The mojo penetrates deeply into the steak, infusing it with a lightly spicy personality. The steak marries well with the invigorating freshness of the cilantro and the astringency of garlic. This a great taco for experimenting with the various salsas.<\/p>\n

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Con Queso<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

25 November 2016<\/strong>:\u00a0 There was a time “con queso” was better known by its full name “chile con queso<\/strong><\/em>.” At Casa Taco, it’s still called “chile con queso.” By any name, it’s the perfect vehicle for crispy fried tortilla chips. Picture a heaping bowl (or Styrofoam vessel) of hot, velvety cheese festooned with fiery chiles and chips sprinkled with red chile. If you frequently crave chile con queso, this one will quell your ardor and possibly make an addict out of you. It’s some of the very best chile con queso in the Duke City area. Remember, you can have your burrito smothered in this liquid gold, too.<\/p>\n

19 March 2026<\/strong>: San Antonio, Texas has an unofficial “food mascot.”\u00a0 It’s the puffy taco which was invented in the Alamo City in the 1950s.\u00a0 Food & Wine describes the puffy taco as “somewhere between a tostada and a funnel cake<\/em>,” but that’s not quite an accurate portrayal.\u00a0 \u00a0The puffy taco is a Tex-Mex specialty that starts with fresh, uncooked masa fried in hot oil until it puffs into a crispy, light and airy shell.\u00a0 This is contrary to the conventional taco which is constructed from a pre-fried shell.\u00a0 Puffy tacos are celebrated for their unique texture: crispy outside and soft inside with such fillings as ground beef, lettuce, cheese and tomatoes.\u00a0 A purveyor of the unique taco expounds:\u00a0 \u00a0“It should be greasy and hard to eat.”<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"
Puffy Taco<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Casa Taco features three puffy tacos: Adobo Chicken (Braised chicken in Adobo, lettuce, tomato, cheese), Verde Beef<\/strong><\/em> (Beef braised in Hatch chile, lettuce, tomato, cheese) and Pork Adovada (Pork braised in red chile, lettuce, tomato, cheese).\u00a0 As shown in the photo above, there was nothing puffy about this puffy taco.\u00a0 The shell is clearly flat and just slightly thicker than a conventional taco shell.\u00a0 That’s almost forgivable, but not the “Verde Beef” which appeared to have been dusted in a cumin-laden seasoning.\u00a0 I didn’t recognize any Hatch green chile in the flavor.<\/p>\n

19 March 2026<\/strong>:\u00a0 Rather anemic (no heat at all) Hatch green chile can be found on the Hatch chile cheeseburger<\/strong><\/em> (6oz patty, hand made kaiser roll, hatch green chile, cheese, lettuce\/tomato).\u00a0 That’s not surprising considering the lower-case “h” in the spelling of Hatch taken from the description on the menu.\u00a0 At least “chile” was spelled correctly.\u00a0 Despite the insipid green chile, this is a good cheeseburger with fresh ingredients.\u00a0 The hand-made kaiser roll is lightly toasted and a stellar canvas for the burger.\u00a0 More disappointing than even the flat puffy taco and the punchless chile were the fries.\u00a0 Not quite shoestring, they were crispy to a fault with no soft potato substance inside.\u00a0 Worse, ketchup is available only in those annoying packets that are more difficult to open than the Fort Knox repository.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Green Chile Cheeseburger<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

19 March 2026<\/strong>: American singer, songwriter and actor Tom Waits could have been born in Northern New Mexico.\u00a0 His life philosophy could be mine, too: “When you’re down on your luck and you’ve lost all your dreams theres nothing like a campfire and a can of beans.”\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>Yes, I know the association of beans and a campfire is most commonly the infamous “fart scene” from Blazing Saddles, but trust me, a little “Beano<\/strong><\/a>” goes a long way.\u00a0 I could (and have) eat beans every day and increasingly order them at New Mexican restaurants.\u00a0 As with New Mexico’s sacrosanct chile, beans need absolutely no amelioration…especially from cumin.\u00a0 Alas, Casa Taco’s beans<\/strong><\/em> taste as like taco sauce, an absolutely unnecessary addition which desecrated one of my favorite foods.<\/p>\n

As if tacos, burritos, wraps, sandwiches and salads weren’t already enough to make your mouth water, Casa Taco’s menu also includes huevos rancheros, chimichangas, salads and two nacho platters. Dessert options include caramel-filled churros with vanilla ice cream, a warm brownie sundae, apple flautas, strawberry nachos or old-fashioned milkshakes or malts. There ae plenty of interesting options sure to inspire return visits a plenty. Bottled Mexican Coke or Fanta are available to wash down your meal.<\/p>\n

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Side of Beans<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 2016, Casa Taco earned TripAdvisor’s coveted “Certificate of Excellence.” After our inaugural visit, we discovered why so many Yelp<\/strong><\/a> reviews were peppered with the adjective “excellent.”\u00a0 After my second visit, I’m dubious.<\/p>\n

Casa Taco<\/strong>
\n5801 Academy Road, N.E., Suite B
\nAlbuquerque, New Mexico<\/strong>
\n(505) 821-TACO
\nWeb Site <\/strong><\/a> | Facebook Page<\/strong><\/a>
\nLATEST VISIT<\/strong>: 19 March 2027
\n1st VISIT<\/strong>:\u00a0 25 November 2016
\n# OF VISITS<\/strong>: 2
\nRATING<\/strong>: Good<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0\u2013 good food, decent service, and a clean environment; provides a satisfactory, dependable, and standard experience
\nCOST<\/strong>: $$
\nBEST BET<\/strong>: Con Queso, Jerk Chicken Burrito, La Puerto Steak Tacos, Yucatan Pork Tacos, Chocolate Milk Shakes<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nowadays, hoy en d\u00eda, with our world full of war and violence and lack of love, a world full of greed A world of domination, grasping power, venal stupidity, real evil. Don’t get me started. It\u2019s good to know that a conversation about tacos will always engender a sense of comfort and happiness. If only we could sit down at a big round world table and eat tacos in a spirit of love we might begin to work on world peace!” ~Denise Chavez New Mexican Author Not even the beloved taco was excluded from the divisiveness of 2016\u2019s contentious presidential campaign. Marco Gutierrez, founder of the group Latinos for Trump warned MSNBC that without tighter immigration policies\u2026”you\u2019re going to have…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":77388,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[440,141,5632,127,599],"tags":[2781,5613,5615,5620,5622,5617,5624,5616,5621,5618,5619,5614,5623],"class_list":["post-41520","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-albuquerque","category-new-mexico","category-good","category-southwestern","category-truth-or-consequences","tag-chile-con-queso","tag-denise-chavez","tag-elizabeth-johnson","tag-grande-tacos","tag-jamaican-jerk-chicken-burrito","tag-james-pecherski","tag-la-puerto-steak-tacos","tag-millennials","tag-puffy-tacos","tag-signature-tacos","tag-specialty-tacos","tag-taco-trucks-in-every-corner","tag-yucatan-pork-tacos"],"yoast_head":"\nCasa Taco - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nmgastronome.com\/?p=41520\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Casa Taco - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Gil's Thrilling (And Filling) Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Nowadays, hoy en d\u00eda, with our world full of war and violence and lack of love, a world full of greed A world of domination, grasping power, venal stupidity, real evil. Don’t get me started. It\u2019s good to know that a conversation about tacos will always engender a sense of comfort and happiness. If only we could sit down at a big round world table and eat tacos in a spirit of love we might begin to work on world peace!” ~Denise Chavez New Mexican Author Not even the beloved taco was excluded from the divisiveness of 2016\u2019s contentious presidential campaign. 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