Another Wednesday, another exploration of the 614. We were craving Mexican food, as we do almost every week, and decided to try somewhere new! We were near Henderson Road and decided to try out Cuco’s Taqueria. Nestled in the middle of a small strip of stores, the outside of the restaurant is unassuming, but once you walk inside, it is bursting with color. Corona and Don Julio signs hang alongside children’s coloring pages that have now become decorations, giving the spot a homey and bright feeling.

We visited during the middle of the day on a Saturday. Although they already had quite a few customers, we were seated quickly in a cushy booth. Chips and salsa came complimentary, and we had only amazing things to say about the salsa. Having worked in a Tex-Mex restaurant alongside outstanding Mexican chefs for years (and Josh having visited me), we are extremely hard to impress regarding salsa. But this salsa was right up our alley with its mostly blended tomatoes and slight kick at the end of each bite; it had us shoveling it down. The chips were good, although nothing blew our socks off, but they were the vessel for the salsa.
We both indulged in a little day drinking and got a margarita. Josh got one of the specialty rocks while I tried a frozen mango house marg. I could taste the real mango puree flavor, as opposed to the usual syrups that most places use. One of the most flavorful margaritas I’ve had in a long time!

When it came to the food, Josh tried his usual tactic of asking what the waiter recommended. He suggested the birria tacos, which happens to be one of Josh’s favorite Mexican dishes. I, of course, had to try their tamales. Both dishes were full of flavor, which is hard to come by for a tamale. I told the waiter it was one of the best tamales I’ve had in a long time, which was 100% the truth. (and I’ve tried my fair share of tamales).

With every dish bursting with flavor, we found a new spot to frequent, even though it’s a slight drive for us.