Rubio's - BBQ Chicken Taco

Got this on Superb Owl Sunday before work.  Rubio's has excellent white people mexican food so my expectation was that this would be a potential Tacographics all-star.

The ingredients were in place, but to my chagrin, this taco was only a mere bench warmer.  The taco clearly had a santa-fe vibe.  From the rustic corn tortilla, to the corn, cilantro-lime tortilla strips, bbq grilled chicken and smokey honey bbq sauce - this sounded damn good on paper.

After waiting for awhile (note to self: do not eat at places that cater on the Superb Owl), I got my taco along with a chicken burrito.  My first bite:  I notice the flavor immediately.  It was a msg-bbq taste...  I was eating bbq alright...but not the bbq you'd expect.

The overwhelming crunch from the tortilla strips and the smokey honey bbq sauce had the EXACT taste and texture....  I was tasting.... BBQ Corn Nuts.  What the fuck.  Luckily the rest of the taco it wasn't as prevalent, but still.  The resonating view of this taco had already been set.

Fat rating: 3.5/10

Salt rating: 8/10

Taste rating: BBQ Corn Nuts/10

     

Domino's Pineapple Chicken/BBQ Philly Pizza DOUBLE REVIEW

Over the weekend Domino's was selling large two toppings for $5.99.  Back when they had their old (worst pizza chain) pizza I would have not given one fuck.  Since their re-vamp, however, Domino's has basically given a giant middle finger to Pizza Hut and Papa John's. 

I got two pizzas to share with my brother while our parents were out of town.  Pineapple and chicken  (the best toppings on pizza FIGHT ME) and a creation I call the "bbq philly" (bbq sauce and double philly steak meat). 

Aside from the rubbery-ish chicken (found at many chains such as Subway), this pizza was a taste explosion.  It had the sweet-salt-fatty combination not found in many foods.  The slathered-on sauce (tasted like Prego, but I think Prego is great so BACK-OFF) contained in a coat of non-greasy cheese topped with pineapple - SO GOOD.  The crust was above-average, especially the hint of garlic on the edge which added a dynamic.  With more "authentic" ingredients, this would be a 10/10 taste rating. 

Fat rating: 4.5/10

Salt rating: 8/10

Taste rating: 8.5/10

The bbq philly was not as mouth-watering, but still more than decent.  Domino's moderately sweet bbq sauce is nothing to write home about (who actually says that expression anymore?)  and the philly meat was akin to cooked roast beef (meh) but the garlic taste from the crust stood out more - when eaten in the same bite as the other ingredients - it was like a tasty bbq beef sandwich on a garlic roll. 

Fat rating: 4.5/10

Salt rating: 8/10

Taste rating: 7/10

Carl's Jr. - BBQ Chicken Tender Wrapper

Places like KFC have the Twister, McDonalds has snack-sized wraps, as does Wendys and BK (I think).  I've had them all in my life, and they range from meh to decent.  Carl's Jr. has joined the 21st century and created their own version in 3 flavors - honey mustard (nope), ranch (too fatty), and bbq.  Seeing as bbq sauce + fried chicken = god tier, I had decent expectations.   I guess I'll have to link to my chicken strips MEGA REVIEW once again, where I reviewed the strips found in this wrap (IT'S BASICALLY A TACO).

Compared to other places' shredded lettuce, this is the most "shreddy".  Still present were some ever-annoying stems. FUCK OFF STEMS, HAVING TO TAKE A FEW PRECIOUS SECONDS TO PICK YOU OUT OF MY TACOS IS SLIGHTLY ANNOYING.

My first of 3 wrappers, this one was relatively stem-free (thank you Jesus).

 

The cheese was a blend and added a tiny bit of flavor.  The main flavor came from the bbq sauce and chicken which were bold pepper-y.  All 3 of the "wrappers" I ate could have used a smidgeon more of bbq sauce but overall were already salty enough.  These white-people tacos overall exceeded my expectations, I just don't think I'll be eating 3 of them in one sitting again.  Maybe 2 with some beans and rice from the adjacent Taco Bell. 

 

Fat rating: 5/10

Salt rating: 8/10

Taste rating: 8/10

PIZZA SHOWDOWN - Little Caesar's vs. Shakey's

This past week I've had both pizza's fo' free by various means.  At regular price, though, Shakey's is about 2.5x times more expensive for a large pizza.  Is the extra $$$ worth it?  Find out in the first ever Tacographics PIZZA SHOWDOWN.

In the red corner: Little Caesar's cheese pizza.  $5 for a Large.  Yes, this is the choice for getting the most out of your Lincoln.  I would say this is the Del Taco of pizza, you can feed 2 (not fat) people for seemingly chump change.  As for the 'zza itself - just the right amount of ingredients and not greasy.  Very mild sauce and a medium-thick crust.  IT WAS PIZZA.

Fat rating: 5/10

Salt rating: 7/10

Taste rating: 6.5/10

In the blue corner: Shakey's cheese pizza.  I think 12.49 for a large (don't quote me on that).  This was a thin-style 'zza and obviously a little higher quality.  The light crispy crust version compared to their original style is a 1000x better because it's not a glorified cheese stick.  Even this version was a bit on the cheesy side, but the real difference is the sauce.  Shakey's sauce is damn good, smooth and not really like any sauce I've had; though I'm not going to sit here and claim to be a a pizza elitist. 

Fat rating: 4.5/10

Salt rating: 7.5/10

Taste rating: 7/10

Verdict:  Little Caesar's I would eat anytime for the price, Shakey's is obviously a better, more natural tasting pizza.  Bottom line: PIZZA IS PIZZA.  IT'S CHEESE, SAUCE, AND COOKED DOUGH.  IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT YOU'RE A COMMUNIST.  

Chick Fil-A - Chicken Sandwich and Waffle Fries

I haven't been here in awhile and had a coupon so bam.  Who did I eat with?  God? I don't know, the show I went to after this called the MAZE made me realize NOTHING IS AS IT SEEMS.

My perception of Chick Fil-A's food is that it is goddamn good.  I love saying "goddamn" as an adverb in a review for a Christian owned company by the way, this is fast food reviews WITH AN EDGE GODDAMMIT HELL YEAH. 

I got an original chicken sandwich on wheat with provolone.  It was the first time I've had it w/ cheese, and it was just superfluous.  The flavor and juiciness of the chicken alone is top-notch, no place comes close.  If you saw my chicken strips mega review already, you'd know that chicken strips have a high taste rating.  Well, this chicken eclipses all others, and at the same time is slightly healthier.
The tinge of sweetness from the batter cannot be underestimated. 

Fat rating: 6.5/10

Salt rating: 6/10

Taste rating: 9/10

The waffle fries are also healthier than the competition, they're always fried in clean (filtered) peanut oil and less greasy than your average fry.  They're lightly salted and are great with ketchup/the sandwich.  Only problem with Chick Fil-A is I usually leave hungry, as it is less heavy than your average fast food. 

Fat rating: 5/10

Salt rating: 2.5/10 (6/10 w/ ketchup)

Taste rating: 5/10 (6.5/10 w/ ketchup)

Denny's - Blueberry Waffleini

This is 2011. We live in an innovative technological age of wonder
and WAFFLE SANDWICHES.

One or two weeks ago Denny's unveiled 4 "waffleini's" to their already morbidly obese nightmare of a menu. Bacon Jack (which looks horrible - pepperjack, cheese, bacon, and egg), a ham and cheese one (also nasty), a banana caramel one (nah), and a blueberry one (aww, yeah).  All included with syrup.  What. the hell.

I was skeptical of this thing, I thought it would be a messy abomination with napkins everywhere.  I am not really a sweets person (hence the taco blog) but this waffle; this waffle sandwich beckoned.  It contained whipped cream, a strawberry glaze, and blueberries inside of two lightly buttered/panini grilled waffles.  When I got it I was surprised at how contained everything was (aside from a little glaze spillage).  Eating the thing was not really a hassle, it was actually just as easy as eating a regular panini -  especially since I didn't get any syrup (it was already a diabetic's nightmare without it).   

Taste wise, it had a dominant sweet and savory-ness but also present was a light buttery flavor.  I will not get this often (it is more of a dessert than an entree), but for what it is (an absolute 100% gimmick), I'll take it.  You can't go wrong with berries, cream and waffles all in one bite. 

Fat rating: 4/10

Sugar rating: 8.5/10

Taste rating: 7/10

Alerto's - Rolled Tacos Plate

Hadn't had rolled tacos (taquitos) in awhile so I got them.  It's nearly the same food as what I got before but with guacamole instead of lettuce, and some rice. 

Yeah they were decent quanity wise, some places have garbage taquitos that are tiny.  These were similar to the ones I've gotten at El Loco (which I will review sometime). Dipping them in the beans and salsa was adequate.  One of the four had barely any meat in it but whatever.  I probably won't go here again unless I'm at the Anaheim Convention Center, which is unlikely.

Fat rating: 7/10

Salt rating: 7.5/10

Taste rating: 6.5/10

Alerto's - Shredded Beef Tostada

It's been a long day, school, then went to the NAMM Convention and met someone who is pretty cool.  On the long journey from the parking structure to the Anaheim Convention Center I saw a food court.  It had the classic variety - pizza, chinese food, mexican food, smoothies, burgers, and beer.  Some say variety is the spice of life, and I would tend to agree with that statement.  However, this is motherfucking Tacographics.  It is already pre-determined which place I would be reviewing on the way back.

The salsa bar had a bunch of spicy sauces (most out of frame) and two mild ones.  They both looked generic (top right, bottom left) by themselves so I mixed them together BECAUSE I'M JUST FULL OF IDEAS.

So, the food... while most have just a bottom shell, this tostada had a top one too (not pictured).  The bottom layer of beans and cheese was as standard as it gets, the shredded beef was tender and had a little spice.  Lettuce and a bit of white cheese rounded out the thing, also standard fare.  Overall, yes, I would qualify this as average mexican cuisine.  Adding my concocted salsa mix turned out to be a good addition by the way.  I used the extra tostada shell for dipping.  I might go back here on Saturday and try a taco or something.

Fat rating: 6/10

Salt rating: 7/10

Taste rating: 6/10

Del Taco - Value Bean and Cheese Burrito

Made a stop over at Del Taco a few days ago for some chicken soft tacos and got one of these to review.  The one thing I've never really liked about bean and cheese burritos is having them as the main part of the meal. When it comes to mexican food, you need a lot of textures.  Beans + tortilla is great with other ingredients but alone it is not enough.  Especially when you'd need to eat a shit-ton of both to be satisfied.

Tl;dr - this burrito thrives because it is more of a complement to a meal rather than the focus. 49 cents for a soft taco-sized burrito with just the right amount of beans (which kill taco bell's beans in terms of taste), a little cheese, and a green sauce (which I've found out is a lot better than red sauce). 

Fat rating: 3.5/10

Salt rating: 7/10

Taste rating: 6.5/10

Taco Bell, Crispy Potato Taco

Was craving a double decker so I went over to Taco Bell on the way home from internship.  I got one, but wanted something else that I couldn't get on campus...something...new... I looked at the value-menu and saw this.  Damn you, Taco Bell.  Just when I grow old of your food, you do this to me.  Fuck your shit. 

I asked the cashier if there was sauce on it and she was like "durrr urrr nope hurrr".  So I was like ok.  I go home and take a bite.  I taste the potato, lettuce, and cheese...but...I noticed there was some creaminess.  Sauce detected.  I HATE sauce in tacos (except fish).

Take another bite...  the textures together were great, akin to a fish taco but with potato instead of fish.  Seeing as how I don't give a flying SHIT about fish and fucking LOVE potatoes, this was an improvement.  The potatoes are like those breakfast type ones you can get at restaurants as a side, they have a tinge of pepper in them and overall are the most underrated form of potato.  Despite being cold, they were great and plentiful.

The sauce was pepperjack, which I'm glad was included.  It was not messy at all, and added both moisture and flavor to an otherwise dry taco.  For 89 cents, I'll be getting this a lot in the future; I think I have a new taco mistress at Taco Bell.

Fat rating: 5/10

Salt rating: 5.5/10

Taste rating: 8/10

Angelo's and Vinci's Ristorante - BBQ Chicken Pizza

Parents brought this home one night, wasn't expecting much because it didn't look salivating at all.  There appeared to be a nauseating amount of cheese (I'm all for cheese, but in moderation) and little sauce.  After popping a slice (and a half) in the toaster oven, however, it looked a lot better.

The taste of the 'zza was surprisingly delicious, the chicken appeared to be naturally grilled and had a slight bbq taste to it.  The sauce complemented it very well; it was a mix of sweet/salty with a hint of bold flavor.  I don't want to get accustomed to saying this, but it tastes like it looks.  Crust-wise, this was not too heavy or light, and blended with the the rest of the ingredients.  There was a little too much cheese, but overall a very tasty 'zza. 

Fat rating: 5/10

Salt rating: 8.5/10

Taste rating: 8/10

La Paloma - Carne Asada Taco Plate

I have been on a carne asada review spree lately, mostly due to the fact I've been on winter break and eating non-campus food.  This will probably be the last for awhile, as the closest thing to carne asada at school is Taco Bell......

Anyway, my parents treated me to another meal at a place I haven't been to in years.  It's about 20 minutes away in an area I've never driven to so I just rode in the back and listened to some tunes.

The place is old and kinda like, lacking in the lighting department.  Their menu is similar to Acapulco's, after ordering we got the chips and salsa.  Boring chips and the salsa was at least a medium on a hotness scale, meh.

As for the tacos, they were I guess on the average side as well.  There were a couple ultra fatty pieces and the steak itself had light marinade.  The corn tortillas were a little oily, which I could do with out.  The rice was actually pretty damn flavorful, just on the border of being too salty.  The tacos also came with generous portions of pico de gallo (a few green onions and peppers, but otherwise good), guacamole (reminded me of Taco Bell's, it was some artificial shit, not real avocado), and charro beans (pinto beans with onions, chiles, and bacon bits).

Faithful TACOGRAPHICS readers are aware of my hatred for onions, but chiles are also up there on my THINGS IN MY MEXICAN FOOD THAT CAN FOAD list. This review makes it sound like I had a bad experience, but overall it was still decent.  Adding the pico and guac (even though it was fake) to the shredded lettuce and cheese on the tacos made for some goodness.  Dipping the chips in the rice and beans also a nom combination.

Fat rating: 6/10

Salt rating: 7.5/10

Taste rating: 6.5/10