Meats cooked to order, tacos with a twist and homemade horchata make this taqueria a treat
The Torta Mexicana traveled across town in the front seat of my car. The sub roll’s reddish hue and structural integrity, despite carrying the weight of carne asada, cheese, beans, avocado, sauteed peppers and onions, withstood the voyage and proved a worthy torta contender, differing from its telera counterparts.
On the Fircrest side of North Orchard Street, in that long stretch between Center and 56th Streets, this family-run taqueria has been quietly cooking carne asada tacos and tortas to order since fall 2019.
“We did not anticipate being so busy so early on,” said Karen Davila in February. As we talked, a steady stream of customers walked through the doors, a few to pick up online or call-in orders.
Previously a coffee shop, and before that other eateries, the Davila family kept the counter setup. The landlord assisted in equipping the space behind it with a proper hood, believing in the decades of cooking experience Jaime Davila, who runs the restaurant with his 22-year-old son Ivan, was bringing to Fircrest.
From the front counter, you can see the galley-style kitchen, and as you wait, you can hear the scrape of the metal spatula on the flat-top and the sizzle of fresh meat.
I have visited Los Tapatios several times since early 2020, and each time I have admired the semi-open kitchen here that differentiates this taqueria from so many others. The Davilas remodeled during the pandemic, swapping counter seating along the tall windows with several booths, making it feel more family friendly, rather than just a pit stop for a grab-and-go lunch (though it’s also an apt choice in that respect).
In addition to offering bottled beer, the menu has expanded in the past two years to include plates such as arroz con pollo, enchiladas and chile relleno with rice and beans.
“It’s all about tacos,” admitted Karen Davila, but they listened to their customers and heard calls for traditional plates. They also wanted crunchy-shell tacos, she said, and wet burritos.
Though neither she nor I totally understands the allure of bastardizing the handheld convenience of a foil-wrapped burrito by besmearing it with sauce, requiring a fork and knife, at Los Tapatios, at least it will be fresh.
“All of our food is made to order,” she noted.
Look for the Burrito Ranchero, with either tequila-marinated chicken or carne asada, stuffed with rice and pinto beans, all awash in red chile salsa laced with bacon.
Eye also the street tacos, on two appropriately thin tortillas filled with a fair amount of meat, but it’s the specialty tacos the patriarch is most eager to share.
“I think it’s important to bring in new elements,” said Jaime Davila before heading into the kitchen to prepare the Tacos Las Vegas, so named because they’re “big and bold.”
Instead of a raw onion and cilantro sprinkle, Davila caramelizes strips of onions on the grill, adding them along with pinto beans, an avocado crema and queso fresco to each taco. Karen explained that in Guadalajara, the home state of her parents, this style is common.
The Tacos de Alambre also pack extra ingredients — sauteed bell peppers and onions with bacon and two types of melted cheese — without falling apart. Other specialties include the Choritacos and grilled, not fried, fish tacos with crunchy purple cabbage and tomato.
They also take pride in their rich, housemade horchata, chilled in the fridge rather than cooled — and thus diluted — over ice all day.
They have considered quesabirria — the pandemic-accelerated sensation of cheesy fried tacos with stewed beef (or, in rare cases stateside, goat) dipped in consomme of its own making.
They pay attention to such trends, said Karen Davila, but “we want it to be something that’s unique to us.”
I respect that decision because many taquerias have added them because their staff likely grew weary of customers pulling up TikTok videos, but too few actually succeed.
Los Tapatios has carved its own niche.
LOS TAPATIOS MEXICAN TAQUERIA
▪ 4040 S. Orchard St., Fircrest, 253-564-4104, facebook.com
▪ Daily 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
▪ Details: family friendly Mexican with tacos ($11.50 for 4 or $14.95 for 6 street-style), tortas and traditional plates made to order
▪ Recommended: Tacos Las Vegas and de Alambre ($17.50 for 3 plus rice and beans), Torta Mexicana ($16), horchata ($3)