Taco Mama very well may be the most popular Mexican restaurant in Tuscaloosa for students and residents. I remember being obsessed with it when I first moved here as a freshman. My roommates and I would eat here almost every week, and I never seemed to grow tired of it. Eventually we did venture out and try new places, but I’ve started visiting Taco Mama pretty often again in the past couple months.

It’s easy to see why Taco Mama is so popular. The atmosphere is fun, the customization options are endless, and the variety of margaritas is great. The only downside to eating here is that you may have to stand in line a while to order your food if you go at a busy time. However, the more time you spend in line, the more time you have to figure out what you want! Which can sometimes take a while for me! Also, sometimes the seating options are limited if outdoor seating isn’t an option due to weather. The good thing is that the food tastes just as good whenever you visit!

My Review

The things I love most about Taco Mama are the chips, salsa, and queso. The thin and crispy chips are, without a doubt, my favorites in Tuscaloosa. The salsa is great too. It’s not too hot, and goes great with the chips or on your food. The queso is probably my favorite in Tuscaloosa as well! I got it as my side this time.

I usually do the build your own option because I can get exactly what I want. This time I got chicken soft tacos with pico de gallo, griled onions, queso fresco, and guacamole. They were sooo good! The guacamole is alos probably my favorite I’ve found in Tuscaloosa. If I don’t get tacos, I usually get a quesadilla which is always a good choice.

My friend that I went with always orders the exact same thing: the sizzler tacos. The sizzler is not of the customized options, but it includes grilled steak tenderloin, grilled onions, avocado, lettuce, tomatoes, red chile butter sauce, and queso fresco. I think she may ask for the red chile butter sauce to be taken off, so no word on what that tastes like. She also got queso as her side.

Yelp Reviews

Taco Mama currently has 3 and a half stars on Yelp. 90% of the reviewers rave about how good the food is, while the remaining 10% complain about their experiences. The bad reviewers seemed to misunderstand the whole concept of ordering at the counter and did not know that the customized options would be plain if no toppings are added. Most of the reviewers love the big portions, reasonable prices, and great service.

I would recommend trying Taco Mama if you haven’t already. Get creative with your toppings or order one of the traditional options off the menu!

It’s time to reveal my favorite Mexican restaurant in Tuscaloosa. I can’t really say what exactly makes Jalapeno’s the best in my eyes because it’s really a combination of things. The food is simple, always fresh, and at a decent price point. The restaurant also reminds me a lot of the Mexican restaurants in my hometown, and I think that’s probably a big factor in why I like it so much. If you’ve never been to Jalapeno’s, you’re missing out! Here’s a review of the last time I ate there.

My Review

First things first, the chips and salsa. In all honesty, Jalapeno’s doesn’t have the best chips and salsa I’ve ever had, but they are always good. The chips are always fresh and have a good consistency for dipping. The salsa isn’t too hot or mild and is a bit chunky. I’ve never ordered queso at Jalapeno’s, so I can’t speak about that, but the guacamole is really great too!

I forgot to take a picture of my margarita, but they do have really great prices on margaritas every day during happy hour. I believe a regular margarita is just $2, and a pitcher (about 4 single servings) is $7 or $8. You can get them frozen or on the rocks for the same price!

Now for the good stuff! I ordered a chicken fajita quesadilla, and it was great. If you’ve read any of my other posts, you know I order quesadillas at Mexican restaurants pretty frequently. Well, Jalapeno’s may have one of the best quesadillas in T-Town. My quesadilla was filled with grilled chicken, onions, peppers, and loads of cheese. I would definitely recommend ordering this item! It came with rice and beans, and they were delicious as well.

My friend, who is somewhat of an enchilada expert, order the chicken enchiladas with rice and beans. These are her favorite enchiladas in Tuscaloosa!

Yelp Reviews

Jalapeno’s currently has 3 and a half stars on Yelp. There aren’t a ton of reviews, but the ones that are available are somewhat conflicting. Some people love the food, the prices, and the service. Others are on the opposite side of the spectrum. Keep in mind that all of these reviews are personal opinions and are not a true reflection of the restaurant. I have never had bad service at Jalapeno’s even on busy nights, and I think the prices are fair even for a poor college student like myself. I encourage you to try Jalapeno’s at either location (Cottondale or Northport), and let me know what you think! See you next time!

Since last week was my spring break, I didn’t get to eat anywhere in Tuscaloosa. However, I did get to eat the best Tex-Mex food that the state of Alabama has to offer: Little Rosie’s Taqueria! For those of you not from northern Alabama, Rosie’s Mexican Cantina is a restaurant chain with two locations in Huntsville and one in Florence. I’m a big fan of Rosie’s, but my favorite place to eat is Little Rosie’s, a fast-casual version of the popular chain.

My Review

The main reason why I love Little Rosie’s is the chips, salsa, and queso. The chips are light but are just thick enough to scoop up salsa and queso. They have a salsa bar where they offer 3 different kinds, but I’ve only ever tried the one that is offered at (big) Rosie’s. One of the offerings is tomatillo based, and the other looks to be a little bit spicy than the one I always choose. Little Rosie’s also offers two different kinds of queso: white and yellow. I always order the white just because of personal preferences, but I like the yellow queso, too! This is one of the few Mexican restaurants where I ALWAYS get queso. It’s just that good.

The margaritas are pretty good too, but I usually go for the sweet tea because it’s some of the best I’ve ever found in a restaurant. Another thing that’s unique about Little Rosie’s is that they’re open for breakfast. I have never eaten breakfast there, but I’m sure it’s really great. They offer several different kinds of breakfast tacos, quesadillas, and some Mexican pastries.

There are several items on the menu that I usually gravitate towards. First, the pocket tacos. On the menu, a pocket taco is described as a “fresh flour or whole wheat tortilla grilled and filled with spicy beef or chicken, pico de gallo, and pepper jack cheese. The grilled tortilla with the pepper jack cheese is the perfect combination!

Another item that I get is the quesadilla. I order quesadillas a lot at Mexican restaurants, but Little Rosie’s quesadillas are my favorites! They offer fajita beef or fajita chicken, and I always go for chicken.

As you can probably tell, I’m a little biased towards Little Rosie’s. I always make a stop there when I go home to visit my family. The Mexican food in Tuscaloosa is pretty good, but nothing rivals Little Rosie’s in my opinion.

Yelp Reviews

Little Rosies’ has four stars on Yelp, and the only complaints are due to the long lines that can form during busy times! Most reviewers are very complimentary of the food, service, and cleanliness of the restaurant. Several people, like me, even say they go out of their way just to eat here when passing through Huntsville.

I hope you enjoyed this special Spring Break edition of Let’s Taco ‘Bout It! See you next week!

Alright, I’ll admit it. I’ve never been a huge Chuy’s fan because it’s so different than the Mexican or Tex-Mex that I’m used to eating. However, I decided to give it another shot last week. My friends who are on this journey with me LOVE Chuy’s, so they were super excited that I suggested going there. I went in with an open mind and an empty stomach to see if I’ve been wrong all along. Here we go!

My Review

I’ll start off by saying that I really like Chuy’s chips. They’re light and crispy, and I could eat about 3 baskets of them all by myself. The salsa, however, is a different story. Chuy’s salsa is more like pico de gallo, which is a combination of tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and lime juice. And Chuy’s goes all in with the lime juice. A little too much for my taste! Next, I’ll say that the queso isn’t my favorite either. All queso is good queso, but I usually prefer white over yellow. The best thing about Chuy’s is the jalapeno dip. I could eat a bowl of that stuff all on its own because it’s just that good. Anything with jalapeno and ranch dressing in it is a 10 in my book, so the dip in particular really won me over.

The main reason why I haven’t liked Chuy’s in the past is because what I ordered was just too spicy for me. I’m usually up for a little heat when it comes to my food, but I guess what I ordered had just a little too much heat. This time I decided to go with something that I thought was really hard to mess up: a chimichanga. Or as they like to call it at Chuys, a chuychanga. The menu describes it as ” a fried flour tortilla filled with fresh, oven-roasted chicken, cheese, cilantro & green chiles, garnished with sour cream & your choice of sauce.” I decided to go with the deluxe tomatillo sauce, and I thought it complemented the chicken really well. The chicken was really tasty, and I enjoyed the cilantro and chiles as well. Also, I really like Chuy’s rice and beans. They’re flavorful, and they make a great side for the chuychanga.

Both of my friends who went with me ordered enchiladas. One got the Chicka-Chicka-Boom-Boom enchiladas, and the other got the veggie ones. They looked the same on the outside, so I just included one picture! Like I said earlier, they are both big fans of Chuy’s. Therefore, it should be no surprise to learn that they ate every bite of their meals.

Overall, I would say that my Chuy’s experience was better than I expected. I still wouldn’t say that it is my favorite Mexican restaurant, but I would definitely make a trip back (maybe just for the jalapeno dip)!

Other Reviews

I looked up some reviews on Yelp to see how other people feel about Chuy’s, and the reaction was really mixed. Some people absolutely love it and claim it’s their favorite restaurant ever. Others who, like me at first, aren’t used to the tastes and spices used and would gladly eat at another place. After reading a few of these reviews, I came to the conclusion that Chuy’s is sort of an acquired taste. You either like it, or you hate it. Let me know which side of the fence you’re on! See you next week!

My Review

First up on the tour is Iguana Grill in Midtown Village! I’ve been there plenty of times over the course of my college career, but this will be the first time I’ve ever gone with the intention of comparing it to other restaurants. So, here we go!

One of the best things about Iguana Grill is the location and atmosphere. It is super convenient for college students since it’s located just a few miles from campus. Plus, the lights, other decorations, and overall ambiance give the restaurant a fun vibe.

If you like margaritas, I recommend that you go on Thursdays. You can get a regular frozen margarita (my favorite) or a regular margarita on the rocks for just $3 all day long! As far as taste goes, the drinks were just average, but the price can’t be beat.

My deal breaker with Mexican restaurants is always the quality of the chips and salsa. You can definitely tell that the salsa is homemade because of the chunks of onion and fresh cilantro which is exactly how I like it. It wasn’t too spicy or too mild and was just the right consistency. I like chips that are on the thinner side, and Iguana Grill’s were just a little bit too thick for my taste. They were all gone within a matter of minutes though, so I guess they passed the test!

Now it’s time for the main event, what I ordered! Iguana Grill has a really big menu selection (I pasted a link to their menu below), so I had trouble deciding what to get. In the end, I decided to get a fiesta quesadilla with chicken. It was sooooo good! The quesadilla was filled with tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, chicken, and so much cheese. I order quesadillas pretty often when I eat at Mexican restaurants, and I would rank this one as one of the best.

You can tell from looking at the menu, but the prices at Iguana Grill are a little high for a college student’s budget. I think my check was about $20 which included my meal, margarita, and the tip.

Yelp Reviews

Iguana Grill has 2.5 stars on Yelp, but I would give it maybe 4 stars. A lot of the negative reviews voiced concerns about the service and prices. I know a lot of opinions about the service at restaurants are subjective, but my waitress was great when I ate there. The prices may be high, but you do get a lot of food! I’ve linked Iguana Grill’s Yelp page below if you want to check it out!

Conclusion

Overall, Iguana Grill is a pretty good Mexican restaurant. It has a great location, good food, and a fun atmosphere. However, it is a little pricey and not a place where I would recommend spending a big chunk of your paycheck. If you’ve got any questions or comments, let me know! Next week is Chuy’s!

http://www.iguanagrillhoover.com/

https://www.yelp.com/biz/iguana-grill-tuscaloosa-3?osq=iguana+grill

Hi! Welcome to my blog! I’ve created “Let’s Taco ‘Bout It” to share one of my passions, Mexican food, with all of the citizens and students of  Tuscaloosa, AL.

 

If you’re like me and my friends, you have a favorite Mexican restaurant back home that you crave pretty much all the time. My personal favorite is Little Rosie’s in Huntsville, AL. Unfortunately, Little Rosie’s doesn’t deliver to Tuscaloosa, so I’ve had to search for a new favorite since I’ve been in college. I’ve lived in Tuscaloosa for four and half years now, and I’ve yet to find a restaurant that rivals Little Rosie’s, but a few of my friends and I came up with a plan to find the best Mexican restaurant in Tuscaloosa. 

We jokingly call this pursuit “The Mexican Tour of Tuscaloosa,” and it has easily become my favorite part of every week. Each week we visit a different restaurant and rank it according to our own tastes and preferences. We consider everything from the chips and salsa to the margaritas to the pricing in our rankings. Ever since we’ve started the tour, we’ve been thinking about a way to get recommendations and share our journey with others. So here we are!

My hope for this blog is that students from other cities and states can find their own favorite Mexican restaurant here in Tuscaloosa. You can expect weekly updates since my friends and I visit a new restaurant each week. We usually try out new places on Thursdays (Taco Thursday is a thing, right?), so you can expect a new post between Friday and Sunday every week. 

Please don’t hesitate to give me feedback, advice, or criticisms. I am always looking for suggestions for new restaurants to try out, and I’d be happy to add your favorite to the list. Next week I’ll share where we’ve been so far and our current rankings. See you then!