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My Trip to Phoenix Tacolandia 2019 – Worth a Fork! #TacolandiaPHX

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The Lunch Box

Tacolandia is an all-you-can-eat taco festival that took place Saturday January 26th from 1pm-5pm at Margaret T Hance Park in Down Town Phoenix. General Admission cost $20-$40. depending on where and when you purchased your tickets and VIP tickets cost between $40.-$55. also depending on where and when you purchased your tickets. The VIP this year seemed only slightly different than general admission. The VIPs got into the festival slightly sooner, got two free drinks and were able to vote for favorite taco.

WOO-HOO! this was an All-You-Can-Eat Taco event! Over 20 taco venders participated. There was some free entertainment and libations were available for sale.

This event was dog friendly and parking was free and also metered depending on how far you wanted to walk.

(Don’t tell my dogs that this was a dog friendly event)

The 2019 Tacolandia went similar to the 2018 Tacolandia. The event was held at the same place and the festival goers trickled in the same way. The first hour from 1pm-2pm it was easy breezy getting around anywhere you wanted to go. Either no lines or very short lines.

No lines a little after 1pm here
A little after 1pm here

Then about by 2pm lines ran about 25-30 minutes.

By 2:30 I got tired of standing and was very thirsty. The line for lemonade ran 45 minutes.

Just like last year some tacos were better than other tacos. Some were made with MADE TO ORDER FRESH tortillas that were mighty delicious! The Forking Truth is that only one vender used an awful tortilla.

This was all I ate from this taco. Filling was tender but bland and on a hard tortilla that needed to be grilled.

Here are what we tried. Just like last year my husband tried more tacos than what I tried. The majority of the tacos offered were beef, followed by pork, a few chicken and I only found one fish taco. There were two vegetable tacos offered that I noticed. I wasn’t able to hit every vender but between the two of us we hit much of the offerings. One vendor had trouble and didn’t have power so I don’t know if they got to serve. Another vendor started serving tacos about an hour or so after opening.

Beef Taco from Casa Corazon
Bulgogi Beef with Kimchi Bun from Bao Chow at the Yucca Tap Room (this one ran salty)
Chico Malo – Pork Belly Taco
Jamburritos Cajun Grille Pork Taco
Gadzooks Chicken & Cornbread Stuffing Taco – One of the best tasting tacos that I tried.
El Tlacoyo – two different kinds of pork tacos
Ajo Al’s Brisket Taco – Taco shell was fresh made
La Olmeca – Beef Taco – before topping bar
Mrs C’s Caterins – Chicken Taco
Taste of New Mexico – Pork Taco
Sylvia’s La Canasta – Fish Taco – only fish taco I found
Sylvia’s La Canasta – Vegetable Taco – VERY Cilantro forward and also spicy
Philly’s Sports Grill – Among the better tacos…a non-traditional Asian Fusion Beef Taco
Tortas Paquime – Among the better Tacos – Beef Tacos with House Made SPICY sauces
Varsity Tavern – Beef Taco
From The Lunch Box – Chicken Tostada and Beef
Nando’s Mexican Cafe – Chicken Taco
Some festival goers dressed for the occasion.
Some festival goers dressed for the occasion

That was my Trip to Tacolandia 2019 – I’d say it was Worth a Fork!

Worth a Fork!

www.TacolandiaPHX.com

The Forking Truth

Taco About Tacolandia Phoenix 2018 #TacolandiaPHX

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Tacolandia Phoenix 2018 was a Phoenix New Times Event held January 27th at Margaret T Hance Park in Phoenix AZ. This event benefited Los Diablos. Only $20.00 got you FREE parking, Admission and all THE FORKING TACOS you can eat!

We started off really well. Tacos Tequila Whiskey offered two kinds of detailed delicious tacos.

I tried the Hongos Taco on the left. It was a fancy mixed mushroom taco with gridded cheese, corn and ancho chili sauce. It was surprisingly satisfying. It seemed meaty but with good flavors that were balanced.  On the right was the El Pulpo Taco that was octopus, chicharrones, vegetables and a spicy salsa.

Freebies- besides a variety of tacos Del-Real Brand was giving out a variety of merchandise.

The first hour was no wait at all for food.

Among the better tacos I tried (I note I skipped over many….) was the Helio Basin Brewing’s untraditional Coffee Stout Braised Beef, papaya salsa, pomegranate, pipian Taco. This taco was very developed with lots of stout flavor in the beef on a very unique but delicious spent grain crisp tortilla. I liked the pop of the crunchy but also refreshing pomegranate in it. This taco was NOTHING like the taco I recently had at the restaurant. This one was large and full of lots of meat..to me it didn’t seem like from the same place at all mostly because of the meat to vegetable ratio. This taco was a very different style. The fish taco I had at the restaurant was very delicate but also with bold flavor.  This beef taco was hearty but both were very good with full flavors and very different.

Still no lines.

My husband ate more tacos than me…He said the Los Sombreros was good. I know they are under a new ownership since I ate there.

The next most notable taco I tried came from Presido Cocina Mexican.

I got to try the Chicken Taco on some sort…..I forgot but a special type of…house made tortilla that was extra delicious. the taco was very full of traditional flavors with a nice variety of textures. Maybe the best I tried…..I kept thinking to myself….now this is what a taco should taste like…..My husband finished up the beef one before I could try it but he said it was very good….

By this time we were here over an hour. By this time it’s getting very crowded and hot even though it’s only a little over 70 degrees F. By now there are long lines for tacos and beverages.

The Health Inspector showed up here. I noticed an empty tent….I don’t know if that was due to the health inspector. But I used it for shade for a little bit.

Here is the Puffy Taco from the Puffy Taco Shack. They made a small sample sized taco. It’s only maybe an inch an a half- two inches long (around matchbox sized). It had a unique puffy taco shell.

I didn’t try Willies Taco Joint but my husband said it was good.  Look at the green tortilla…a green chili -corn tortilla topped with green chili pork…….You can’t tell by my photos but the Willies Taco was a full size taco…….one of the largest or maybe the largest most filled taco I came across.

By now I’m feeling the effects from the strong sun, being slightly dehydrated and having a full stomach.

There’s a bunch more to try. There’s more freebies to get. There’s live music. There’s voting for my favorite and there’s more tacos!

My husband and I split-up here and he waits for water in a line and I wait for the last taco that I’m going to try……The sun is strong and I’m really Forking Thisty…….It’s a half hour wait for either a taco or water.

My last taco I tried was the Cash Taco by Rock A Belly Food Truck who has been on Food Network TV Show Eat Street. It was also a bigger taco (not street sized) but it also was among the better tacos. It different and delicious. It was made of sermato poached chicken, cabbage and chipotle aioli and cilantro cream. It was kind of a joy getting this last taco. The Food Truck guy had a really great personality. No wonder why he made TV….He was so friendly and energetic and shouting out to everyone about how great his tacos were.

There’s a whole bunch more at Tacolandia but I can’t do it…..

I think I got more than my $20.00 worth. Didn’t even think about having dinner.

That was Taco about Tacolandia Phoenix 2018

www.TacolandiaPHX.com

Worth a Fork!

THE FORKING TRUTH is that every FORKING THING is subject to change and your experience may or may NOT differ.

The Forking Truth