I remember my first taco: two tacos, bought from a streetside cart in Tijuana for 25 cents, kick-started my low-grade obsession. I'm not talking about the crispy-shelled things you find at taco bell; these were soft tacos: two small tortillas, topped with a small heap of meat (your choice, but ground beef is never an option) and garnished with diced raw onions, cilantro, a splash of mild green or hot red sauce. No cheddar cheese. No lettuce. Accompanied by a raw radish and a squeeze of lime, two tacos are a perfect meal in 6 bites (maybe 8, if you have a small mouth).
Around here, taquerias fall into two camps: those that cater to anglos (for lack of better term), and those that don't. Let's start with the latter: a menu behind the cash register, the grill in plain sight. There are the usual meat choices: carne asada (grilled beef), carnitas (braised pork, tender and crispy), pollo (grilled or stewed). The more "authentic" taquerias often offer lengua (cow tongue), tripa (which I'll describe in a bit), cabeza (head--usually cheeks), buche (pork stomach), cabrito (goat)...it's a long list. If you're lucky, there are fish tacos. Most taquerias will offer a selection of drinks: horchata (my favorite--rice with cinnamon and sugar), and colorful agua frescas like melon, tamarindo, pina (pineapple), and jamaica (hibiscus flower).
At the anglo taquerias, the burrito tends to carry top billing (but I've never seen an establishment call themselves a "burriteria"), and--let's be blunt here--the menus are boring. Gone are the interesting meats; it's either chicken, beef, pork, or nothing. Horchata and agua fresca: also gone, replaced by a soda fountain. Yes, certainly the yuzu-infused cilantro rice at <popular burrito chain> totally rocks, but we're not here for glorified grapefruit or rice. We came for tacos.
Recently, a shiny new taqueria opened near my house which breaks these stereotypes: El Grullense. El Grullense stands out because although it is located downtown, which caters mostly to white-asian-indian Silicon Valley denizens, their menu still carries lengua and tripa (and fish! and octopus cocktails! and menudo on weekends). The horchata and selection of agua frescas are prominently displayed.
I usually order two tacos plus a glass of horchata. Lengua is never disappointing, and El Grullense's lengua is no exception: very tender, with lots of flavor. Tripa, confusingly, is not tripe in in any form (neither rumen nor honeycomb nor manyplies nor abomasum); it's actually intestine--I'm guessing pork-- chopped into small sections and grilled until crispy. Tripa is not especially common, and I was very happy to find it at El Grullense. I could eat tripa tacos every day! Their horchata is also good, creamy and not too sweet.
The final wonderful thing about El Grullense are the murals. The restaurant occupies a long, narrow space with high ceilings. They hired an artist to paint colorful, Aztec-themed murals. The accompanying description tells how the Aztec ancestors, finding Wisconsin far too cold for their feather headdress and loincloth apparel, resettled in Mexico. And I'm glad they did, because otherwise I'd be going to Sheboygan for my tongue tacos.
El Grullense Grill
152 Castro Street
Mtn View, CA 94041