Taqueria Ramiro & Sons - Alameda, CAposted by snekse

Taqueria Ramiro & Sons

With the Cinco de Mayo celebrations come and gone, I thought I'd throw out a taqueria challenge. One of the things I hear most often from people who move to Omaha from California is the lack of a good taqueria or taco truck. Just the low key, Mexican street food that really hits the spot in a way restaurant food just never can.

One of our favorite spots to hit in the bay area is Taqueria Ramiro & Sons in Alameda. It's a small spot with a heavy lunch crowd. The decor is minimal, but the food is awesome. The principle differences I've found between the burritos in California versus the ones found in the Midwest are:

1. The size. You got jipped if your burrito was less than 7" or 8" long. On the same token, it should also be thick. The combination of the two means it should also be heavy.
2. The wetness. Burritos are not wraps. Steam that $@*|<#?. I should not be able to easily peel open my burrito because the tortilla should be glued to itself. If I find unmelted cheese in yet another Midwest burrito, so help me...
3. The money shot. The meat should be tender and juicy. By the end, you should have juice dripping down your chin. This is usually the result of long, slow braising while listening to tracks by Barry White and Al Green.

And this mentions nothing about the low prices, the lack of cheddar cheese, and the hand-chopped-to-order carnitas found at Taqueria Ramiro & Sons. All of which I think add to an extra special taqueria.

So here's my challenge: Tell me I'm wrong. Tell me where I can find an outstanding taqueria in Omaha. Bonus points if it's west of 72nd. Double bonus points if it's west of 120th. If you can tell us of one west of 168th, give yourself as many bonus points as you want because you're a liar.

And keep in mind, this is the search for a great taqueria, not a Mexican restaurant. How can you tell the difference? Count the menu items. If you have to count, it's not a taqueria. It should basically just be tacos, burritos - pick your filling.

And don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Omaha doesn't have great Mexican food or that Omaha doesn't have a great taqueria; I'm just saying I haven't found them yet. So clue me in and quit hoarding all of the chicharrones for yourself.

RELATED LINKS:
Taqueria's in Omaha
A Foodie's Week in San Francisco

Tags || TAQUERIA | MEXICAN FOOD | OMAHA | RESTAURANTS | CINCO DE MAYO | MEXICAN CUISINE | more... | FOOD | GFC |