Taco Garage is located in an old Texas Filling Station/Garage on the outskirts of Alamo Heights at Broadway inside of Loop 410. They recently remodeled the restaurant, and took away what I thought was one of the defining characteristics of it, the old sign. If my memory serves correct, they took the old “TEXACO” sign and got rid of the “EX” which left you with “TACO.” I thought that this was extremely clever and sad to see it go… But what about the food?
I went to the Taco Garage with some friends after playing a volleyball game in scoring 100+ degree Texas heat. It was cooling off nicely as the sun had set after our game, so we went in search of a patio to eat, drink, and hang out. The patio at Taco Garage was just the ticket as it is really big with plenty of seats. There is even a stage set up on the patio and I imagine that there are some good tunes pumping out on the weekend.
There was one drawback to the patio; we originally sat down at the long bar and when our waitress brought us chips and salsa, the ants came out to eat! This was quickly remedied by going to a table, so until the owners spray, I would advise just beginning at one of the tables outside. No big deal, just something to be aware when you go.
I really loved the roasted salsa; it had a nice heat and flavor, and I think I knocked out a basket all by myself! We all ordered the GT Margaritas (I think that was the name; you’ll have to excuse me as the margaritas make you not remember correctly) which was the top shelf that came with Patron Silver as the tequila. The best part of the margarita was that it came in a schooner and packed quite the punch!
I opted to get the Plato Exclusivo which came with a crispy taco, a carne asada taco, cheese enchilada, borracho beans, and guacamole. The waitress informed me that indeed the borracho beans were made with beer (Tecate), so they were authentic. (For all you gringos out there, borracho means “drunk” so it is important that real borracho beans are made with beer. Anything else is uncivilized.)
Let’s get things straight, the name of the restaurant is called Taco Garage, and man did they deliver on their tacos. The crispy one was good and the carne asada taco packed with meat and cheese that all melted together in a perfect tortilla was excellent. Those two items filled me up plenty! The cheese enchilada was all right, but remember, this is Taco Garage, not Enchilada Garage!
Finally, the waitress was really friendly and took care of us all night. She would talk with us about the restaurant and the food and gave really strong recommendations on the different plates to try. To top it off, when she said a Spanish word she would slip into a Spanish accent. I love that.
When you are needing a taco tuneup, be sure to stop at the Taco Garage — they’ll get you back on the road happy and full.
Value: 8.5/10 ($12 plate for dinner that is guaranteed to give you leftovers; $8.50 margarita that will make you happy and forget that you had the leftovers in a to go box in your car until the next morning…)
Atmosphere: 9.5/10 (even if you eat on the patio, be sure to check out the interior of the restaurant to see the “Sacred Hearts” paintings by a Texas artist, it is worth it; the outside patio is fantastic when the night finally cools off; I would have given them a 10/10 if it weren’t for the ants)
Service: 10/10 (Our waitress was most excellent; she interacted with our table and was always quick to bring us refills, etc.)
Salsa: 9/10 (right amount of heat; I took down an entire bowl myself and had to borrow some from a friend for my meal)
Taste: 9/10 (if you stick with the tacos you will be very happy; asi asi on the enchiladas)
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