By definition, Taco Tuesday means eating tacos on a Tuesday – at a discount. It doesn’t mean the regular menu prices or bite-sized street tacos. It means: “I’m here on a Tuesday because I want cheap tacos to compensate for all of the overpriced margaritas that I’m about to drink.”
In Laguna, there are very few cheap options but there are some relative bargains.
Let’s review, starting with our top three. And I repeat, these winners are not “OMG, they have the BEST tacos in the world!” No, we’re talking overall value, taste and margaritas for Taco Tuesday deals. (Note: We try to keep up on all of these prices, but some may have changed.)
Finally, if we missed a place, we don’t care. We’re half drunk.
1. Avila’s El Ranchito
1305 S. Coast Hwy.
El Ranchito – or Chito as some call it – is decent gringo Mexican. It won’t win awards but it’s affordable and good for families. Its TT deal is fair as well: $3 per taco, last we checked. It used to be cheaper but whatever. We like it because, well, we’ve enjoyed the margaritas there several times with friends then walked home with fond memories that we can’t remember.
2. Carmelita’s
217 Broadway St.
More pricey Mexican food but at least the menu is creative and most of the dishes are very good. The drinks are killer. The TT deal seems fair but the tacos are small: two for $6 all day long. Did we say the drinks are tasty? Another round please.
3. Bodega Laguna
400 S. Coast Hwy
Newcomer Bodega has quickly earned a spot in our Taco Tuesday rotation. It’s tasty and creative, plus they have taco specials every day for happy hour. Two tacos for $10: a lightly battered mahi-mahi, and a blackened shrimp. Very good.
4. Asada
610 N. Coast Hwy.
If we were judging just on the flavor of the short rib tacos, Asada would get five stars. The tacos are great but we wish the TT deals were better: $3 crispy tacos, $4 soft tacos and $5 for fish or shrimp tacos. The margaritas are tasty and different (strawberry and mango, e.g.) with a slight price drop to $7 on TT. Asada is a good place to start your taco crawl.
5. Coyote Grill
31621 Coast Hwy.
Lots of S. Laguna bar flies go here. It’s not bad and has character. For TT, they have a three-taco plate (street size and no sides) for about $10. But their regular tacos are still $4.50, which is a little steep. Also, they extend their happy hour to closing (normally 3-6 pm), so there’s that. Drink up amigos.
6. South of Nick’s
540 S. Coast Hwy.
South of Nick’s is part of a regional chain and has that corporate feel. It’s pricey but there’s no denying the food is good. Unfortunately, no TT deals, which is a shame because they have a great bar with a view.
7. La Sirena Grill
347 Mermaid St.; 30862 S. Coast Hwy.
Overall, very good healthy Mexican. Who doesn’t like La Sirena, seriously? The south location has a great bar with impressive microbrews. But again, the TT deals? Meh. Sometimes they have good specials of the day (look on the chalk board). But make no mistake, La Sirena is solid.
8. Rasta Taco
170 Beach St.
Rasta is a gem – love the tacos. But … the TT deal is mediocre. They give you the street-sized tacos, which must be from a one-way street in Jamaica because they’re tiny. The flavors here are awesome, though, so we’re showing some love.
9. Wild Taco
188 S. Coast Hwy.
Wild Taco has settled into an OK spot. It’s not bad but stumbles in some areas, like service, which can be hit or miss. Nonetheless, the food is generally good. There’s no TT special, per se, but they have a weekday happy hour from 3-6 p.m. with $3 street tacos and discounted beer. We would not recommend the house margarita – not good.
10. Papa’s Taco
31622 Coast Hwy.
It’s a roadside place that you want to like but the tacos are not that special. They do have a pretty good TT deal: four street tacos for $8. But we can’t get past the unspecialness.
11. Laguna Feast
801 Glenneyre St.
With mixed feelings we say this: If you want cheap tacos on Tuesday, this is the cheapest in Laguna at $1.85. However, they’re not very memorable and you’d probably be happier going somewhere else. Sorry, just being real.
12. Adolfo’s
998 S. Coast Hwy.
This is another hard one. We hate to be the bad guy, but Adolfo’s isn’t cutting it. No TT specials and let’s face it, a lot of the food is just OK. Their prices are not expensive but not cheap. Middling all the way around. We like the space, the workers, all that. But … yeah, no.
13. Las Brisas
361 Cliff Dr.
Way overpriced. No TT deals. Of course the view is world-class but, yeah, way overpriced. Don’t believe me? How much for three runt scallops? $47. That’s insane.
Do you have a different opinion? Order us a margarita and maybe we’ll talk.
