Tacos Flores
Photo courtesy of http://www.tacosflores.com/
Folks, I’d like to introduce GunsandTaco.com’s first guest post, written by Jeff Timpanaro. Enjoy!
TWITTER, DROOL, AND YOU
One peril of following someone on Twitter named @GunsAndTacos is that you’re seeing the word “Tacos” about 18 times per day.
It’s easy to understand how seeing the word Tacos in blue, bold font motivates a person to – well – eat more tacos. (I hope psychopaths don’t have the same phenomenon with the ‘Guns’ part.)
But if you click through and read @GunsAndTacos’ blog, which tends to describe “luscious tacos on homemade corn tortillas stacked with barbacoa, cilantro, and onions, with a handful of limes on the side” – well, you might as well not grocery shop anymore. Lunch is – waistline be damned – around the corner at the taco stand.
TACOS FLORES
4808 FM 1960 E.
Humble, TX 77338
Having driven by Tacos Flores in Humble for 7 years and never stopped, I figured it was time to give it a shot. I’m so glad I did.
I don’t know the entire story, but Tacos Flores began like many other taco stands out there: as a trailer with a canopy. But about four years ago, every time I would drive by, I would see new developments being added to the property. Outdoor seating, patio, more umbrellas, a parking lot, more cars, bigger signage, etc.
I don’t know if this was a conscious effort by the owners to attract more (or different) clientele. I remember in its early years, you’d really just see landscaping crews and Mexicanos – lots of them – milling around the lot, ordering taco baskets from a walk-up window. That should have been my clue that the food was good, right? I just never made it in.
But now that the inside and outside decor has been <sigh> “white-ified,” the yuppies, suburban families, college students, and suits in the area are really discovering it. Guess I’m guilty by association, but that’s o.k. It’s been a great discovery.
My first impression walking in was that it was clean, friendly, and that they were serious about preparing fresh food. My dining companions – my mom and two of my sons (both toddlers) sat down while I ordered.
I spoke Spanish to the lady at the counter, who obliged me by speaking Spanish also. I explained it was my first visit, and she seemed genuinely thankful that we finally stopped in.
I ended up with three barbacoa tacos, rice and refried beans on the side. I got mom three ground beef tacos, which might have been a mistake in retrospect. I’m not brave enough to eat lengua; the beef was a safe bet anyway since I planned a taco swap with mom.
I wish I hadn’t, because I had to give up one of my barbacoa tacos – one of the best I’d ever had. I was happy to discover that the tortillas de maiz (corn) were homemade, and you could taste the difference immediately. With ample cilantro, fresh onions on top and two big lime wedges on the side, I was a happy camper. Snarf.
A great add-on was the authentic Mexican Coke in the glass bottle. I think I may have shown my gringo colors when I poured it over ice, but that’s just force of habit. It was dee-lish.
The kids – never an afterthought when deciding where to eat – left happy. They split a gigantic hamburger with fries, which was nothing to write home about but they don’t care much as long as the tank is getting filled and there’s plenty of ketchup.
I think we got out of there for $21.00 or so, which was slightly higher than I’d anticipated. But I can’t fathom what the same amount of food might have cost at Pappasito’s.
So if you’re ever heading east on FM 1960 in Humble, visit Tacos Flores for some great comida. And since my BlackBerry didn’t take any food pictures worth a damn, you’ll just have to take my word for it.
Jeff Timpanaro
Twitter: @oberata
Web: www.oberata.com
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