Florida Keys Eats: Specialty food truck and collard tacos

I eat at Tacos Jalisco several times a month. When most people aren’t in the mood to cook, they order pizza. Our go-to in this household is ordering takeout from Tacos Jalisco.

Every time we took a bite, we couldn’t help but say, “Dang, they’re so good.” If you’ve ever had a time in your life where you find yourself eating out a lot or getting fast food, you know that can get old fast. You start craving a home-cooked meal. Tacos Jalisco is just that; It tastes like a home cooked meal – no shortcuts and everything is fresh.

All produce is served farm-to-table and you can definitely taste the difference in the pico de gallo and guacamole. Seafood and meat are never frozen. Corn tortillas are gluten-free, and flour tortillas contain 50% less gluten than traditional store-bought flour tortillas.

That farm-to-table guacamole I mentioned is paired with tortilla chips made to order. Their guac is out of this world amazing, and there is no artificial lemon flavor like most places. But let me tell you, these chips. I would go there just to get a bowl of these chips if I could. They’re crisp, firm, and have what it takes to dip into a hearty dish like guacamole. I didn’t know a tortilla chip could taste so fresh. My favorite order is always the quesadilla with chicken. If it’s feeling refreshing I’ll top the quesadilla with sour cream and pico de gallo, but honestly it doesn’t need it. The chicken is well seasoned and melts harmoniously with the high-quality mozzarella cheese housed in a buttery tortilla. My fiancé Mark’s go-to is the “Mama Jama” burrito. It’s not actually called this but every time we order it, you can feel the weight of the bag and we’re like, “Wow, this thing is Mama Jama.” It’s stuffed to the brim with your choice of meat, refried beans, Mexican rice, onions, cilantro, avocado, and sour cream. Mark requests Baja sauce in his burrito instead of sour cream. Their Baja sauce is one of those things you can’t get enough of.

Before Tacos Jalisco, I could never get on board with everyone’s love for corn tortillas. I know they’re more traditional and how street tacos should be served, but that’s never been my thing. Surprisingly, I love TJ’s corn tacos, especially with steak. These little tacos are stacked with ground beef and onions. Order three of these and you’re in flavor town. Oh wait, I think someone else is already using that saying. The options don’t stop there; They have chorizo, al pastor, chicken, fish and shrimp.

Now my favorite hidden gem here at Tacos Jalisco that you can get any time of the day, no matter your hunger level, is the daily agua fresca. I love her. I literally dance as I sip it. The absolute star for me is when they eat the watermelon agua fresca. It’s fresh watermelon and the perfect ratio of water and sugar. It never tastes sweet; I would even say it’s a healthy drink. It really lets the fruit shine and all the nutritional goodness that comes with a ripe piece of fruit.

Make a night of it and head to Tacos Jalisco for dinner. For those who visit the Islamorada location, you can pair it with the great tasting Florida Keys Brewing Iguana. If you choose the Key Largo location, you can grab dessert at Key Largo Chocolates afterward. It’s the perfect night out.