Mark R.
Yelp
It was Taco Tuesday, so we set out in search of a Mexican restaurant on our way home from the beach. What we found was a strange fusion indeed, Mexican and Japanese. Yes, a taco-sushi joint in Florence called King Jefe Taco Bar. As the sign says it's a taco bar, but they might want to tweak that. As I write this I still have some regrets. Regret that we did not pay more attention to the sushi menu. Like I said, it was Tuesday, and this is a taco bar! There are some great sushi selections, as well as poke bowls. And as we snuck glances at the packed tables around us, the sushi dishes looked terrific, scratch made, large rolls, and lots of them. Back to the tacos, there is a great selection of tacos with clever names, such as, Uncle Terry, The Chong, Billy Ray, Gringo, etc. You are given the choice between a flour tortilla or the corn. I sometimes make my own tortillas out of maseca, and to me that's the more authentic choice, so corn it was.
For which tacos, I settled on the Al Pastor, and the Dae Han. The Dae Han was topped with beef, Kimchi, Gochujang Mayo, green onions, and the Al Pastor featured pork, slaw, and a topping of pineapple salsa (which as I was to find out, proved problematic). The beef in the Dae Han was a bit dry, and while the pork in the Al Pastor was tender and moist, the taco got soggy and fell apart half way through consumption. The salsa was just to wet. And these tacos are small, like street tacos. Prices are okay, but nothing notable. For example, three small tacos and a side for $15 is not a great deal. Did I mention my side--awesome chorizo mac n cheese. It's a winner! My wife opted for a burger and a street corn. The burger was so so, and while she enjoyed the corn, it was nothing extra.
Will we be back? Maybe, if we find ourselves in Florence again, but will be better shoppers; we'll check out that sushi menu for sure. My recommendation for the King is step it up on taco side of the house by making your own tacos.