Brian S.
Yelp
Growing up in California, I was always spoiled with having a ton of really amazing Mexican food on practically every street corner. When I moved to Minnesota, I realized that there aren't nearly as many authentic Mexican restaurants in the Midwest as there were back home, and a good number of the Mexican restaurants here are somewhat "Americanized." Luckily, I've managed to find some great, traditional spots in the Twin Cities that remind me of the Mexican food I grew up eating, and while you are unlikely to find a place like "Los Ocampos" on a street corner in Guadalajara or Oaxaca, it definitely leans a lot more toward that type of food than it does toward "hard shell tacos with ground beef and shredded cheese" type places that would make any true Californian cry (although this restaurant does, sadly, offer all of those things as options).
The format of this place is a lot more "Chipotle/Qdoba" than "taqueria;" you order at a counter, assembly-line style, and get a choice between a bowl, plate, burrito, torta, tacos, or a few other options. However, many of their ingredients are a lot more traditional than those big chains. You can choose from a wide range of authentic meats, including asada, al pastor, carnitas, and chorizo. Their toppings are great too: they have cilantro, onions, pineapple, cabbage, avocado, and a ton of different salsas. They also offer the Mexican version of Coca-Cola, which blows the American version out of the water. Put all this together, and you can build a pretty yummy meal for yourself.
Prices are reasonable and portions are large. There was hardly anyone there when I visited, but it can get busy during lunch hours.