Steve B.
Yelp
I'm of the opinion that we lucky citizens of the greater Wasatch Front are at not only peak pizza, but peak taco. It seems that the only shops more abundant than tattoo parlors feature tacos.
I'm a big fan and heavy user, but it took me awhile to get to RocTaco in downtown Salt Lake City and I was kind of surprised.
The big surprise for me is just how different every single taco joint can be. That may be why it is such a popular food, the ability to use different and sometimes unexpected ingredients offers a chef some serious room for creativity.
RocTaco is absolutely running in this creative space and I applaud their efforts. I ordered three tacos, the Funky Clicker, the Bahn Mijo and the Uncle Al. Talk about different styles on one plate.
The Bahn Mijo is obviously their take on the famed Vietnamese sandwich and I have to say it was a true and delicious representation. The sauce was excellent and the carnitas worked in tandem with the picked cucumber and jalapenos. My only wish was that it was spicier.
Taco number two, the Uncle Al, was more traditional in scope, but the pineapple and mango salsa was the magic for me. Again, I wish it had been spicier. The last of the trio was the Funky Clicker, which featured chicken, churro bites, a maple syrup aioli, bacon and honey.
I think maybe the chef is trying to be too funky on this one because the chicken had lost its crispness and discerning any of the other ingredients on their own, was nigh impossible. The churro bites just didn't work for me, either. Weird texture all around. Maybe that was the funky. At any rate, not one I would order again.
The Uncle Al was the only one of the three to be served on a corn tortilla and the flour version obviously is homemade, with a decent chew, but was a little tough.
All in all, I see why this place gets good reviews and is always recommended to me. The variety is appealing and I'd really like to go again and try the Amy Hates Fish tacos and the Angry Bird.
Yelp tags this restaurant as one to try if you are a fan of Taqueria Facil, which is one of my favorite places to dine. I get the tie, but I think these places are farther part than closer together, but that's great for all of us. The taco, as I said before, is a great canvas for a taco artist to create and because everyone's a critic, I'll throw down my two cents: RocTaco is good and I'll go again because I really want to explore their other offerings. However, I'd like some more spice. The only salsa or hot sauce available were the old standards Cholula and a bottle of Louisiana hot sauce. A place this creative and with such a good grasp on flavor should be able to craft a homemade hot sauce to help ignite and excite the flavors in their tacos.
I liked RocTaco, but it left me wanting just a little more.