This week my search for the best tacos in Chatt Town brought me to Taco Town.
I first ate at Taco Town about a year ago, when they were only located in Hixson. I happened to be shopping in the area when the need for a taco hit me.
I was thrilled to see they opened a second location off Brainerd Road, three months ago.
This is still a Mexican family owned, small, local business worthy of community support. It is also a spot where they do offer chips and salsa as soon as you’re seated at your table. The Brainerd location is spacious and bright. The tables are a deep brown, and the booth seats have intricate carvings on the back.
The menu is the same as the Hixson location, with seven pages of options and meals to choose from. If you want to sample tacos, this is the place. They have 20 taco options, some I’ve yet to see or try. Yes, they have the typical al pastor, barbacoa, asada, cactus, chicharron, lengua, cabeza and chicken and shrimp choices you see in most menus. They also have Birria on their menu, but you must order three to get the consommé.
They have American-style tacos, although served with mozzarella instead of cheddar cheese. Tinga tacos is one I’ve yet to see or try. It is shredded chicken with onions cooked in chipotle sauce. Another is their suadero taco. Suadero is a thin cut of beef or pork from the middle of a cow or pig, between the belly and the leg. They have a fried shrimp taco option, and one called arrachera, which is chopped skirt steak topped with queso fresco.
My first visit had me sampling their shrimp, pescado (Tilapia) and cabeza (beef cheek) taco and their cheese dip. Upon request the server will bring out some of their sauces. I’m partial to salsa verde because I find the red ones, often made with habanero or other chiles, are far too hot for my taste buds. Their salsa verde is spicy too, though, so taste first and use sparingly so it doesn’t overtake the flavor of the taco.
My shrimp taco had some hefty sized shrimp in it! Some places will cut a shrimp into pieces and stuff them in the shell. But these were left whole, which provided a nice bite and texture. The fish taco was equally stuffed with white fleshy portions of fish. But the real treat was the cabeza taco.
Cabeza means head in Spanish. In some taquerias it might be cow brain tacos. But in most places cabeza is the meat from a cow’s cheek. Back in earlier years it would be the type of meat typically discarded. But the poor learned how to cook it in a way that would render the meat tender and stuffed it between tortilla shells. Typically, cabeza is the type of meat you need to cook over a long period of time, usually in a slow cooker.
I’ve seen tacos de cabeza on several menus throughout my journey, but never tasted one. In hindsight that was stupid of me for not trying what turned out to be the most juicy and tender beef taco I’ve ever had in my life!
I’M HOOKED!
How hooked?
So much so that when I went back to try their machete, I asked if the protein could be cow cheek. Thankfully it was an option! Machete is another item I started seeing on different menus. As the name implies, it is a LONG corn tortilla, in my case stuffed with cow cheek and mozzarella. It is topped with sour cream, queso fresco, tomato and cilantro and served with a small side salad.
It was insanely 12-inches LONG and insanely delicious! The cabeza taco was awesome, now add the mozzarella, the chewy tortilla and all those wonderful toppings – MIND BLOWN!
Taco Town has all the regulars you’d expect on their menu. Tacos, tostadas, empanadas, fajitas, burritos, tortas, dinner platters, enchiladas, two soups, and drinks. They have it all and then some.
One thing that caught my eye which I plan to order on my next visit is called Volcan. It is a tostada with your choice of either marinated pork, chicken or steak, topped with refried beans, mozzarella cheese, avocado, red onions, cilantro, tomato and a FRIED EGG! Plus, I need to taste their dessert – flan Napolitano.
Whether you’re in Hixson or on Brainerd, Taco Town is a great place for brunch, lunch or dinner!
Taco Town Brainerd
- 3520 Brainerd Road
- Chattanooga, TN 37411
- (423) 713-5929
- $$-$$$
Taco Town Hixson
- 5425 TN-153, Suite 137
- Hixson, TN 37343
- (423) 870-0909
- tacotownhixson.com/
- $$-$$$
What’s your favorite taco place and why? Send me an email at Pattyl@brewermediagroup.com