The Uno Mas Taco Party

Walking into Uno Mas, one might be inclined to think they’ve entered a typical sports bar. A vibrant blue warehouse space gives a bigger nod to the city’s history, its hometown sports teams and its ideals than the cuisine it serves, covered in mostly lumber-trade paraphernalia, championship banners and a gay pride flag. Two large paintings of luchadores gracing the alcove near the bathrooms and a pair of lovely, Mexican-themed art deco prints in the dining area are the only hints of the food they serve. However, the sign on the door says “taquiza” and that’s exactly what you get on the menu.

What exactly is a tequiza, dear reader? I, for one, had to look it up. Mexico-born food writer Adriana Martin says, “A taquiza is a taco party where friends gather to enjoy each other’s company over good tacos and drinks.” The food menu at Uno Mas offers very few options other than tacos, alcohol and soda, making “taquiza” an apt description. Their tacos are divided into three categories: traditional, seafood and vegetarian. The wide variety means there’s a little something for everyone, but the definition of “good tacos” might be up for debate.

As might be expected, the crowd favorites were the traditional barbacoa and carnitas. The smoky barbacoa had a spicy depth of flavor that stood up on its own without extra sauce. The carnitas epitomized the salty, tender meatiness of a favorite pulled pork sandwich. You won’t regret handing over your $3.75 for these.  For the adventurous taco lover (or the nostalgic one), there are several traditional ingredients including tripe, blood sausage, lengua, chicharron, and chorizo. Biting into the crispy chicharron was delightfully crunchy, though it didn’t deliver in flavor and ultimately let the palate down. 

By far the most interesting taco on the menu was the Endiablado made with prawns, garlic, oregano and chiles. The flavor explosion is utterly unexpected, having the fermented-cabbage-and-chile, umami profile of kimchi. I loved it, but it may not be for everyone. Also on the seafood menu is rock fish and octopus. I wanted to love these ones, too. They were cooked perfectly, which is an incredible skill, especially with octopus, but both were lackluster, flavorless filler. Avoid these tacos and you’ll avoid disappointment. It’s $4.25 price tag is not worth it. 

For the vegetarians out there, there aren’t a lot of options: fried cheese and beans, mushrooms or nopal. If you haven’t had cactus before, nopal is similar in texture to roasted bell peppers and also has a similar vegetal flavor. That’s about as interesting as it gets, as the vegetarian tacos weren’t very memorable. 

The condiment station might be Uno Mas’ saving grace. Here, they have a wide selection of sauces of varying heat levels. From mild salsa verde to a tongue scorching, creamy habanero, their bland tacos might be saved from forgettable obscurity by smothering it in sauce.

Ultimately, the Uno Mas taco party was about as exciting as a piñata left outside in the rain. The glory of the taco is in its ability to be a flavor powerhouse in a small, corn-wrapped package, which is entirely missing here. The only redeeming features of Uno Mas are the beer selection and good service, again, making it a decent sports bar but not a taco bar. Gracias, no mas.