Taco del Mar

Taco Del Mar, business district, New Orleans, La
The WORST service I have ever seen. Martinez was agitated when I came to the counter to place an order, as he had to interrupt his personal call. I ordered the taco combo and was informed that they didn’t serve till 11am (it was 8:30am). I went to the Subway counter, then noticed the sign saying Taco Del Mar served breakfast, so I went back to the counter and got the ‘stink eye’ from Martinez once again for interrupting his personal call. I ordered the breakfast burrito combo. He told me to pick out a drink, charged me the combo price (which combo included potatoes) was informed it took 20 minutes for the convection oven to warm up (?). I might add I tipped him a$ 1.50. The combo price was $ 6 with potatoes and drink, which is what he charged me, to which I said“but it says $ 6 with potatoes and I’m not getting the potatoes, so why are you charging me the full price?”. He informed me it was for the drink! I then informed him I didn’t want the drink, and got more ‘stink eye’ from him when he refunded me the $ 2. Then got back to calling someone again on his cell. Never got a hello, welcome, thank you from him. He treated me like it should be MY pleasure that he was there, and I was inconveniencing him by coming there to buy food…

This place would be a lot better if they would just DRAIN their meats and pico before putting it on the dish. The meat and pico are literally swimming in watery juice, so when it is added to a taco salad bowl, plate of nachos or a taco, all that watery juice comes with it. By the time I sit down to eat, the chips or shell is soggy… and don’t even get me started on the mess you get when trying to eat a taco or burrito… even when you keep it wrapped in the foil. Other than the watery/​soggy issue, the flavor of the food is good, as is the service.

I don’t always tempt fate but when I do, it’s with questionable Mexican food. Nice people, though!

Skip this place. If you are starving, continue to do so and skip it. The tacos were so greasy that the grease was spilling out of the tin foil they wrap them in, and it was a lot of grease. The carne asada (if you can call it that) is almost gray in colour and tastes as bad as it looks. There’s nothing to eat here people, move along.

Had a coupon for $ 1 off so figured I’d give it a try after walking by it so often. Veggie regular burrito was good, but it was literally rice, beans, lettuce, pico. Every Mexican place I’ve been to, when the veggie option is same price as meat option, at least has grilled mushrooms, sauteed veggies, free quac, or something extra. So with my $ 1 it was an ok deal ($ 3.40) for what I got, but probably won’t do it again at regular price. Thought everything tasted fresh, but again, doesnt make up for making vegetarians having to pay the same price when all you did was take out the most expensive ingredient.

Taco del Mar is one of those places where you go and you know you should not go. This place is a block from my work and is my go to place for when I have been too lazy to pack lunch. Yes even Unilocalers pack lunches.
Anyway, I could not in my right mind give them four stars because there is nothing fresh about them. Freshness in mexican food is important and maybe most importantly relatively easy unless you are making tortillas or tamales.
The salsa is definitely made with crushed tomatoes. The chips are the color of a yellow cab. I am pretty sure the mexican rice is made from the Zattarans. However, the carnita meat is some how delicious. Probably because they get the cheapest cut of meant which sometimes means you find some fat in your Baja Bowl. But the meat is seasoned and cooked perfectly tender so you just put it in a napkin and go on about your business.
In addition, the staff is GREAT. They know the people who go there. They have weekday specials (which I love for some reason) and they have a loyalty program. Plus, I am busy during the work day, I don’t have time to traipse up and down Poydras for something better. Don’t give me that look!