Longmont Packing

Note: Despite the name of this place being «Longmont Packing», they are a few blocks south of US36 & Federal, in Westminster. *shrug* Go fig.
I got dragged out to this somewhat-​hidden gem by a fellow Unilocaler (raises glass to toast, thanks Carrie!) after we kicked texts back and forth on a Saturday morning with both of us trying to figure out what we wanted for breakfast — it took 2 hrs of texting to lock onto a place. This is a mid-​sized Mexican grocery store, complete with various flavors of Mexican music wafting over the speakers — besides the huge carniceria counter directly in back, the real hidden gem of this place is the taqueria along the east side of the store. This is the first Mexican grocery store I’ve been in in at least 7 – 8 years and I don’t remember the other one having an awesome eatery like this inside.
I got the barbacoa burrito and 2 tacos al pastor. This place will let you order your burrito either with rice and beans or other things — or solely with meat. I bowed to my companions’ wisdom in my choice. The flour tortilla was lightly grilled on the outside and perfect, not charred. The inside? …There are no words. Carnivoreal bliss. SO DAMN GOOD. They were out of the barbacoa smothering sauce, so I was a little disappointed but not enough that it showed on my face. There may actually be some discernible fat taste in the meat but if so it’s not gross at all; just so… damn…good.
Next the tacos al pastor. They are served on little 4″ tortillas — and I want to say they were corn, but if so, they were the finest ground corn tortillas I’ve ever had. *So* soft in texture and cradling the tenderized meat perfectly. A little lime juice or avocado stuff on top and you’re set. WOW is that meat tender… and SO TASTY! I could eat that every week for sure.
There were 4 kinds of salsa there, but there are usually 5 at least: 1 is some avocado-​salsa mixture (really good), then they had standard green and red chile sauce there too, and diced tomato/​onion/​cilantro salsa mix — the missing candidate is a tomatillo sauce that’s reportedly pretty amazing. There is also a plethora (yay, I got to say it in a review: D) of diced lime wedges there for your drizzling pleasure.
There is *also* horchata there — the normal kind which tastes kind of like chai tea, and strawberry. Upon leaving I ordered a large strawberry horchata and 2 pupusas con queso (you can also get the pupusas with chicharrones). I fully expected to pay for doing so, since horchata typically has a rice base to it and I’m diabetic — white rice+me = not good. Does Longmont Packing’s have a rice base? I don’t know, but I usually expect rice with sugar to deliver a double whammy to me – it never came. Maybe they don’t add a lot of sugar or cane syrup or whatever? Whatever, I could conjecture from now until doomsday and not know the reason, but it was completely delicious. The pupusas I brought home for later.
Why 4 stars and not 5? I ordered my pupusas con queso — I don’t know if someone else ordered pupusas and got my order, but I ate half of one later at home and mine definitely had no detectable cheese in them, sad. Also my order got placed into someone else’s bag and it was only through the customer’s kindness I managed to get my order, since the cashier placed both her and my order into her bag. There were only the 2 (parties) of us there at the cashier, is it that hard to get right?
Regardless of the order mixup with both ingredients and recipients, the food here is asombroso — excellent. I took a few photos too.

Best tacos I’ve ever eaten in my life. And they’re usually on sale at a .99 special each! One order gets you a giant portion of flavorful, perfectly cooked meat on top of two tortillas with unlimited toppings from the awesome fresh salsa bar.
Order one and the filling can easily be divided into the two layered tortialls to make two still generously portioned tacos. If you don’t mind eating in a Mexican grocery store (I don’t) this is definitely the place to go for authentic Mexican food. The meat is delicious and if you like spicy, they do not mess around with the salsa! Make sure you have a tell glass of water ready.
I usually love lengua, and while they make a spectacular lengua taco here, barbacoa is definitely their specialty. Al Pastor is also really good. Mmmm I love this place.

04/​08/​2009
Went back today, just a head’s up. The prepared food hours are 9:00am — 6:00pm. Their cocina closes promptly… well make that pre-​promptly at more like 5:40pm-ish so plan accordingly. Also there was more on the salsa bar today including some roasted whole green chiles and roasted cebollitos and a second red salsa too.
I have to thank Carrie C for turning me onto this find in MY neck of the woods! Muchas grass! I had looked for them before but had gone to the wrong location further south on federal. Don’t go there.
This store is in the same strip that houses the north Phở 79 (niet). You wouldn’t know what was waiting inside by looking at the storefront. It’s like… the wardrobe from the Witch and the… you enter into another world through that door. Pretty complete menu for a taqueria inside a smallish/​medium size market. I had to try tacos to the tune of six of them at $ 1.29 each. Very good flavor on the al pastor (x 2), carnitas, asada, barbacoa, and chorizo. Their salsa bar had a nice avocado, flavorful red, and a pico. The cilantro, limes, and onions were’nt fresh but were at least edible. The tacos themselves… two standard small tortillas per, a good portion of well seasoned meat, the only thing not fantastic about all of the meats was that you could tell they came off a steam table and weren’t tossed on a griddle again. A too soft texture from probably having liquid added to them on the table to keep them from drying out. The downside is not having any bite or crunch to any of it and the upside is that they were all moist and tender. So if you’re the kind of person that likes BBQ falling off the bone (overcooked) then this is def your spot. A cut or two flavor wise above the Rancho Lib’s cocina’s food just a block away so I guess we buy our mex groceries there and come up here to eat at this good taqueria in our neck o’ da woods.