Taqueria del Sol
334 Prince Ave.
706-353-3890
By MARTIN MINSCHWANER
Trying to settle a feud between friends or family members? While calm discussions and compromise are nice, I’ve found something better, easier and tastier. Take them to Taqueria del Sol, and if they can’t agree on and take joy in the simple beauty of cheap, tasty tacos, beer and margaritas, there’s no hope for them.
The taco joint, located on Prince Avenue just outside downtown Athens, probably won’t solve all of life’s problems. But it serves good food at a good price in a good atmosphere.
The name means “Taco Shop of the Sun,” and on this bleak November evening, I feel the warmth emitted by the restaurant’s so(u)l. Walking in from the cold, I am welcomed by space heaters and a friendly staff. I eat in the “outdoor” area, where more space heaters and a plastic enclosure offer an outdoor dining experience while keeping me warm.
Every week the dinner menu features three specials—a chef’s special, a seafood special, and a taco-of-the-week. Six other tacos and four enchiladas round out the menu. Tacos will cost you about two bucks, making Taqueria the perfect place for us cash-crippled collegians. Enchiladas cost only a dollar more while the chef’s and seafood specials run closer to ten dollars.
The drink list is expansive. You know how scientists say the earth could fit inside the sun about a million times? Consider Taqueria del Sol’s tequila selection the sun and the tequila selection at similar restaurants the earth. The beer selection is respectable too, with all the Mexican classics.
At Taqueria, customers find a table and wait after ordering and paying at the front counter. My cheese dip arrives at our table immediately. Our entire order arrives soon after—a couple minutes faster than the eight minutes it takes light from the sun to reach earth.
The cheese dip is soft enough for easy dipping, but not so runny it gets all over your shirt. Chopped green jalapeños add a nice kick. The tortilla chips are fresh and don’t even need extra salting.
And the tacos! I’d recommend trying at least two different types. For the price, they’re much better than the seafood special, and three tacos make for a hearty meal. The seafood special—Shrimp Flautas—was the only blemish (sunspot?) during my dinner.
The Shrimp Flautas are two shrimp-stuffed taquitos served atop yellow rice, lettuce, and chopped tomatoes. The menu claims these taquitos are “topped with sour cream and served with a jalapeño dressing.” The topping is more like a golf ball of sour cream between the taquitos, while the dressing hides under the rice, barely even there.
The Flautas are too dry and crunchy; the sour cream can only moisten two or three bites. Not until I dip them in the leftover cheese dip do I feel like I’m eating something worth ten dollars. Meanwhile, the shrimp are small and sparsely distributed. Remember those feuding friends? Steer them away from the flautas and towards the tacos.
The taco-of-the-week is the Cheeseburger Taco. One-fifth the price of the dry flautas, it already has a healthy helping of cheese dip poured over its contents. This taco is basically a ground beef taco, but its combination of lime jalapeño mayonnaise and cheese dip helps it stand out. While lime jalapeño mayonnaise may sound strange, it is actually the perfect combination of something delicious that is hot (jalapeño), something delicious that is cool (mayonnaise), and something delicious (lime).
I try two other tacos, the Fish Taco and the Carnita Taco. The Fish Taco is a sinful treat; tilapia is breaded and deep-fried, then placed in a taco amongst poblano tartar sauce and pickled jalapeños. The Carnita Taco is filled with pulled pork, salsa, cilantro and onions. The pork is perfectly tender while the salsa, cilantro and onions mesh into a kind of super-salsa.
Sun jokes aside, the place knows how to make a taco. I leave Taqueria del Sol content with the world—hopefully your bickering friends or family will too.
You could even say it eclipsed my expectations.
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