Taqueria Huetamo, a hole-in-the-wall taco joint, dishes out authentic Mexican street food
The counter, the menu
Low prices and legit tacos are the attraction at this small eatery in a Delray Beach strip center.
By ALAN J. WAX
Talk about a hole-in-the-wall taco joint. That’s what Delray Beach’s Taqueria Huetamo really is.
Tucked into a strip center anchored by a Latino-oriented Presidente supermarket on Congress Avenue, just north of Linton Boulevard, it’s flanked by a real estate/tax business and a coin laundromat. Despite the setting, this is the place to go in Delray Beach for legit tacos and other genuine Mexican offerings.
Taco combo with refried beans and rice with Jarritos Mandari soda in back.
Named for a municipality in western Mexico, a region known as “Tierra Caliente,” Taqueria Huetamo, the restaurant, consists of a counter and five well-worn diner-style booths with a kitchen in the back. A large screen TV above the counter airs Spanish-language sports shows. It’s apparent that Taqueria Huetamo is not like those flashy downtown taco or Tex-Mex joints.
It’s the kitchen that has made Taqueria Huetamo a destination since 2007 for enthusiasts of real-deal Mexican food.
This is a quick-casual kind of place. Order at the counter from the short list on the overhead menu board, or from a paper menu, take a seat, and wait for your freshly prepared eats to be delivered to your booth. It’s not fast food.
Sitting near the counter, it was easy to tell that Spanish was the language of choice here at a recent lunchtime when a line of patrons stretched almost to the door. To be sure, there’s no language barrier when ordering from the standard menu of selections.
Lengua and carne asada tacos with red salsa.
On the menu, you’ll find lightly grilled, handmade, thin, soft corn tortillas filled with a range of choices that includes lengua (finely chopped braised beef tongue); tender pulled chicken; a tangle of slow-cooked beef barbacoa; roasted pork al pastor; and flavorful, grilled carne asada, among others.
They’ll arrive in waxed-paper-lined plastic
Tacos are but $2 each ($2.75 for the lengua) and there’s a combo lunch special of three tacos, beans and rice ($9.99). The same fillings can be found in the burritos, enchiladas, chimichangas, gorditas, quesadillas, fajitas, sopes (fried tart-like crusts of masa) and huaraches (Mexican flatbreads) that fill out the menu.
For something more substantial, consider the Torta de Milanesa ($5.99), a sandwich with a breaded, fried beef cutlet, albeit a tad chewy, piled into a fluffy roll with lots of lettuce and tomatoes and a smear of butter. Perfect for those who fear spices.
Torta de Milanesa
Agua de Jamaica, made with hibiscus flowers
The most expensive dish here is a mixed fajita at $13.99. On Saturdays, beef tripe, red mole and mojarra frita (whole fried tilapia) are available as specials.
You can wash down your food with one of the all-natural, cane sugar-sweetened fruity Jarritos Mexican sodas ($1.75). I’m partial to the Mandarin, or orange. Or, perhaps a Horchata ($2 medium, $3.50 large), a traditional Mexican drink made from white rice soaked in water, flavored with cinnamon and sweetened with granulated sugar. Also, there’s the floral Agua de Jamaica ($2 medium, $3.50 large), an overly sweet, cold, purplish-pink beverage brewed from Hibiscus flowers. Let the ice melt a bit to dilute the sweetness.
Never mind the location of Taqueria Huetamo, or its décor, it’s the legit Mexican food and easy-on-the wallet prices that keep customers coming back. I’ll be among them.
Taqueria Huetamo
1499 S. Congress Ave., Delray Beach, FL 33445
