Columbia Eats: Taqueria Guadalajara

Taqueria Guadalajara is about as well tucked away as can be, just down the street from the Korean block of restaurants and groceries on Decker Blvd. Outside, there's not much to see besides the words taco and sopes plastered on the window, and well, inside there's not much either, apart from a few rooster sketches on the wall and a few tables spread evenly through the modest dining room.

You won't find anything major here: tacos, sopes (tortillas lightly fried and topped with taco fillings), burritos, and tortas. Simple, traditional, Mexican street food ready to go. I sat down and ordered one of the two torta (sandwich) options, the torta milanese, along with a lengua (beef tongue. some people may perish the thought, but once you get past the name beef tongue, it's actually a pretty wonderful cut of meat!) taco. The milanese had a pounded cut of beef lightly fried and topped with lettuce, tomato, avocado, a grilled jalapeno, and some mayo on traditional torta bread. Not the best torta I've ever had, but still filling and satisfying. I would have loved a little more though if there was a fried egg or additional slab of meat to really push it over the top. The taco came with little fanfare - a nicely grilled corn tortilla with the lengua, cilantro, and a wedge of lime. My partner in crime also picked up an al pastor which came the same way. Both were fresh, filling, and authentic; everything we had come to expect from Guadalajara. In retrospect, I probably would have been pretty happy with a trio of tacos, especially for the cost of the torta at around $5-6.

No Reservations, The Lowdown on Guadalajara
Atmosphere: Casual. They even had wifi
for those who wanted to lounge.
Cost: The torta and taco with a water came out to be
around $8, surprisingly high for a taqueria.
Try: The tacos or sopes. Keep it simple.

The Final Verdict
Anyone looking for fast, authentic tacos will be satisfied with Guadalajara. It may not be the most inviting of places at first glance, but the friendly staff and quality tacos are worth the stop, especially in a town with far too many Tex-Mex options. There are some specials floating around the restaurant, such as a carne asada plate or enchiladas with mole sauce, but from my experiences the simple stuff tended to be the most rewarding. If you are in the Decker area and want some cheap, quick, midday tacos, look no further.