Last Friday, KJ and I found ourselves in Frankfort with about an hour to kill, so we decided to check out a hot new taco stand south of town on Indiana State Highway 39 and give it our first Taco The Town! review.
La Casita is a small, cafe-style restaurant with seating for about 24 patrons inside and a few tables outside for warmer weather. Its bright yellow and white paint scheme is inviting and cheerful, but no extra motivation was necessary to get us to visit, since we had already heard stories of their delicious tacos.
Normally, I would begin reviewing the tacos at this point, but I would be doing everyone a disservice if I failed to mention the chips and salsa. We both agreed that they were the best we've had at any Mexican restaurant anywhere around here, maybe ever. The chips are obviously made in-house, using what appears to be some type of doubled tortilla system, cut and then fried to where they become light and puffy and bubble in the middle a little bit. The salsa is slightly chunky and amazingly delicious, seasoned just right, definitely some cilantro in there. Also worth noting: Thursdays and Fridays are dollar draft days for domestic pints, so waiting for the tacos was an extremely pleasant experience.
Now for the tacos! Their menu is split into 3 categories: Mexican style, Tex-Mex style, and Caribbean style. They only make 7 items, but prepare each item differently according to which style you order. KJ ordered: one steak taco, Mexican style; one chicken taco, Caribbean style; and one beef taco, Tex-Mex style. I ordered: one steak, Mexican; one pork, Mexican; and one pork, Caribbean. I also revisited a few days later and tried the ground beef, Tex-Mex and the chicken, Mexican.
The first thing that stood out was the quality of the meat. This was top notch stuff. Nothing was mushy or overcooked. La Casita marinates all of their meats for over 12 hours before preparing their dishes, and it gave every meat a distinct, amazing flavor. The steak was not tough, and it melted in your mouth. The pork and chicken were juicy, and even flaked apart. The ground beef was seasoned to perfection, and we both agreed that it was the best we'd ever had on any taco. They brought us two bottles of sauce, red and green, that added to the overall taste without overpowering. The Tex-Mex style tacos contained lettuce, tomato, sour cream, and your choice of cheese, while the Caribbean style tacos contained pickled coleslaw, pickled onions, and a Caribbean-style sour cream. The Mexican style tacos were traditional (onion, cilantro).
The steak stood out, first and foremost. It was basically a perfect taco. KJ was sold on the beef, and so was I when I tried it later. Outstanding. The pork and chicken, while both still excellent, were slightly less amazing, we agreed, yet I'd still smash them any day. The big surprise for me was how much I enjoyed the Caribbean style. The pickled slaw and onions were excellent, a nice combination with the flavored sour cream. Tangy and slightly spicy, this style seems to pair much better with the pork than the other meats.
Ratings:
- Steak taco (Mexican style) - 4.8
- Pork taco (Mexican style) - 4.2
- Chicken taco (Mexican style) - 4.3
- Beef taco (Tex-Mex style) - 4.5
- Chicken taco (Caribbean style) - 4.0
- Pork taco (Caribbean style) - 4.8
Overall Taco Rating: 4.8
We gave La Casita a 4.8 overall rating, not as an average of the above individual ratings, but because we felt that they just deserve it. This place is absolutely insane. Some of the best tacos I've ever had in my life, and the prices are ridiculous. My bill after 3 tacos and 2 pints: 8 dollars and some change! We will definitely be back!
As you walk into this small town taco shop, you'll see it is very inviting and has a beach theme. Their signature taco is the "Beach Taco", which consists of a fried corn shell with beef, lettuce, onion, white cheese and their own sauce mixed in. We both tried the taco and gave it a 3 star rating. Another taco listed on the menu that we gave a shot was the chicken taco- a flour shell loaded with small pieces of chicken, lettuce, onion, cheddar cheese and topped with their sauce. This taco got a 3 star review as well. KS gave their new steak taco a try as well. It consists of steak tips with carmelized onions, sauteed in the steak juices. A nice surprise and a unique taste, the steak taco came in at 4 stars. It was a pleasant experience, slightly above average food in a nice atmosphere.
