Zocalo adopts a lunchtime taco menu
June 9th, 2009 by Cliff Bostock in Restaurants
I’ve suffered longterm withdrawal from this quesadilla, “la gringa,” that Zocalo sold at its closed Grant Park taqueria. It’s al pastor meat with onions, pineapple and cilantro between two flour tortillas.
Now, Lucero Martinez-Obregon has moved the al pastor rotisserie into the kitchen of the Midtown restaurant (187 10th St.) and la gringa is available at lunchtime with all the other taqueria-style items from the Grant Park location. That means you can feast on $2.25 tacos filled with everything from carnitas to a chile relleno.
Zocalo’s evening menu remains the same, featuring more complex dishes. Lucero, incidentally, recently visited Puebla in her native Mexico as a participant in a Slow Food event devoted to mole. She says she is “playing” in the kitchen with some new dishes inspired by her trip.
(Photo by Cliff Bostock)
June 9th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
When I was living in Cabbagetown (2007 through early 2008), I loved going over to Zocalo’s for cheap tacos and a beer. I was really bummed when it closed.
Oddly enough, I have never eaten at the original Midtown location.
June 9th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Yay! I miss Zocalo taqueria so much — it was a fun place to go. It’s sad to drive by that building where it was and to still see the sign up but not be able to go in and get the great tacos they had.
Do you know if they’ll be be serving the old taqueria stuff for lunch on weekends or just week days?
June 9th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
This is great news! The pastor at the taqueria was the closest I could get in town to the versions you have in Mexico City. They’re tortillas weren’t so hot, though.
June 9th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
I too have missed their al pastor tacos (though I agree with BG that the tortillas are meh). Any word on if they’re serving the huge disk of fried cheese rolled into a log? I think they called it a chicharron even though there was no pork in it. That thing was awesome with some lime and hot sauce.
June 9th, 2009 at 3:53 pm
Drew: You thinking about this? http://farm1.static.flickr.com/41/85787550_0d85c5038e.jpg?v=0
Called a “chicharron de queso.” Love those, but have no idea if Zocalo has them now.
June 9th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
The menu on their website confirms that it’s still in existence and still being served.
June 9th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
I heard a rumor that Tortillas was going to re-open in the old Zocalo Grant Park space… Anyone have an update on that?
June 9th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
Drew: Yes, everything that was on the Grant Park menu, including the chicharron de queso, is available at lunchtime on 10th St. These dishes are not available at night, however.
June 9th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
Where’s the cheese? The gringa traditionally comes with cheese.
June 10th, 2009 at 12:07 am
It does indeed have cheese, RK. I just failed to mention it.
June 12th, 2009 at 7:07 pm
Finally, a decent al pastor taco! I was bummed to see the Grant Park location close; I’ve been on the hunt for a decent one since but have only been disappointed. Yay Zocalo!
June 14th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
Wow, I suddenly realize it’s been about a decade since I’ve eaten there (despite living only about five blocks away) because one evening they treated my dining party with such disrespect. Zocalo has been dead to me ever since.