Where to Find the Best Taco Around!
I went on a quest to find the best taco in the Saint Joseph-Benton Harbor area. I visited five establishments: Arriba, Taco Bell, La Perla, El Rodeo, and King Fishers. Although I had initially planned on making a stop at Azul Tequila, I did not desire to go home with food poisoning, as several people reported to me. While rating these tacos, I considered four major points:
Cost: how much was the price of the taco compared to its quality?
Service: how nice were the workers, and how quickly were we served the tacos?
The overall experience: what was the restaurant atmosphere like? The vibes?
Aesthetics: how did the taco look?
La Perla
Overall, La Perla came in the first place. The taco was phenomenal; the chicken was perfect and coated with a creamy sauce. They topped the taco with sauce, cilantro, and chopped onions, and it looked how it tasted—delicious. Not to mention, it only cost $2. It was very authentic. La Perla’s points are boosted by its location: it’s connected to a Mexican grocery store. While waiting for the food, which was served within five minutes, we were able to look around the store, instead of just staying at our table. Overall rating: 9/10.
Arriba
Coming in closely at second is Arriba Taqueria. Costing $2.75, the overall taste of the taco was splendid. Although it was drier than La Perla’s, it was still a happy surprise to my taste buds. By adding a sauce similar to La Perla’s, Arriba would have been a very close contender to first place. The inside of Arriba is nicely decorated, with an overall homey feeling. The tacos were served within five minutes, and the service was top notch. Overall rating: 8.5/10
El Rodeo
Compared to Arriba and La Perla, El Rodeo was more of a sit-down restaurant. Because of this, I ordered take out, which was ready to go very quickly. While paying, I received another recommendation for a different taco place in a nearby town, and they even wrote down the information of the building, along with what days they were closed. Although I found this—promoting a competitor—a tad odd, it was really nice of them! The total was $13.50 for the full meal, which came with four tacos, beans and rice, and salsa. For being a sit-down restaurant, El Rodeo had very quick takeout service, and the tacos were much better than I had expected. Like Arriba, the tacos were a tad dry, but still great. Overall rating: 7/10
Kingfisher
Kingfisher is a brand new restaurant downtown. Inside, it was very nicely decorated, brightened by plants and murals scattered throughout. The service was good, but the taco was mediocre, to say the least. I believe it was rotisserie chicken, topped with a few onions and carrots. Costing $4.25, I was not impressed. However, their empanadas were mouth-watering.
“The taco looked mediocre, but the empanadas were super good. They were not your basic empanadas,” Ella Gable, 11 said. It seems that their tacos were not their specialty, but I look forward to returning for other food. Overall rating: 6/10
Taco Bell
Coming in last place is Taco Bell. As many of you know, Taco Bell is a fast food restaurant. I had never ordered a taco from there, and my expectations were quite low, but after taking my first bite, I was pleasantly surprised. Going through the drive-through, I ordered a chicken taco which came out with lettuce and shredded cheese on it for $2.43. There were few people in the line, so it moved quite quickly. As always, Taco Bell had a positive vibe. Compared to the other restaurants, Taco Bell was not a desirable destination, but the taco itself was not too bad. The chicken had a nice taste, but the tortilla was packed with far too much cheese. Overall rating: 5/10.