4412 Medical Parkway, 467-8533
Mon-Fri, 6:30am-3pm; Sat, 7am-1pm.
The Taco Shack is a little ol’ place where you can get together around outdoor picnic tables and feast on cheesy Tex-Mex turned out by a friendly, family-run kitchen. The triangular, pink eatery, located just south of the intersection of Burnet & 45th Street on Medical Parkway, also offers a couple of small tables for indoor dining. But be forewarned that if you opt for these spots, mealtime conversation might be compromised by the television and the clanking of pots and pans behind the service counter.
The Taco Shack only does breakfast and lunch, with early morning visitors favoring the classic breakfast taco combos ($1.25) or the taqueria’s namesake “shack taco,” a hefty helping of egg, potato, chorizo, and cheese ($1.65). Lunchers will find comfort in the cheese ($4.35) or beef ($4.95) enchilada plates, the latter of the two a rather imposing, chili con carne-laden creation, while the cheese version features a creamy cheese sauce that oozes across the plate. Both dishes come garnished with heaping scoops of rice and refried beans.
The Shack’s lunch tacos ($1.59) are a find for the budget-concious. And those in search of a new take on Tex-Mex will appreciate the tortas ($2.10 � la carte/$3.75 with rice & beans) — Mexican sandwiches built on roly-poly white bolillo buns stuffed with your choice of beef or chicken fajita meat or a slightly spicy carne guisada, topped with tomatoes, lettuce and cheese, and slathered with sour cream. The house chips & salsa ($1.00) are perfect for pre-meal munching, and beverages at the Taco Shack are of the wholesome variety — coffee, sodas, bottled water, juices, and milk. The Shack accepts phone-in to-go orders, too. In fact, the restaurant’s business centers around take-out customers, so if you’re planning to eat in, be prepared for plastic utensils and paper plates.
— Rebecca Chastenet de G�ry
This article appears in May 16 • 1997 and May 16 • 1997 (Cover).