Taqueria Maravillas de Guerreros

This new taco truck is in the location where Taqueria Delicias De Guerrero used to be. Possibly it is a re-transplant of the Delicias Guerrero taco truck that was in the now-close Spring Food Park. I stopped in the other day to give them a try. They had a limited menu--just tacos and burritos. I had two tacos, fajita and chicken, and a lemonade.

I have to say they exceeded expectations. The meats had a lot of flavor. The red and green salsas tasted homemade--both packed a punch, the red more than the green. The lemonade was a 28 oz serving made with real lemons and was quite delicious. The whole meal was $9. Really can't beat that. They had plenty of business when I went by, so I'd say it's worth stopping in.

My Yelp Review

Conduit Coffee

Over the past couple of years this place has become a favorite of mine. My favorite drink there is the matcha latte--with honey and cinnamon the sweetness perfectly balances matcha's natural bitterness. I also enjoy the hibiscus Italian soda.

The food is excellent and unique as well. They serve a great avocado toast (Garden Toast on the menu). You get a whole smashed avocado with tasty fixings and a very flavorful balsamic drizzle on sourdough toast. There's enough to it to make a meal by itself. The pastries are quite good and available in gluten-free and gluten-full versions. The owners are passionate about producing high-quality items and are responsive to feedback. We've had occasional bumps--a chai tea that was a bit gritty, or a matcha that didn't get so much matcha--but they are on it and get it fixed. It's a place that continues to improve.

The atmosphere invites you to stay awhile and enjoy your comestibles. It's a small shop, about 6 tables, with lots of games, books, and a comfortable space for visiting. Service is friendly and enthusiastic. It's not cheap, but I think it's in line with other independent shops. The owners love to share their knowledge--you can arrange for classes in brewing and roasting coffee.

Conduit Coffee welcomes and affirms the LGBTQ+ community, and this is apparent when you come in. If you want to get your coffee fix by supporting an independent shop, this is a great place to come.

My Yelp Review

Mateo's Pupusas, Baleadas and Tacos

Mateo's Tire Service is branching out, offering a Tex-Mex food truck on the lot in the same location where Fatima's Pupuseria used to be. They are just getting started and the name might be a bit misleading because they don't currently have any pupusas or baleadas on the menu. They do have burritos, tacos, tortas and a few other Tex-Mex favorites. I stopped by and got a beef burrito and a pork taco, washing it down with a Mexican coke. The burrito was nice and neat, finished on the flat top grill. Lots of cheese and avocado so it was a creamy version. The taco was a street version, very tasty and only $3. The salsas tasted homemade. Both the green and red salsas had a pretty good kick. The green salsa was very bright, and complemented the pork well. The owner told me he's closing the tire shop soon.  If you're in the area and hungry consider stopping in and showing them some love.

My Yelp Review

Parrillero Catracho

This little place flies under the radar a bit, tucked away in a corner of a strip mall set back from Spring Stuebner. But it's been there awhile so I stopped in the other day to give it a try. The restaurant has a dauntingly large menu of Honduran and Venezuelan items. I had a pollo (chicken) pastelito to start, and the pork chop entree. As far as I can tell they do not offer desserts.

The pastelito is a fairly small bite, but it was fried fresh and was warm and crisp when delivered. The crust was perfectly crisp and had just a bit of that promising shine of grease. The filling was quite delicious. The texture and flavor set me up to enjoy the meal.

The pork chop was lightly breaded and seasoned and pan fried. It was cut quite thin. When a chop is thin there's about a 10 second window from under to overdone. The chef hit it perfectly. The texture and flavor were great. I often hesitate to order pork chops in a restaurant because they are normally dry and overdone. This was one of the best I have had. The dish came with rice and beans on the plate. The rice is a more sticky variety than the usual Tex-Mex rice, and has some different seasonings. I really enjoyed it. The refried beans are darker and have a rich flavor.

The entree is served with a side of plantain chips. It's a very generous serving, easy for at least 2 to share. They were sliced very thin and fried to order, nice and warm when they came out. The seasoning is very light, so I did add some salt, but the texture was perfect and they tasted great.

Service was fine but we had some awkward moments--I get the impression that the customers are mostly regulars. If you decide to come, just pick a table and sit--someone will eventually come to serve. The pace is very relaxed, you will need to allow time. They do have agua frescas, I would get that next time instead of soda. I can say for sure that they know how to cook, everything was done about as well as it can be.

My Yelp Review