I’m going to try really hard to get through this without making too many inappropriate references to taco boxes in this review about Taco Box, a Mexican restaurant in Farmington, New Mexico, but I want you all to know how difficult this has been for me.
With that being said, I’ve been wanting to check out what I figured would be a New Mexico food treasure based on its name alone. If you haven’t figured it out already, I have the soul of a 13-year-old boy.
My companion and I were running errands in Farmington and felt it would be a good time to hit up this casual dine-in, which we hoped would live up to its name. Yes, we BOTH have the souls of prepubescent boys.
I went with the classic Mexi-Pack – two crunchy tacos and a Mexi-burger (the Mexi-burger reminded me of my childhood, OK?) – while my friend went with an order of the Tequita Sunrise – three tequitas with a side of homemade guacamole.
The inside of Taco Box is small and casual – aka the perfect spot for grabbing some quick tacos and then getting out and on your way. We went with our modus operandi and chose a corner table, our curiosity piquing as to the quality of casual dine-in Mexican food (we’ve had a few bad experiences around these here parts). We were pleasantly surprised to find that Taco Box is delicious.
I admit my plate choice was probably not the most exciting option as far as Mexican cuisine goes, but exciting or not, these were still some of the best tacos I’ve tasted in a long while. The spice worked into the meat was on point, which launched it so many heavenly levels above the crunchy tacos you get when ordering a meal off the Taco Bell menu. Not dissing on Taco Bell – there is much love for them from the DGO office – but I was relieved that I wasn’t getting the T-Bell drive-in experience in Farmington.
The Mexi-burger, on the other hand, was an option I could have done without. No matter how much I loved these spicy burgers as a 7-year-old child, the Mexican cuisine industry should still probably veer away from turning tacos into cheeseburgers. The barbecue sauce really overshadowed any of the delicious spice I had grown fond of while devouring my tacos. It felt more like I was eating a sad version of a Sloppy Joe than Mexican food.
Taco Box is an excellent choice for those of you looking for some heavenly tacos, or for those of us who are amused by the name. We certainly were, and now it’s one of our favorite places to swing by for a quick bite to eat in Farmington.
Amanda Push
