Star Rating: 3.0

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In a part of the country where Mexican food is to the Rio Grande Valley what Chinese food is to San Francisco; Tacos are pretty common offerings at restaurants throughout the region, but this place sets itself apart because the tacos are good…Damn good! You’d figure that eating a delicious taco should be a God-given right in this neck-of-the woods, but in all honesty, you’d be wrong…Completely wrong!

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With a no-frills kind of menu it doesn’t get simpler than this: TACOS, with your choice of Bistec (steak), Al Pastor (in Mexican cooking denoting a dish made with thinly sliced pork that has been seasoned with chilies and pineapple and roasted on a vertical spit), Mollejas (gizzards), and Barbacoa ( often prepared with parts from the heads of cattle, such as the cheeks, steam cooked in an underground oven until very tender and succulent.) You can enjoy your tacos either plain or with fresh toppings like avocado slices, crumbled cheese, chopped onion and cilantro. One caveat though, if you’re trying to minimize the calories and added trans fats – ask to have the cook skip dipping the corn tortillas in oil, which seems like a regional preference, but long-term your heart and its health will thank you for doing so. The menu also offers “Flautas” and “Tostadas” – “Frijoles Charros” or “Frijoles Especiales” with added steak, cheese and avocado slices - everything simply delicious.

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In sum, the dining area was clean and the service was good – pleasant and friendly. The price points were more than fair – in fact – a good value for your money. Most of all, you’ll find nothing but quality ingredients that are well prepared and cooked with a lot of “love” – modeling the kind of pride it takes to entice “foodies” like us back to eat these TACO’s again and again, and again.

El Ultimo Taco Taqueria - Brownsville