I absolutely adore Mexican food, and here in Orlando, we have tons of good choices. For me, a Mexican place has to have a hook, something that's so crazy delicious that it draws me back again and again. Light, crispy fresh white corn chips. Handmade tortillas. Smoky Chipotle infused salsa. Savory shredded beef. The basics of Mexican food are simple, so there has to be something extraordinarily to take it over the edge. And Tin & Taco has that something.
Tin and Taco is owned by the people who bring you Gringos Locos, but it's a very different concept. More than any other Orlando taco shop, it reminds me of my favorite Austin-based chain, Torchy's Tacos, because of the inventive flavor combinations and handcrafted sauces that make each taco unique. But for me, the magic element is the way they bake crispy cheese onto the outside of the flour tortillas. I've never seen this done before, and the extra crunch and flavor this imbues to each taco is truly magical.
I'm just a little bit addicted to Tin & Taco and I visit the SoDo location on Michigan at least once a week. There are so many taco choices that it's going to take me a while to eat through the menu, but I'm doing my best!
Here are some of my favorites so far.
Al Pastor: shredded pork, shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, fresh pineapple, mango pineapple vinaigrette, cotija cheese
Chicken Bacon Ranch: shredded chicken, white cheddar, applewood smoked bacon, homemade ranch (I ordered it without the pico de gallo)
Brisket Bomb: smoked brisket, craft beer queso, ancho chipotle sauce, cotija cheese (I ordered it without the pico de gallo)
Tacosaurus: Angus ground beef, shredded lettuce, pico de gallo, white cheddar, crushed Doritos, southwest sauce, Cotija cheese
Steakout: carne asada, pico de gallo, toasted sesame & wasabi aioli, house pickled onions, Cotija cheese
Off the hook: sushi grade ahi tuna poke style, mixed greens, toasted sesame & wasabi aoili, pico de gallo, sesame seeds
I usually stick to the basics when I order tacos, but at Tin & Taco, I've tiptoed into exciting combinations that fuse Asian with Mexican flavors, and I'm not sorry! They wow me every time. Plus, the people who work there are super-friendly and welcoming. AND they have delicious Stubborn Sodas on draft with crushed ice. Try it out and let me know what you think, I'm sure you'll love Tin & Taco like I do!
