![]() Keeping with the quality ingredients theme, the salsas are super-fresh with strong tomato or tomatillo flavor, while the guacamole is rich, chunky and spicy in a way that sneaks up on you and then won’t let you stop eating it. All tacos are served on fresh-made flour tortillas, and the enchiladas on fresh corn ones. Another great way to have it is in the build-your-own enchiladas, which let guests combine a filling (cheese, real smoked Texas-style beef brisket, chicken, refried beans or pork carnitas) with a sauce (pork green or beef red chili, lemon cream sauce, or one of three salsas). ![]() ![]() ![]() The pork green chili stew would be a standout even in Santa Fe, and they do it right: They buy a huge quantity of fresh green chilis from Hatch, N.M., during season, then roast and freeze them in-house, which is what the top Southwestern green chili temples do. The soups are surprising knockouts, especially the shrimp corn chowder, which is thick but not heavy, and has an oddly perfect balance between the sweetness of the corn and spicy heat. 'Atlanta's Dining Room': Southern specialties shine at Mary Mac's The pork is just smoky and saucy (tequila-infused barbecue sauce) enough to win over barbecue fans, but not overly so, and still juicy, perfectly paired with a crunchy and spicy jalapeño cole slaw. One of the restaurant partners is from Memphis, so he insisted on adding a chopped smoked barbecue pork taco, and they take the time to really slow smoke it in the authentic fashion for another standout “fusion” choice. I loved the chicken, my favorite, perfectly fried, crunchy and juicy, adorned with a lime and jalapeño mayo, lettuce and tomato, real Atlanta meets South of the Border comfort food. Reason to visit: Fish taco, fried chicken taco, Memphis taco, shrimp corn chowder, green chili pork, specials The Varsity: Atlanta's classic car hop keeps on cruising Of course, you won’t be the only one trying this, as Taqueria del Sol gets a ton of local regulars who know staff on a first-name basis, and vice versa, and all around you there are endless pleasantries being exchanged. All four Georgia locations have a small amount of bar seating, and one insider tip is that you if you are just one or two, you can request the next available bar seats and then get in the line to order, so when seats open they will call you. The main room is the ordering counter, a bar and an open kitchen. You order at the counter but all food is brought out to your table in red plastic baskets, and almost all of the seating is in a covered side patio that has been enclosed for winter use but feels airy, like a big porch. There is usually a line out the door, especially at lunch, and the wait can be 20 minutes to order, but once you do, food comes quickly. The original is in a basic cinder block building that has been “revamped” by painting it white and blue, with a small covered area out front for waiting, since it can get very crowded. There are two other Atlanta satellites and one in Athens, home to the University of Georgia, plus a franchised location in Nashville. The original location is on the Westside, and has been there since 2000. I was a bit surprised when Andrew Knowlton, the restaurant editor for Bon Appetit magazine and one-time Atlantan, told me emphatically that I had to include this taco spot on my local food crawl of the city, but he was right. The scene: Atlanta is better known for its classic Southern foods like fried chicken and grits than Mexican, and one reason why Taqueria del Sol has been such a runaway success here is that it embraces its location and throws a hefty dose of down-home Southern into its from-scratch cooking.
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