Being a big fan of BBQ and meat in general, I had high hopes for what turned out to be the first stop in the Tacogasm 2007 Tour. These ‘Smoked Beef Brisket’ tacos came served up two ways: wrapped in a regular soft flour tortilla, or grilled on both sides to form a more crunchy alternative. Since Texas Monthly didn’t specify which one it was endorsing, and to be fair, I had one of each for maximum belly satisfaction. Thus, this tortilla review will be broken down in to two parts.
The Big Softy - A nice touch with this option was the fact that they did heat up the rather uninspired flour tortilla. It was soft and a bit chewy, and while the flavor was adequate, there was nothing real special about this taco’s outer wrapper. This was not an entirely bad thing as it left my pallet more open for the smoked brisket; the whole reason for this taco’s existence.
With A Crunch - At first I was a little taken back by the size of the taco after it was grilled. It had more shrinkage then the collective male attendance at this seasons first anual Polar Bear Swim. I also was a bit put off by how greasy the tortilla got from it’s adventure on the grill. It looked, felt, and tasted like it was more fried then grilled.
Now that we got that out of the way we can move on to the heart and soul of this dish; the smoked brisket. If you are tired of reading at this point, I’ll spare you any more suspense. The beef was dry. And I know you are saying aloud right now, “Of course the meat is dry, it’s smoked!” - but I have to disagree. I just had a nice smoked steak a week ago at a buddy of mines house and it was not only smokey tasting and delicious, it was also very tender and juicy. My belly was happy when it found it’s way down my gullet. The beef last night in my tacos, not so much.
Perhaps they were having an off night over at Matt’s El Rancho. In retrospect, the place was jam packed. But I tend to, on a whole, get better quality food and service from a restaurant that is busy and on it’s toes over one that just has a few patrons. I have been in Austin for almost 10 years now and this was my first outing to Matt’s. Maybe one day I will make it back there and give the tacos another shot. Until then however, this first stop in the Tacogasm 2007 Tour gets a thumb down…. now those margaritas on the other hand!
January 8th, 2007 at 10:58 am #James
Awww. Poor Abraham
Hopefully the next one will be better. Hey, would you eat a Play-Doh flavored taco?
January 12th, 2007 at 9:42 pm #Linda
Report submission: Taco tasting participant #4
I wasn’t planning to be the final entrant on the taco review team, but here I am, better late than never…
It’s hard not to sound like I’m saying “ditto” to what the rest of my colleagues have already written, but they have basically articulated the essence of the El Rancho brisket taco experience. The flour tortilla in which it was served was very plain, and it somehow managed to take flavor away from each bite. The meat filling was less than moist, as has been noted, and had a cursory smoky flavor. Very plain. At that point I began wondering how the taco made it to ‘the list’. The grilled brisket tacos had a little more interest in the flavor department, but unfortunately the flavor gain was offset by their greasiness.
Some of this review will be mitigated by several other factors; the restaurant was very crowded and noisy and we were sitting halfway into the bar area during a televised sporting event. Add in the effect of a couple of serious Mexican martinis and you will get a feel for the sensory overload I was in the middle of. Not a bad thing, but contributions to consider when judging the taco at hand.