Larry points out his bargain of the week.
“Powegians know it,” said my friend Larry.
“‘Powegians’?”
“The good burghers of Poway, perhaps the least known of all our cities.”
“But I hear it’s a city for pretty fat cats,” I said. “Not a place you’ll find the cheapest tacos in the county.”
“Exactamundo! So here we go, friend. To show that diners can do it if they really want to.”
“But good burgers don’t love burgers?”
“They go for bargains. That’s how they get rich.”
Ed and Olga make a decision – “Fish tacos stay at 99 cents!”
All I knew about Poway was that they called themselves “The city in the country,” and Larry offered to take me there when I started his news. “One dollar fish tacos, my friend,” he said. “My musician friend told me about it.” Hmm. that’s it is amazing. And Larry’s got his slightly rusty forest green Toyota pickup sitting – heh heh – to back up his offer.
It was actually a longer drive than I had anticipated, through fields and hills and into this beautiful series of rolling neighborhoods. Half an hour later, Larry delivers right outside this vast shopping space, where the Cuyamaca mountains make a very “country” backdrop. We’re at a bit of an elevation. The buildings are creamy, stuccoey, clunky, so ’80s.
“One thing my bluegrass friend told me,” Larry says, “is that this place is almost next door to the Poway DMV.”
Larry’s lunch – two 99-cent tacos and extras he couldn’t resist.
“Oh. The DMV. Now your $1 tacos are starting to make sense,” I said.
“That’s if they’re still $1,” Larry said. “Prices have been crazy everywhere lately. I’d forgive them if they even doubled it here. But no! See?” He pointed to a window sign. “’99-cent tacos.’ I told you!” (It says “Dine-in only. $1.50 to go,” but you can forgive that.) They also promise “the fastest lunch in town,” and a huge menu with a ton of scrawled specials. .
Guess it works: The three-chef kitchen is busy. We went to the nearest sunny table, a tall one by the window. A woman, Olga, slid two menus in front of us. There are many options here, starting with “Poway’s favorite fish taco,” — light battered fried fish, cabbage, white sauce, pico. As in pico de gallo. And a green and red hot sauce.
But deals are around. For $2.50, you can opt for carnitas, carne, pollo or adobada fillings. The pulled pork, with “tangy sweet BBQ sauce,” onions and cilantro, is yours for $2.85. Four “chop cheese” tacos (beef patties chopped with onions and cheese, plus mayo, ketchup and lettuce) cost $11.75 — less than $3 each. Karaage chicken tacos (usually fried, Japanese-style, topped with potato or corn starch) cost $2.85. Shrimp or garlic tacos cost $3.95; and also the octopus, and cameron puerquito, basically a surf’n turf mix of pork adobada (inado in chile sauce) and shrimp. Plus, they have a long stream of the usual tortillas, burros and salads.
Ooh, and they have blackboard specials, like “2 fish tacos and 1 beer” for $5.23. ‘Of course, I know it’s going to be Tecate, Bud, or Coors Light, but it’s still a radical deal! And you can add rice and beans for a piddling $1.95.
However, what I want to know is how filling these $1 tacos are. Some places cut costs by making smaller tortillas. Others by going bare bones with fillings. Larry’s solid reputation is on the line here. “Well, for starters, what kind of fish?” I asked Larry. Olga’s husband Ed heard. “Swai basa,” he said, “from Vietnam.” wow I’m glad to hear that, although sometimes there are questions about the fish farms where some of them are raised. I have good feelings about swai. Their home waters are the mighty Mekong River and the Chao Phrya of Thailand. I survived many swai caught from there. Additionally, swai is known as the poor man’s salmon or haddock, due to its similar taste. Same with catfish. On top of that, I’m always told “eating swai makes you smart.” And it’s good for vision, weight loss and cardio. So hey. What’s not to like?
“I’ll have three fish tacos,” I told Olga. Can’t believe it. I only spent all of $2.97. Of course now, a certain amount of cheating. Larry orders a plate of fries and ketchup ($3.50) and a Modelo Negra beer ($4.25).
“That’s why they feed you. Expose yourself to temptations,” said Larry. But I’m holding strong, and loving the crunchy, fried and hot salsa swai. Dang, but they’re delicious, on nice crusty corn tortillas and with lots of cabbage to freshen up the flavor. True to its promise, the swai is buttery, moist, and unfishy. And I’m not even tempted by Larry’s beer.
I just finished, and yes, I’m really full. Except, my eye landed on those two words on the menu: cameron puerquito. That’s the idea of combining pork and shrimp. Must try it. “Just one,” I told Olga, as if this would put me in the good books of the food gods. Costs $3.95. Bringing my total from $2.97 to $9.42, including the iced tea.
“Still,” I said to Larry, “less than ten bucks. Next time, no tea, just three fish tacos. We’ll talk about the $2.97 lunch!
“You talk the talk, give you that,” Larry said as he took his last slurp.
I had to tell Olga as we were paying that the pork-shrimp combo was amazing. Rich. “Well,” said Olga, “we got a prize for that one at Tacotopia.
Turns out a lot of people appreciate Olga and Ed’s bargains. “Some customers say they can’t take their kids out for a treat without our fish tacos,” Olga said as we paid. “Poway may have a lot of million-dollar homes, but a lot of people are struggling in this valley.”
The place: Taco Taco Poway, 13429 Community Road, Poway, 858-486-6992
Time: 11am – 8pm daily
Prices: “Poway’s favorite fish taco,” 99 cents; carnitas tacos, $2.50; carne tacos, $2.50; chicken tacos, $2.50; adobada tacos, $2.50; pulled pork tacos, $2.85; four “chop cheese” tacos, $11.75; karaage (fried) chicken taco, $2.85; crispy potato tacos, $3.25; shrimp tacos, $3.95; garlic shrimp tacos, $3.95; octopus tacos, $3.95; cameron porquito, $3.95; garlic shrimp quesadilla, $9.75; Mexican Caesar salad, $5.75, with chicken, $9.95; elote en vaso (loose corn), $3.25; crispy bunuelo, $1.99
Bus: 944
Nearest Bus Stop: Hilleary Place and Community Road
