Pineda Tacos 311 E. Lake St. MinneapolisI stopped in at Pineda Tacos on E. Lake on a whim, and because it smelled delicious. I'd also heard they had great tacos. When you walk in, you see trays of different meats that can be used in tacos or burritos. It looks like a much less slick and streamlined Chipotle. I'll be honest and admit I had no idea what some of this stuff was. I ordered a couple of chicken tacos. They have 3 types of chicken to choose from, a spicy chicken, a mild chicken and a chicken in verde sauce. I chose one spicy and one mild.
The tacos are wrapped up in double corn tortillas (you can choose flour if you wish), which really helps because the chicken is marinated and juicy, which softens the tortilla and tends to make it fall apart. The gentleman at the counter asked if I wanted everything, which ended up being onions, cilantro and salsa.
First I tried the spicy chicken. It was a bit warm but nothing overwhelming. I'm actually kind of a wimp. so if you are one who likes hot spicy hot, you might need some hot sauce on this. It was tasty though. As good as that was, the mild chicken is where it's at, for me. The chicken was tender and juicy, the marinade/sauce was flavorful. With the onions and the cilantro the whole thing was very light and fresh tasting. Even my friend and taste testing buddy, who LOVES spicy food, preferred the mild chicken.
I'll definitely be heading back to Pineda Tacos. Next time I plan on having more time to inquire about the other meats on the line, and to try something different. If you want a good taco that is not overdone, this is the place.
