I Found a Taco Spot

Sometimes all I want is a burrito. But where are all the good spots in Riverside? I turned to Reddit to ask the question and was overwhelmed with answers. I settled for Taco Bell.

Sometimes I am too tired to cook for myself. In Pomona, I had a rolodex of reliable quick bites that never disappointed. (If you're under 30, take a moment to look that word up.) A hamburger spot, which I already found a substitute for, a pizza spot and a few taco spots were my choice of poison.

When I moved to Riverside, I didn't realize I was going to become a restaurant free agent - but here I am salivating over a computer and thinking of what my next meal will be.

A friend of mine who I've known since high school sent me a Reel on Instagram, for a new taco location in Riverside. The place was owned by a previous employee of Tacos De Anda, a taqueria in Pomona we frequently ordered from.

Let me tell you a little bit about Tacos De Anda: its location in my hometown was down the street from my high school, before COVID it was open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and it had a drive-thru. It was convenient, reliable and delicious. In my 20s, it was a staple of my late nights. I didn't really considered it "drunk food," though - it was a step above solely based on the fact that its salsa was far too good to be compared to restaurants like Alberto's and Jack in the Box. And if you know tacos, salsas are half the battle.

If you have a good taco, but salsa that isn't spicy and tasty, you might as well be eating Taco Bell.

Tacos De Anda had it all. That is until it changed owners. Something changed, but I was never able to pinpoint exactly what.

Then, the video from my friend slid into my DMs and it all made sense. The new location was Tacos El Juanito, on Van Buren. Apparently, an old employee of Tacos De Anda left after the new owners and opened his own establishment, the previously mentioned El Juanito.

I had to check them out immediately. I dropped what I was cooking, dumped it in the trash, starved myself for a few hours and prepared my body for a proper taste test.

Kidding - obviously this is hyperbole, but the sentiment is real - excitement motivated my hunger, for sure.

The location had the vibes of Tacos De Anda. It gave a sense of street tacos, but indoors. There was hope, immediately. For the first attempt, I kept the order simple - an asada burrito with everything. The size was ideal, it wasn't fat, but big enough to satisfy my hunger.

My initial bite was raw, no salsa. That deserved its own test. The meat was delicious without any added flavor. It stood on its own and suddenly, hope turned into facts. Then came the salsa, and El Juanito offered two different flavors: green and red. If a taco spot doesn't offer those two basic flavors, it's not worth your time.

I poured them individually into the burrito. I'm known to scarf down my food, but this time, I left the symphony of flavor crescendo into my taste buds.

A light was suddenly shining down on my food, the stomach of angels suddenly stopped growling, and hunger was cured.

I wasn't eating Taco Bell - I was eating food that will be in my life from now on. Ladies and gentlemen, I am officially taking my talents to Tacos El Juanito.