Sunday, October 05, 2008
Food, In this Issue..., Reviews

Holy moley!

Family-friendly taco joint opens in East Atlanta

By Carly Felton

Among the small, disparate buildings along Glenwood Avenue in East Atlanta, a colorful rectangular building with an extensive patio stands out. The sign is small and, despite the building’s upkeep, it’s easy to drive past it if you don’t know what you’re looking for. But Holy Taco is worth stopping for. A casual, family-friendly taqueria in the space formerly occupied by Iris, and Crave and Haas prior to that, Holy Taco is changing the face of East Atlanta’s culinary scene.
   
With bright orange banquettes and mint green walls on the inside, Holy Taco is anything but drab. The interior is filled with natural light, creating a welcoming, organic appearance; and the patio is partially shaded by large arbor trees. Upbeat music plays and 21-and-up patrons gather around the L-shaped, 20-foot-long stainless steel bar, chatting animatedly with restaurant staff.
   
Holy Taco came about after partner Robert MacDonald traveled across the United States, to New York, California and other trend-setting destinations, and returned with the pronouncement that Atlanta didn’t have enough taquerias. He joined forces with Chef Robert Phalen—who had traveled throughout South America—to create the Holy Taco menu, which has heavy Mexican influences. Phalen incorporates traditional items from places like Peru and Columbia into the menu; the result is unique yet authentic tacos, quesadillas, tortas (Mexican sandwiches served on ciabatta) and more.

“The food is simple and fun, and everybody loves tacos,” MacDonald says.

The Latin American menu includes the usual chips and queso or guacamole, the standard chimichanga and flautas, and six variations of quesadillas, as well as soups (gazpacho), salads (avocado and tomato), and desserts (churros and sopapillas); but the focus clearly is on tacos and tortas.

The tacos—which are all soft-shell—come in both corn and flour varieties. The flour is your typical soft-shell taco, similar to a wrap. The corn, on the other hand, is like a double taco. It’s somewhat gritty and you can taste the corn flavor in it. These, too, can be ordered with brisket, chicken, fish, pork, steak, shrimp or beans and rice. The tortas, which are served with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickled jalapenos, homemade mayonnaise and cheese, have similar fillings.

Up to this point, Holy Taco sounds just like Atlanta favorite Taqueria del Sol, right? Well, in the inexpensive prices and tasty food, yes; but Holy Taco has the benefit of table service (actually ordering from a waiter), space to breathe in, and no lines.

Plus, Holy Taco offers larger entrees for dinner, including chorizo torta—spanish sausage with fried egg, pollo a la brasa—roasted peruvian chicken with rice and tortillas, and carne asada—grilled steak with beans and tortillas. However, be forewarned that chips are not provided free of charge, as in many Mexican restaurants. Nevertheless, high-quality, inexpensive fare more than makes up for this oversight.

    Everything in the restaurant is natural and homemade. In fact, the only item that comes from a can is the pickled jalapenos. The meats are free of hormones and antibiotics, the vegetables are fresh, and many of the drinks—including apple juice and milk for the kiddies—are organic.

    This applies to margaritas, too. While Holy Taco boasts a family-friendly environment, it caters to the older set as the night gets later, with nearly 40 high-end tequilas, and a unique sangria made with plums, oranges and peaches. The restaurant adds an unexpectedly classy touch by offering wine and champagne, in addition to draught, bottled and canned beer. Assures MacDonald, “You’re not going to have a bunch of people sitting around smoking, drinking and listening to punk rock.” Holy Taco has a PG atmosphere overall. SP