New Taco place to try

[LZRREDGT]

We need one of those Breakfast Taco & Donuts shops like in Austin.

[Dlachance]

With all of the knowledge on this site, we could run the state.

[Silverback]

You need a little milk in there for good eggs, and that's not easy to do with a flat top. It can be done, but it's more difficult and more hands on. But then you get in to, are they using real eggs, or cartons, etc.


I'm not saying my way is the only way, but my way is the right way. Lol. Most all of those places use a flat top, but for hash browns, bacon, sausage, etc.

every little trailer in South Texas that serves the best breakfast tacos in the world uses a flat top and pre-beaten eggs in a pitcher. you don't need milk in your eggs for a breakfast taco. Now if you want just scrambled eggs on a plate, sure it makes better, fluffier eggs.

[Jose]

It's because they batch cook. Believe it or not, it saves a lot on labor and on equipment costs. All of these places have an oven, because they batch cook other menu items (like the meats). Not all of these places have a 6 burner range, and the ones that do, typically don't want 1 or more burners taken up by a fry pan with eggs for one taco, two tacos, etc; because their range serves another purpose. Beyond that, even with a 6 burner range, you're limited to serving 12 tacos at most, at a time. That's 6 customers, 2 tacos each, assuming each customer orders 2 pot&egg, or 2 bac&egg, etc. At 3-5 minutes cook time for each taco (not including prep, garnish, and tray up), you're taking way too fucking long to make a simple damn taco. And that's only if each customer orders 2 of the same kind of taco. If they want a variety (like you and I do) of tacos, you're even more behind. I'd need 6 6burner ranges to effectively run a taco shop that way, not including convection ovens, etc.

A cheap range runs $1800+/ea. Plus it takes up sq footage. And keep in mind, kitchens don't make money, they cost money. Seating sq footage is what makes money. So they all want as small of a footprint as possible in the kitchen, and more sq footage in the dining area. Batch cooking is the most effective way to do that, all things considered (labor, equipment, sq footage, maintenance costs, energy cost, time of service, etc). I know on the surface it seems really fucking simple. But there is a LOT behind the scenes that the average consumer never sees, and never considers.



Now, I know a way that can make a la carte cooking MORE effective than batch cooking, reduce prep time by 80%, and reduce the kitchen sq footage by 30%+ depending on the concept and layout.... But that's what I call job security, and why I get paid the big bucks.

There's a little bit of sticker shock involved initially, but when you look at the total package cost, it's not bad at all. This is where methods and habits die hard, and have not caught up with technology. People don't understand it, so they can't wrap their head around it and look at it with an open mind.

That's some good insight and brought up a lot that I didn't know.

[Jose]

every little trailer in South Texas that serves the best breakfast tacos in the world uses a flat top and pre-beaten eggs in a pitcher. you don't need milk in your eggs for a breakfast taco. Now if you want just scrambled eggs on a plate, sure it makes better, fluffier eggs.

Exactly. bcoop brought up some good points about running a good size restaurant but the little hole in the wall places I like don't operate that way. Hell one place in OC that I like doesn't even have any tables, you sit in your car or on the hood. Damn you guys are making me hungry!

[bcoop]

every little trailer in South Texas that serves the best breakfast tacos in the world uses a flat top and pre-beaten eggs in a pitcher. you don't need milk in your eggs for a breakfast taco.

Meh, preference I guess. If I'm cooking scrambled eggs (for tacos or otherwise), milk is going in them. Again, it's entirely possible, but it's a pain in the dick doing eggs on a griddle, and even more so in a trailer. You'd almost have to have one person dedicated to running the flat top, because they'll be chasing fucking eggs all over the place, trying to keep them from running in to the grease trough, etc. In the ones in Corpus, are they using lids or something to keep them contained, until the consistency is such that they aren't running all over the place?

[Silverback]

Meh, preference I guess. If I'm cooking scrambled eggs (for tacos or otherwise), milk is going in them. Again, it's entirely possible, but it's a pain in the dick doing eggs on a griddle, and even more so in a trailer. You'd almost have to have one person dedicated to running the flat top, because they'll be chasing fucking eggs all over the place, trying to keep them from running in to the grease trough, etc. In the ones in Corpus, are they using lids or something to keep them contained, until the consistency is such that they aren't running all over the place?

nope, and just one guy running the flat top. Take a potato/egg/cheese taco for instance.

Toss precooked potatoes on the flat top, warm them up a bit, throw tortilla on flat top too, pour eggs on the potatoes, control with spatula, flip the tortilla, flip eggs/potatoes a couple of times, put in tortilla. top with shredded cheese, wrap in foil.

If doing 1 or 10 tacos of the same type they just use more space on the flat top.

[Got5onIt]

Agreed, Tortillas make or break a taco place for me.

One of the reasons I think Fuzzy's fucking stinks.

Believe it or not, that's why I still love Taco Cabana. I love their tortillas. Yes, I am mexican.......

[Silverback]

Believe it or not, that's why I still love Taco Cabana. I love their tortillas. Yes, I am mexican.......

I admire them for making their own, but the quality and consistancy sucks at cabana. I hate doughy tortillas, and sometimes they are way too thick and chewy.

[Jose]

I admire them for making their own, but the quality and consistancy sucks at cabana. I hate doughy tortillas, and sometimes they are way too thick and chewy.

I've gotta admit, I like Taco Cabana as well. For a fast food chain restaurant it ain't bad. I like the tortillas at Uncle Julio's as well, maybe a notch above Taco Cabana.

[DasVWBabe]

Torchy's opened up another location recently; replaced the Tin Star in Allen on McDermott (next to Lowe's). Not quite your typical taco shop, but I find it good, even if the portions are astoundingly large.

Gotta say, though; I was a bit unnerved when the 14 yr. old ginger boy manning the cash register asked to take my order and I had decided on a "Dirty Sanchez". FML.