These 7 Mexican eateries will make your Cinco de Mayo a real fiesta
In 1862, Mexico won a battle in a war it would eventually lose to the invading French army. The calendar date when this occurred is arguably more famous than details of the battle: the fifth of May, “Cinco de Mayo” in Spanish, which is Friday. Thus concludes the requisite history portion of this Cinco de Mayo story, so we can move on to the dining festivities.
For many Americans, Cinco de Mayo — which isn’t widely celebrated in Mexico — is a handy excuse to whoop it up like it’s St. Patrick’s Day again, only with better weather and better food. (Okay, with hopefully better weather and better food.)
Because terrific Mexican food is crucial for any Cinco de Mayo observance, here’s a little list of reliable, locally owned places where you’ll get it (several will offer Cinco de Mayo specials, too). This non-partisan roster starts with locations that offer margaritas but— for diners uninterested in communal revelries and/or armed with beverages back home — the list finishes with alcohol-free eateries.
La Plaza Tapatia
255 Georgesville Road, 614-276-0333, laplazatapatia.com
Visiting this superstore near Hollywood Casino Columbus is like being transported to Mexico. In addition to a treasure trove of groceries, La Plaza Tapatia offers a bar that serves margaritas, but also cantaritos, micheladas and vampiros. Other assets include a patio, cafe, bakery, ice cream shop, piñata-friendly candy store, pottery/cookware section plus a huge prepared foods selection. The latter — inexpensive, sold-by-the-pound delights — includes an array of ceviches worth the visit alone. Hot options generally include top-notch tamales and pupusas; smoke-scented grilled chicken; lovable Mexican meatballs; fajita-like dishes; and a slew of delicious stews.
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Tacos Rudos
1086 N. 4th St. in Budd Dairy Food Hall, 614-660-8226, budddairyfoodhall.com/vendors/tacos-rudos
Budd Dairy is liable to be buzzing with juiced-up visitors on Cinco de Mayo. After all, the handsomely repurposed vintage building is an Italian Village food hall with multiple bars and drinking areas that include a rooftop party spot. Margarita-primed imbibers hungry for on-theme food will be in luck, because Budd Dairy houses strong-performing Tacos Rudos (in a conveniently secluded space with a separate entrance). Expect friendly counter service plus high-quality, decked-out nachos, tacos and quesadillas featuring tinga-like chicken, flavorful steak and serious al pastor pork. Don’t sleep on the hefty beer-battered fish tacos or tres leches cake, either.
Los Guachos
Multiple locations, losguachostaqueria.com
The local standard-bearer for al pastor pork seared on trompos — gyro-style, rotating meat logs — Los Guachos has garnered national attention from the Food Network, Rachel Ray and Maxim magazine. Along the way, Los Guachos has evolved from one food truck to four fast-casual, booze-serving, popular taquerias offering fantastic values. That signature al pastor pork is a must in both tacos and the bigger and even better open-faced al pastor quesadillas called “gringas.” Homemade soups and locally uncommon masa-based dishes like disc-shaped sopes and pizza-esque huaraches are worth seeking out, too.
Dos Hermanos at Easton Town Center
3946 Morse Crossing, 614-383-7930, doshermanoscolumbus.com
Dos Hermanos, which operates stalls in Lower.com Field and the Downtown and Dublin North Markets, has enjoyed an acorn-to-an-oak-like growth that started with one taco truck. All locations offer good food, but the newest branch at Easton (the subject from here on) is the only one that offers alcohol and full service. And its full service is fast and super-friendly. Its modern, two-story Easton space scores high, too. Ditto for free chips and salsa, multiple margarita flavors and spot-on street tacos. Something more substantial? The tangy-sauced chicken enchiladas come with excellent refried beans and Mexican rice, and chicken mole negro highlights the menu with rice, tortillas and a tender half-bird in a standout sauce.
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Tacos Don Deme
75 S. Murray Hill Road, 614-465-9014, facebook.com/dondemetacos
Tacos Don Deme — a modest but upbeat little West Side eatery with great food and outgoing service — exemplifies a type of restaurant happily prevalent in contemporary Greater Columbus: homey, no-alcohol-serving places whose lack of bells and whistles is made insignificant by uncommonly skillful cooking. From carnitas to chorizo, barbacoa and genre-eclipsing chicken, Don Deme’s extra flavorful taco meats rock. Don Deme also excels at entrees and specials such as superior milanesa tortas, carne asada platters, pozole, quesabirrias and pipian mole.
El Ranchito Taqueria
1275 Brown Road, 614-975-9164
When food is as deeply flavored as it is at El Ranchito, it’s easy to think, “No website, no alcohol, no problem.” A destination-worthy taqueria in the Hilltop area, El Ranchito’s eight regular taco meats include zippy adobado (chorizo-flavored pork tips, and a must), excellent carnitas, exemplary lengua (roast beef-like tongue meat) and smoky, zesty, drips-down-your-chin chicken tinga. Such proteins can also star in overachieving gorditas, tostadas and sopes.
Catrina Mexican Cuisine
2785 Ferris Road, 614-944-9036, catrina-mexican-cuisine.business.site
Oddly situated amid an auto-repair shop in a garage-like, Linden-area building, Catrina is cute and welcoming inside. The diner-like eatery has no menus — its daily-changing offerings are listed, without prices, on whiteboards. And Catrina accepts only cash or digital payments. Nonetheless, uniformly delicious, attractively plated dishes — like top-tier pozole, masa-shelled empanadas, lamb tacos and shrimp tostadas — make any of those potential stumbling blocks seem like a ramp to taste bud happiness.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Seven Mexican restaurants where you can celebrate Cinco de Mayo
