Condado Tacos a feast for eyes, ears and stomach | Grub Scout

I had been keeping an eye on Condado Tacos ever since the Ohio-based chain announced that it was opening a store in Turkey Creek. However, I did not line up at the door on opening day; I generally like to give new places a little time to get their feet under them before I drop in for a review.

Before I tried it out, however, I received an unflattering report from the younger Grub Sprout, who had decided to give the place a spin not long after it opened — and on a weekend night. His complaints revolved around the sluggish pace of service, no doubt due to the fact that the place was absolutely packed. For our visit, The Grub Spouse and I decided to go on a Thursday, and as usual, we waited until Condado Tacos had been operational for several weeks before darkening their door.

The place really affected our senses upon entering. The south-of-the-border smells are distinctive, and the walls are covered — corner to corner, floor to ceiling — with psychedelic art and graffiti. The vibe is similar to what one might experience at a Mellow Mushroom location. At this Condado, the art was intended to depict the different signs of the zodiac in unique ways. Perhaps the most noteworthy was the Capricorn symbol that dominated an entire wall and bore an uncanny resemblance to the female reproductive system. Only in Knoxville, right?

But let’s talk food. I’ll start by telling you the menu has the fundamentals covered with several varieties each of queso, guacamole and salsa. They also serve Mexican street corn and Skywalker Nachos made with roasted chicken and other goodies piled onto house-made chips. We got a half-order of the traditional guacamole recipe ($6.75), and I decided to do a “when in Rome” thing and order a house margarita for $6.

The marg was tangily refreshing and didn’t taste skimpy on tequila. The guacamole was fresh and delicious. The only thing that didn’t add up in this equation was that the guac-to-chips ratio wasn’t one-to-one. We polished off the green stuff and still had lots of chips to consume naked (the chips — not me and The Spouse).

The rest of the menu is predominantly tacos. Categories include chicken, ground beef, pork, brisket, steak and plant-based, and each category offers anywhere from two to four house creations. Examples include the vegetarian Dutch Dragon — a soft flour tortilla filled with guacamole, roasted Portobello mushrooms and more — and the brisket-based Braised + Confused, which is also topped with jicama, cabbage slaw, pickled red onions, queso fresco and chipotle crema.

I got Lucy’s Fire and Cali Green for $5.50 each. The former is a hard Firecracker shell filled with roasted chicken, lettuce, cilantro, onions, smoked cheddar, corn salsa and cilantro-lime aioli. The latter is a hard corn shell filled with ground beef, guacamole, queso drizzle, lettuce, pico de gallo, smoked cheddar, cilantro-lime aioli and chipotle honey. Both were made with a soft tortilla cradling the hard shell. The Spouse ordered El Tradicional ($3.50), a soft flour tortilla filled with house-made chorizo, guacamole, cilantro, onions and queso fresco.

In all, there are some 15 varieties to consider, or guests may custom-create tacos from scratch. You start by specifying your base (type of taco shell, double shells, bowl, nachos, etc.), then you choose from among different proteins, toppings, salsas and sauces.

However, we were very happy with our preset selections. Honestly, I had trouble keeping the various ingredients and configurations straight in my head, but suffice it to say that I thoroughly enjoyed everything I took a bite from. The Tradicional was the most basic of the three, but its kicky, savory flavors made their mark. My favorite was the Cali Green, which packed so much taco goodness into one small package that every bite was a treat. Lucy’s Fire, while not as all-encompassing as the Cali, had some bite to it and stood out of its own accord.

As for service, we had no issues, despite the dining room approaching full occupancy. Our server was a little delayed getting to us in the first place, because she was tied up at a larger table. But once we engaged, she was personable and attentive. And she confirmed that we weren’t the first people to think the supposedly ram-inspired Capricorn artwork looked an awful lot like lady organs.

Condado Taco wasn’t exactly a quiet and peaceful place to dine that evening. The chatter level was high, and as stated earlier, there’s a palpable stimulation factor in play in terms of sights and (good) smells. But overall, I had a wonderful taco meal with righteous guac and a tasty margarita — all for under $40, tax and tip included.

I would heartily recommend this place to anyone who loves tacos — and doesn’t mind thinking outside the shell.

Condado Tacos

Food: 4.25

Service: 4

Atmosphere: 4.25

Overall: 4.25

Address: 11383 Parkside Drive

Phone: 865-343-0500

Full bar service

Kids’ menu

Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. (midnight) Fridays and Saturdays

Enjoy inventively flavorful tacos and south-of-the-border staples like margaritas and tequila in a fanciful and colorful setting at this new Turkey Creek eatery.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville restaurant review: Condado Tacos is a feast for the senses