For years, I have looked out the car window at an old worn down gas station while waiting for the light on 47th street to turn green. For years, the attraction at the four way intersection was the world-famous Oklahoma Joe’s barbecue. Now, at the corner of 47th and Mission Road, Taco Republic has the spotlight.
When I arrived at Taco Republic, the first thing I noticed was the atmosphere. The whole area has been transformed from a dismal building to a colorful, vibrant restaurant. On almost every ledge sits a small, abstract sheet metal sculpture of different animals such as armadillos and pigs, and off to the side they have a corn hole toss set up.
You can make the decision to eat outside on sturdy wooden picnic table, or inside the redone gas station on modern, low chairs. I decided to eat inside. When the brisk time of year to put on jackets comes around, they hang a see-through tarp with neon blue outline over part of the outside area. Inside the tarp they have a heater to keep the area warm in those cold times. When sitting down at the modern four-person table, I glanced at the menu and saw a wide variety of tacos from beef to veggie.
All the tacos that the Republic offers are “street” tacos which are served on white corn tortillas. If you’re not much of a taco fan then I would suggest not visiting Taco Republic, because they don’t offer many other options. Another side note is that they do not offer Coke products, so if you’re a fan of Coke or Sprite be warned.
Looking at the menu I decided to order the traditional guacamole. Shortly after, a huge mound of guac appeared with a big basket of chips. I tried the soothing, well-blended avocado and it was quite mild, and addictive. The chips were fairly salty, but they tasted good.
After finishing the guacamole, I decided it was taco time. I ordered two different types of tacos: one being the Old School, and the other was the Tinga. The Old School was a beef taco, with many toppings including pico de gallo. It turned out to be quite mild and greasy. When I bit into the taco a few drops of grease came out, overall the Old school was very good.
The Tinga taco that I decided to try was a won- derful chicken-filled decision, and in my opinion bet- ter than the Old School. When I bit into the corn tor- tilla filled with chickeny goodness, I instantly wanted more. The chicken was well cooked and moist, and the combination of all the toppings went well together.
For dessert they only offered two items. One is a Churro, and the other is called Canela Bunuelos. The Canela Bunuelos is a mexican caramel, called anise, and topped with powdered sugar. Unfortunately, I was too full from my guac and tacos that I didn’t get a opportunity to try either option. Both looked good: the churro was big and the anise caramel looked silky brown.
Customer service is a big part of success, and Taco Republic will be very successful. When I asked for more chips, they would be there within 30 seconds. The waitress I had was very nice and made me feel like the top priority, she kept checking in frequently and she was quick.
After I ate, I got a chance to look around at the new area. The food is made in an assembly line, and you can watch from the side and see a empty corn tortilla gradually fill up until it is a full, good-looking taco. The entire restaurant was full, however I didn’t have to wait when I went. One of the only flaws that I noticed was the parking lot. It is very small, and often full. The busy intersection at 47th and Mission now has two restau- rants competing against each other.
Now when I’m stopped at a red light on 47th, I won’t be looking at the out of the door line at Oklahoma Joe’s; I will be looking at the eye catching neon colors of Taco Republic.
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