Tacos Salazar

In a strange vortex where the suburbs mingle with the countryside, a little food cart sits like a mirage in the parking lot of a country store. At the intersection of Hwy 224 and 212, you'll find Tacos Salazar. Google says the address is: 15252 OR-224, Damascus, OR 97089

Why would you find yourself way out in these parts, you ask? Perhaps you are on your way home after some recreating along the Clackamas River, or you had to go to the DEQ. Maybe you work in horticulture or needed to pick up gravel or some sort of oil tank. Maybe you just want a tasty, unpretentious burrito.

Chile Relleno Burrito

Price: $6.50

Ingredients: Chile relleno, pinto beans, rice, cheese, creme

Size: Large

Sides: Red and green salsa

Wrapped up like Christmas came early, this hefty guy was brimming with pinto beans. As I delicately lifted half and unwrapped the paper, steam wafted up into the cool fall air and my heart was set aflutter.

The toothsome tortilla was salty and fresh, with that light toasty texture that lives in perfection between flaky and squishy. The chile relleno had a wondrously crisp outer layer, and the pepper was fleshy and cooked just right. A wee bit more cheese at its core would have put it over the top. The stem was still attached, so I got a surprising bite there at the end and had to dig it out of my mouth. Enticing, right? Ingredient dispersion couldn't have been better, and mmm... the red salsa actually had some heat to it!

The Rating

4 out of 5.

Even with the stem, this one was damn tasty.

Tight Tacos

(Let's all just take a moment to giggle at the name...)

Wow guys, just wow. It's been nearly a year since my last post. Did you think I vanished from the face of the Earth, never to eat another burrito for the rest of eternity? That would be a huge bummer. Some things have changed, but I'm still here, and still eating burritos! So lets get to it, shall we?

Did you know it's nearly impossible to find a taqueria in this town that's open on Sundays? REALLY Portland? Is Sunday only reserved for God... and brunch? Come on!

Luckily, Tight Tacos was there to save me from famine along the desolate stretches of depressed burritoless streets. It's located next to the mini mart on SE 39th (Cesar Chavez), just south of Belmont. It's the cutest al fresco taco stand/food cart ever!

The Carnitas Burrito

Price: $8.00

Ingredients: Pork, black beans, guacamole, Oaxacan cheese, crema

Size: Medium

Sides: red and green salsas

I don't think I'll ever get used to the $8 price tag that's attached to so many burritos these days. But if it's got quality ingredients, I try not to complain (at least not too much).

This beauty looked a little silly, as she was toasted down the sides instead of on top and bottom. But hey, it still added that bit of crunch to the tortilla!





Creamy, dreamy beans,
oh black beans!
Sweet and creamy beany love!
Come hither, little friends...
let me eat you one by one.
Let me drink you, slurp you up.
Ohhhhhh creamy dreamy sweet bean love.

Yeah I liked the beans, if you couldn't tell. I'm not always a fan of black beans, as they can be such little dried up heartless terds sometimes. These were creamy, sweet, dreamy little love bugs.

The pork had some savory flavory fatiness up in its business, but the texture through it off. Upon taking a bite, my teeth pulled out pieces of pork rather than chomping right through. A bit chewy, ya know? The guacamole and crema added some fresh cool zing that tamed down the pig salt. The cheese was good 'n gooey. The red and green salsas were perfecto! I do believe this burrito came out sideways, having been toasted down the sides and with the beans all shoved on one side and pork on the other. The ratio of beans to meat felt right though.

The Rating

3.7 outta 5

I would give it another try if I was jonesing on a Sunday again. I also tasted the asada taco, which was yummy and packed with meat, but I'm not here to review tacos... :-P