The Old Smashburger

Here it is! The one you've all been waiting for... The review with the perspective of both Fluffy Foodies! Since the weather had cleared, and it was such a beautiful day the Thelma and Louise of San Antonio decided to meet for breakfast at a little public park nearby.. So we washed our skunky butts and headed out on our adventure.

A few weeks ago Fred and I were bumbling around looking for breakfast tacos (our favorite spots were both closed) when I remembered that our old favorite hamburger place (Smashburger which closed its doors a while back) had new owners. Fred and I were both impressed with their food. Honestly, it's not hard to impress Fred. If I gave him a hamburger and shoe blindfolded he probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference. I however have a very sophisticated picadillo palate. Which is nothing compared to my very sensitive carne guisada gag reflex. More about that later......

I have ordered from this restaurant many times since Fred and I first enjoyed it and have never been disappointed. Thelma was intrigued, so we decided that this was the perfect restaurant for Thelma and my first time eating together in a couple of months and first TWO Fluffy Foodies review.

I ordered my favorites (picadillo and carne guisada) for both of us, a barbacoa (for Thelma). It was ready when I got there, packaged nicely, with everything we needed, minus napkins and sugar and cream for the coffee. So make sure you specify what you are gonna need when you order.

I love their picadillo and guisada. As I mentioned earlier I am picky about my picadillo and guisada. I like to eat my picadillo, not wear it. So I normally order it drained well and grilled (this just means they throw the meat on the grill for a few minutes which burns off some of the fat and "juice" so it doesn't drip down your hand, arm, and chin). Sometimes when you order it this way if it isnt made right it will lose its flavor. Not at this restaurant. It retains its flavor perfectly. The tortilla's are nice and fluffy. Good size. I add a little salsa to it and voila, perfection. One thing that threw me off the first time I ate it was the carrots that are chopped up in the meat. I am used to tomato, onions, potatoes. Sometimes a green pepper, but I have never seen it with carrots before. I am not a carrot fan, but these are cooked so long in with the meat that you cant taste the carrot in the carrots. Never needs salt, but I always add salsa and cheese. Absolutely my favorite taco of all time, and these guys do it well.

I am also a guisada (think a Mexican flavored pot roast with thicker gravy) snob. My two favorite places to get it here in town are Don Pedro's and Mi Tierra. This place rivals those two restaurants easily. The "gravy"is a little more tomato based than the typical gravy. The flavor is perfect, not too cumin forward. What will ruin guisada for me is tough meat, grissel, and fat. I don't want to be sitting at breakfast chewing my meat like a cow. If I get one bite of grissel or fat, OH MY BABY JESUS, I am done. This doesn't happen here. The meat is cooked fork tender, and very well trimmed. Add some salsa and cheese, good golly miss Molly.....

As I mentioned earlier I am not a fan of barbacoa. Not just because down here in South Texas they make it traditionally in a lot of places. Which is a cow head slow roasted until the meat (and eyes and brain) fall off. They catch it in a pan, chop it up all together, and shove it in a tortilla. Here in San Antonio it is mostly cow cheek meat or beef roast. However, if you go out into the little towns around here, especially closer to the border or the coast, you better ask before you order. If you are at a place and it says "meat only", that means it is sans gross stuff. So buyer beware, especially if eating cow eyes and brain grosses you out. I also don't like the flavor profile, it is cooked normally with garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, and bay leaves. I think it is the bay leaves that throws me off.. Thelma however, loves her some barbacoa and Big Red. It's a San Antonio thing. Barbacoa and Big Red on Sundays. Due to the big snow out of 2021, they were out of Big Red. I thought this would ruin the barbacoa for her for sure. It's an experience, you lose one piece of that experience and it can sometimes throw the whole shebang out of whack. I was pleasantly surprised though, as Thelma said that was the best barbacoa she had ever eaten. It was moist, but not too greasy. Flavors on point. It came with some pico de gallo on the side which was fresh and vibrant. She also liked the picadillo and guisada, but if I had to order for her in the future I would get her barbacoa , simply because of the look on her face when she took her first bite. Almost made me want to eat cow brain and eye balls........ Just sayin.

So surely the name of this restaurant cant be "The Old Smashburger" you say. You are correct. It is called, drumroll please, Tacos El Rodeo de Jalisco at 8802 Potranco Rd Ste 101. They are open in the dining room, pick up, and delivery. So on a scale of 0 to 10 button hole extenders on my jeans I am gonna give it an 8.

Til next time.....

Mel Cann and Susie Lawper