Category Archives: Happy Hour

Taco Tuesday at Tamarindo: Mix Up Your Fancy Cocktails With $2 Tacos

Tamarindo_Taco_TuesdayI’ve always loved the Tamarindo bar: the black and white Mexican films projected on the side wall, the glow from the pressed tin ceiling and metallic chandeliers, the splashes of chartreuse, pink and blue furniture against the creamy walls and exposed brick, and of course, the tequila and mezcal drinks. Add $2 tacos into the mix and you’ll feel better about spending too much on them.

Tacos: Head out behind the restaurant to a shared patio with neighboring beer bar the Trappist. To the left you’ll find a table covered in a bright oilcloth with a giant molcajete of burnt orange salsa and a cazuela of onions and cilantro. This is your Tuesday taco stand, appropriately simple and charming. Tacos are $2 each (cash only), and last week’s menu featured carnitas, chicharron, and in honor of St.Patricks Day, corned beef tacos. The carnitas didn’t have the layers I typically look forward to (those crispy, caramelized bits) but they were tender and steamy. The chicharrones on the other hand had a full spectrum of crispy and fatty textures in one bite. With three or so gnarls of pork rinds per taco the salt was assaulting but I savored the crispiness and the juices sticking to my teeth. Douse them in the roasted salsa and you’re in for a fiercely rich snack.

Drinks: Hangover be damned, I’m really into cocktails that taste like tropical fruit juice these days. The tamarind margarita makes the most of the fruit’s tangy flavors, and it’s so well balanced with the simple syrup and peppery chile rim that I have trouble not gulping it down as if there were a full pitcher sitting next to me. It hurts that it’s $13. The happy hour here runs from 5-7 pm, and includes a solid $8 margarita and draft beers for $4. There are a few discounted food items too.
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Place: To enjoy the happy hour or Taco Tuesday one must sit in the lounge or at the bar (or in the patio). These places all look like the Mexican vacation house of your dreams and are not as crowded as you think they would be.

Taco Tuesday at Tamarindo
5- 8 pm CASH ONLY
5- 7 pm Happy Hour
http://www.tamarindoantojeria.com
68 8th Street
Oakland, CA 94110

Taco Tuesday at Azucar Lounge: Mostly Not About Tacos

Taco tuesday at Azucar Lounge was almost exactly what you would expect from a bar in SOMA: not having anything to do with good tacos. I still have some things to say about it though.
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Tacos: At first bite the two specials on the Taco Tuesday menu reminded me of taco nights at my dad’s house when I was a kid. Now my dad makes mole and chile verde, and like much of America has evolved his taste for Mexican cuisine. But back in the day taco night was as midwestern as he is: hard taco shells, canned refried beans, ground beef, mexican rice, thickly grated orange cheese, shredded lettuce, and chopped tomatoes. Azucar’s tacos were about the same, except for the vegetarian version with squash, the wimpy tortilla, and the more appropriately thinly shredded cheese. My friend Ramses described the horror he experienced after moving to the US and seeing hard taco shells for the first time, I felt that same horror trying to hold together these wimpy tortillas as they fell apart under the weight of the filling. $12 for unlimited tacos, if this is still your thing.

Drinks: We went for the $5 margarita special ($25 for a carafe which serves six drinks). It’s not a bad margarita for $5.

Hot dog: Being with Ramses, who is from Sonora, we were obligated to try the Sonora dog. Which they apparently don’t offer on Taco Tuesdays, but made an exception. Except that it was missing the salsa verde and the beans, so I think they just said they made an exception and put together their Mexican dog and Sonora dog, which basically is a lot of Mexico happening to a hot dog. Pretty much involved a bacon wrapped hot dog, mustard, ketchup, grilled onions and peppers and queso fresco. It should have been warmer when it arrived, but the real hard truth is I’m not going to spend time analyzing a $5 danger dog because we all know they’re good when we need them.
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Place: This is a winning place to drink away the evening for so many reasons. I’m so done with a crowded SOMA bar where I have to fight my way to the bartender to order some cheap drink by the time happy hour is over. Here it’s the opposite. Make a reservation (I did it probably two hours in advance) and you’ll get to sit on a couch or love seat, partitioned so that every seating arrangement feels private. Streamers, art, vintage chests, and soft lights make it feel warm and colorful, but the windows are slightly opaque so it’s dark and cozy. Juanes is on the speakers (yes!) The servers come to you, and they’re charming and attentive.

In the end, I will be back for a drink and I will add this to the list of places for late night eats, the kitchen is open til 1 am on Fri and Sat. But I will probably not be back on a Tuesday.

http://www.azucarsf.com/about.html
99 9th Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 255-2982