Photo by Morgan Banno
Say olé for Taco Tuesday! In this edition of The Gabber Newspaper‘s Top Tastes, we sampled tacos for the best South Pinellas Taco Tuesday deals. While we focused on food, there were also great bevy specials we stumbled on. With big beers and BOGO margaritas, Tuesdays are no longer only for tacos. By no means are we calling the tacos mentioned below ‘most authentic’ (that’s a separate category of sampling by itself) but they are fantastic, local deals you don’t want to miss if you’re on team taco, especially on Tuesdays.
Best Presentation — Mad Beach Cantina ($7.99)
Photo by Morgan Banno
On the Gulf Beaches, north of John’s Pass is Mad Beach Cantina. Spearheaded by Sun Pubs Group, (the same people who drive Caddy’s and MacDinton’s), Mad Beach Cantina is another Tex-Mex restaurant dishing up the ubiquitous gringo fare. For Taco Tuesday, enjoy three street tacos for the price of two. Choose from carne asada ($11.49), beef barbacoa ($8.99), portobello ($10.49), grouper ($11.99) and more.
That Tuesday, I sampled the carnitas tacos ($7.99) on corn tortillas. They were simple (garnished with chopped onions and fresh cilantro) and salty, but full of meat. It’s a great price for three tacos that are sure to fill you up. I think the best part of Cantina’s menu is MYO margaritas. Make your own exactly how you like it from the tequila and juices, to garnishes and rims. Cheers!
Mad Beach Cantina, 13205 Gulf Lane, Madeira Beach. Daily, 12-10 p.m. 727-284-3990; madbeachcantina.com
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Juiciest Chicken Tacos (and Best Salsa) — Grand Hacienda ($2.50)
Photo by Morgan Banno
I go to Grand Hacienda any day of the week for their homemade salsa alone (which is complimentary when dining in). It’s consistent, fresh, and packed with flavor and sweet heat. If you do find yourself here on a Tuesday, they have a couple of deals. First, enjoy $2.50 ground beef or shredded chicken tacos.
They’re available with hard or soft tortillas, in your choice of flour or corn. The shredded chicken is to die for. It’s marinated and slow cooked for hours, making it one of the most tender chicken tacos I’ve ever enjoyed. If you like sides, there’s also a deal with two tacos (beef or chicken) with rice and beans for only $10.95. Lastly, happy hour is every day 2-6 p.m. where you can enjoy BOGO wine, beer, and house margaritas. Tacos are available every day but this $2.50 deal is one of the cheapest we’ve found on Tuesdays.
Grand Hacienda, 2424 Tyrone Blvd. N., St. Petersburg. Mon.-Thurs., 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Fri., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sat., 9 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sun., 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; 727-302-0777; grandhaciendarestaurant.com
Freshest Taco & Most Deals — Twisted Tiki ($10)
Photo by Morgan Banno
Twisted Tiki wins for most deals on Taco Tuesday. While they are definitely not a Mexican restaurant by any stretch, Twisted Tiki bar in St. Pete Beach has Mexican-inspired specials that include Loaded Seafood Nachos ($17), a Taco Dog (8), Blackened Shrimp Tacos with a side ($15), as well as the standard two tacos with chips and pico ($10), all on Tuesdays. Plus, enjoy $5 margaritas and $4 Corona/Modelo beers.
What we liked about the tacos were how obviously fresh the ingredients were. The pico was vibrant, the lettuce was crisp, and with the shredded chicken, it made for a damn delicious taco. Twisted Tiki is known for their fun vibe and great music but it should be on your list of eats, too.
Twisted Tiki, 340 Corey Ave., St. Pete Beach. Mon.-Thurs., 12-11 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 12 p.m.-12 a.m.; Sun., 11. a.m.-11 p.m. 727-914-8881; twistedtikistpetebeach.com
I liked Twisted Tiki’s tacos the best, but no matter which style of taco sways your sombrero, Taco Tuesday should definitely be celebrated.
What is Top Tastes?
The Tampa Bay food scene is awesome. It’s constantly growing as new establishments pop up and now diverse food concepts are everywhere. In addition to restaurant reviews, I’ll be on a months-long campaign to sample specific dishes at various locales and then ranking my favorites. Follow along as I sample everything from salads and sushi, to Cubans and coffee in St. Pete, Gulfport, and the Gulf Beaches. This is a collection of food comparisons from a small sampling of area restaurants. By no means have I dined at every establishment that serves every category of food in this competition. If you disagree with my rankings, that’s totally fine, but please be civil about it. And lastly, you won’t see me writing about Stella’s or the Salty Nun.
