Taco Deli: Tastes Great, Less Filling

Here’s how you know you’re in a Mexican restaurant: there’s some sort of a mariachi soundtrack, sombreros and piñatas are present, Corona is sold, colored blankets with fringe make an appearance in some way, and there’s lard. 

So what’s with Taco Deli?  

doesn’t look like it serves Mexican fare.  Aside from some cactus graphics on the to-go menu, there’s nothing really that sings out deli or Mexican.

Taco Deli is green, red, and white - and it has a train – a model train on a track hanging from the ceiling.  Red vinyl booths, white and black tiled floor, chrome, and an open kitchen with a big stainless steel hood fill the long space.  The TV in the corner is not tuned to a telenovela but General Hospital.  And did I mention the train?  Taco Deli looks like Santa retired from the toy building business and set up a diner in a strip mall in Puerto Vallarta.

According to the woman who took our order, the train doesn’t chug along anymore due to cooking greases clogging its engine.  Luckily, grease won’t clog your engine because Taco Deli may be the healthiest Mexican food ever cooked.  In fact, there really doesn’t seem to be anything naughty at all.

The first thing I noticed about my chicken quesadilla was that it was toasty, not greasy.  The cheese did not slide out when I picked it up.  Oil did not drip down my hand.  It was crisp, golden, and light.  I felt no guilt, even with a bit of sour cream and a side of extraordinarily creamy and mild guacamole.

The tamale combo offered a rather large tamale, beans, and rice.  Again, what?  The beans were not refried or slathered in melted Monterey Jack.  Looking more like baked beans – whole and saucy – they had a light sprinkling of melted cheese.  The rice, herbed and hued red, tasted exactly like the rice served at a rather famous Mexican restaurant found in Santa Monica and downtown Los Angeles.  With a hint of almost sweet tomatillo sauce, the tamale’s masa was fine, not sticky, and strewn with shredded chicken. 

Fresh juices are squeezed to order and add a zip of refreshment and cleansing to the meal.  A combination including cucumber was green but tasted like it should be red. In addition to juices, are heartier smoothies made with mangos, strawberries, peaches, and bananas.  There is also a jug of fresh lemonade on the counter with half-price refills available.

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served at Taco Deli.  A breakfast burrito, omelettes, salads, soups, and wraps round out the offerings.  All are reasonably priced and served on a plastic plate on a plastic tray that you retrieve on your own from the counter.  In the afternoon, expect a sampling of high school students devouring steak tacos and talking about basketball to be your dining companions.

Taco Deli is family owned and often donates part of their sales to local schools.  They offer catering and special, local lunch delivery, as well as the rather genius offer of marinated meats that can be taken home and grilled by you.  You can even order a bulk of tamales for your next party.  According to the menu and website, Taco Deli is focused on health-oriented food, using the best ingredients including organic, free range, and hormone free products.  Taco Deli satisfies your craving for Mexican fare without weighing you down. 

Taco Deli, with it’s Mexican menu, glass case stockpiled with fruit, and lack of decoration aside from hand-written specials signs and community notices, is more authentically South of the Border than most American interpretations.  It’s easy to imagine that you’re back on vacation, eating in a small, family restaurant you’ve discovered on a side street in Mexican town.  Just without the lard.  And with a train.

456-C Foothill Blvd., La Cañada-Flintridge, CA  91011

818-790-3354

Sunday - Thursday 7 am - 8 pm: Friday and Saturday until 9 pm.

Dine-in, take-out, and free delivery available.