Melis Taqueria

4304 West Vickery Boulevard
Fort Worth, TX 76107-6312
(817) 377-8484
CASH ONLY

Consumer Tacos: Asada/Chicken Fajita
Preference: Asada

I had passed by Melis Taqueria many times (on my way to Montgomery Street Cafe) and they have been on my list to include in the hunt.

On a cold and rainy day, I made by way down Vickery BLVD to Melis Taqueria. The first thing I noticed---although the outside is rather large---there is no indoor dining. On cold and rainy days, this can be a negative, but I was hellbent on trying them. I walked up to the order window and waited. I waited some more and then waited some more. It was clear they were open as one Mexican was enjoying his taco on a picnic table and the lights were all on (including the neon OPEN sign). After not finding a buzzer, bell, ANTHING to alert them I was there, I decided to go next door to "Fernadez Cafe and Taqueria."

As I walked into "Fernadez Cafe and Taqueria" I was handed a menu. After looking at the menu, my conversation with the waitress (WHO WAS HISPANIC) went like this:

Me: I see you have "soft or crunchy" tacos.
Waitress: Yes
Me: Can you tell me if the 'soft' tacos are corn?
Waitress: We have corn tortillas, they are the crunchy ones.
Me: What about the soft?
Waitress: Flour
Me: What comes in the tacos?
Waitress: What?
Me: Does it come with onions and cilantro?
Waitress: Uhm...well, I guess we can put some onion and cilantro.
Me: Do you have Asada?
Waitress: No, just ground beef and (mumble)
Me: Okay, thank you---I was looking for some Asada, or Barbacoa, or Carnitas, or...
Waitress: No, we don't have those types of taocs [AND LITERALLY TURNS AND WALKS AWAY]
Me: [As she is walking away] Oh, sorry. I guess because your sign said 'Taqueria', I...figured...it was..a Taquria.

So that is my review of "Fernadez Cafe and Taqueria". Lessoned learned.

Thus I humbly went back to Melis Taqueria, and waited. In all fairness, upon my return there was a girl who ready to take my order. I did verify that it was "outdoor eating only" as I really did not want to eat in my truck. By this time one Mexican had left his spot on the only try park bench--so I was ready. I ordered two Asada and one Chicken Fajita taco. "Would you like everything on it?" inquired the young woman? (At least I was not asked if I wanted Cilantro and Onions---but more on this later). "Affirmative" I responded. "Oh, and let me have a glass bottle of the Mexican Coke".

As I sat on the picnic bench with my bottle of coke overlooking Vickery Blvd., I started to think how this place much actually hop in the spring and summer. There seems to be a large outdoor patio, but it was boarded up and assume they only open it in the spring/summer.
I know when I were in college I'm sure my fraternity brothers and I would have had no problem bringing a cooler of beer, and get down on some $1.40 tacos all night at a place like this.

But alas I sat as a 39 year old man sipping from his glass bottled coke, staring blindly into space waiting for tacos. Within a few minutes the woman rang a bell and said "Chree tas?" "I"m sorry, I asked?" "Chree TAcos?" she asked again. I looked away for a moment, puzzled as why she would ask me this question when she took my order and I was the ONLY person there. Nonetheless, I smiled and said, "yes". So much for what transpires in 1.3 seconds in my mind, onto the food...

I quickly took the picture of the tacos as it was quite cold outside and I did not want them get cold (there is little worse than cold tacos). The hot sauce was on the side and as I poured some red sauce on the tacos. "Hmmm" I thought as I could smell the sweet tang of the sauce. As I poured some green sauce on my tacos, I thought "ohhhhh shit" as I could smell the powerful habenero fumes coming from the sauce.

I first bit into one of the Asada tacos. WOW. That bad-boy was FILLED with quality, tasty meat. Unfortunately, something tasted a little different. Could it be? Tomatoes? AHHHH!!! There were tomatoes on my tacos. Actually, I did not mind too much as I like tomatoes, but was not expecting them. Next time I will ask for cilantro and onions only. Next onto the chicken fajita taco. Once again, WOW! It was over-flowing with meat. I must say out of all the taqerias I've been to on the hunt, Melis seems to offer the best bang for buck at $1.40 per taco.

Now to the negative: The tortillas. While they weren't necesarrily bad, they did keep them from a 'five taco' rating. If anything, they were a little under-grilled. They were almost like they were taken from the package, tossed onto the griddle for a few seconds and taken off. If not for this I would have no problem giving Melis Taqueria five tacos, but just like bread makes the sammich, tortillas make the tacos, in my opinion.