Los Sanchez Taqueria

Los Sanchez Taqueria in 

St. Paul's Hazel Park

Well, well, well...we seem to be experiencing a great run of food.   Mr. Large...Crazy Mary's, Willard's...I thought we were pressing our luck trying out another new place today.   But, boy was I wrong.

The food was great!

We drove to east St. Paul...maybe a mile or so north of my old neighborhood...to try out Los Sanchez Taqueria.

This used to be a bar...can't remember the name.   Located on Stillwater Ave near Hazel St (my old street), the old building is now 'dressed up' with brightly colored painted panels on the outside, plus pictures of some of the menu items.  There's even a panel for the $5.99 breakfast choices...that includes coffee.

Los Sanchez Taqueria was recommended by both Anne and a local guide to good tacos.

Los Sanchez Taqueria did NOT disappoint.

John's eating  a heavily vegetarian diet right now, so Mexican food may not always be the best place to find veggies amid the array of proteins...pastor, carnitas, barbacoa, etc etc etc.  But, there it was on the menu hanging over the counter....a list of 3 different veggie options instead of the long list of proteins.   John chose the burrito bowl with the mixed veggie option..with grilled jalapenos and onions, tomato, grilled corn (still in the big chunks that they had taken off the fresh ears), pico, avocado, plus black beans, rice, and melted cheese.

I chose the huarache with carnitas.

When the food arrived, we both stared at it, taking in the attractiveness and sheer visual appeal of the  veggie bowl.  We've had bowls at Chipotle, Pancheros, Old Southern BBQ, and many other places (the tidiest and most appealing of those so far was at Pancheros, where the staff tried to carefully place the ingredients so that it didn't all just turn into a big sloppy mess).   Here, the bowl was a work of art---absolutely gorgeous to view....and, we were hoping, just as good to eat.

Wonderful Veggie Burrito Bowl

We were not wrong.   The bowl was wonderful.   Maybe some of the tastiest avocado ever (we had some really creamy avocado slices at the Standish...they were really high quality)....this was so fresh tasting we thought we were sitting outside enjoying a summer day with fresh delights to enjoy.   The grilled veggies were so approachable....the jalapeno was not hot for the sake of heat....it was grilled to a nice texture and subtle flavor.  

The veggies were so much superior to the soggy ones we recently received at Nico's....the contrast was day and night.   These were perfect.   The portion was generous...so much so that I even had 4 or 5 bites of John's lunch.

 Flavorful Huarache at Los Sanchez Taqueria

My huarache was great, too.   The carnitas was moist and flavorful (not dry and stringy as we've had at other places).   The portion of meat was huge...more than I could possibly consume.  The masa base for the dish was so delicious...grilled on the bottom to a bit crispy, with great flavor and a tender top that made you want to try to eat the whole thing (a task I couldn't complete...even with help).  The crema and cheese were delightful and in just the right proportions to balance the flavors.   I'd highly recommend this, too.

Los Sanchez Taqueria Service...

The service at Los Sanchez was friendly (the cashier had a great, warm smile) and efficient.  Drink choices are in bottles...John went for the pineapple Jarritos and I grabbed a sparkling water.  The decor was brightly colored (green and orange) with tons of traditional flags (lots of dancers and people)  and one wall with wonderful scenes enshrined on large ceramic plates.

Los Sanchez was spotlessly clean and the service was quick.

Yet another fantastic meal...and we're delighted that the old bar from my childhood neighborhood has found a new and better life. 

Funny, the rules of retail are location, location, location.   Most people wouldn't put this little piece of geography in the category fulfilling that mantra.  But as I thought about it for a few minutes, I realized it actually is a location, location, location, genius idea.   

Having lived in the area for a decade or so, I knew/know most of the 'dining establishments' in the area.   From this location, you have to go around a mile or more to reach:  The 5-8, The Little Oven (which used to be great and cheap but was HORRIBLE the last time we were there), Paddy's, Red's Savoy, the

seasonal Dari-ette...then drive even farther to get to Sunray or the Suburban Avenue strip or getting to Oakdale for Catrina's.   There are a large number of apartments clustered just south of that intersection, and the housing density is pretty high...with fairly small city lots.  The neighborhood is multi-cultural...and many, many cultures were present today at Los Sanchez.  Clearly everyone in the neighborhood frequents this place.

So, Los Sanchez made a great decision to offer terrific food within walking distance for many people...and well worth the drive for others.  Location here, coupled with great food, will equal long term success in our opinions.

 
Details:
Website:     www.lossancheztaqueria.com
Menu:        PDF
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/lossancheztaqueria/
Location:   Google Map