Tex-Mex Taqueria

Getting food from a restaurant housed in the same building as a gas station isn’t the most appealing idea in the world. But for tacos from Tex-Mex Taqueria, I’ll brave the diesel fumes every time. Located just south of Lilly Corporate Center in the same building as the Phillips 66 gas station at East and Prospect Streets, Tex-Mex offers authentic tacos, tortas (Mexican sandwiches), tostadas, and more. I'll admit right up front that I haven’t tried anything but the tacos here. They’re so good that I’ve not seen any reason to branch out!

Tacos at Tex-Mex come on soft corn tortillas and are loaded with your choice of meat, diced onions, and chopped cilantro. They also give you a lime wedge and two varieties of sauce, a red and a green. The green is my favorite because it’s hotter and more flavorful. I usually go with tacos al pastor (marinated pork), but I’ve enjoyed the steak, chicken, and chorizo tacos as well. Tex-Mex also serves excellent guacamole (on par with the guacamole they serve at El Sol de Tala) that tastes like they just finished mashing the avocados. It is fresh and light, although I could handle a little more heat; maybe I’ll order it with extra jalapeños next time.

The process of ordering food here can be a little confusing for the first-timer, but it’s not really too complicated. Part of the restaurant is also a Mexican grocery store. To order food, just head into the grocery store and ask the cashier to see the menu. She’ll give you a laminated menu and you can order from that. She’ll ring it all up, you’ll pay her, and then she’ll give you a ticket. Give that ticket to the guy in the kitchen through the service window in the restaurant area. Then have a seat until they call for you to come get your fresh Mexican food. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. There is a small dining area where you can have a seat at a booth and eat your food, but I always get my tacos to go. I figure there’s no need to hang around the gas station any longer than necessary!

Tex-Mex is open daily from 9:00 am to 10:00 pm. This place isn’t fancy, but it can really make for a cheap and delicious dinner – especially on Wednesdays when tacos are only $1 apiece.