Yecid Cardenas knows he is in for a challenge by opening a new restaurant on the fringe of Clearwater’s somewhat sleepy downtown district, especially in this still recovering economy.  But he hopes that by offering tasty, traditional Mexican meals and all day 2-for-1 drink specials, people will soon flock to his Tequila's Mexican Grill & Cantina at 401 S. Fort Harrison Ave., a spot that was home to Harrison’s Grill for many years.  “We serve authentic Mexican food with the focus on lunches, since we know we have a good lunchtime crowd around here,” Cardenas said. “We have 22 different dishes …

Tucked away in a small plaza off of Drew Street, Taqueria del Valle is the type of place you can drive by a 100 times and never notice it’s there. That’s because this small, unremarkable restaurant at the back of the lot where the Red Fox Lounge is located has no discernable features that make it exceptionable. In fact, if you’re coming from the east end of Drew Street, you will be forgiven for passing right by the place: the marquee on that side only advertises the lounge, a dog groomer and a travel agency. But the real trouble with Taqueria del Valle is, once you’ve eaten there, you still …

Throughout the ‘90s, the name Los Mariachis was synonymous with Mexican meals in Pinellas County. Known for its heaping plates of affordable, authentic Mexican food, not to mention gigantic “Monster mugs” of beer and margaritas, Los Mariachis was an ideal dining destination for businesspeople on lunch, frugal families, and young people looking for a cheap night out. Since that heyday, the options for Mexican food in Pinellas County, and specifically Clearwater, have changed and multiplied, with taco joints now seemingly occupying every other corner. Heck, even the name of Los Mariachis …

We all love tacos, right? At least I’m assuming everyone who reads this column does. But do you love the tasty tortilla-wrapped treats enough to down nearly two dozen of them in under an hour? That is the question – or I should say challenge – posed by the owners of Poblano’s, a modern Mexican bar and grill located in the Oakbrook Shopping Plaza on McMullen Booth Road. As part of their Taco Monday Madness theme, diners are offered to participate in their “20 in 40 Taco Challenge”. The premise is as simple as it sounds: consume 20 tacos in less than 40 minutes, and you will forever live in …

A common axiom in the restaurant world is "the seedier the place, the better the food," or words to that effect. If that adage is true, then Marcela’s Mexican Restaurant is living proof. Sitting in a tiny block of mostly empty businesses on the west end of Gulf to Bay Boulevard, Marcela’s is the definition of no-frills dining. The interior is small and sparsely decorated. There is visible plywood on many surfaces. Tacky plastic tablecloths cover the tables. And the only menu is a dry-erase board with small, crooked lettering hanging above the back wall. But what Marcela’s lacks in style, it …

After sampling my first fish taco for this feature last week, I decided to venture into deeper waters and go for gold when it comes to marine-based meals in the area – Frenchy’s Cafe on Clearwater Beach. If you’ve lived in the Tampa Bay area for any length of time, or ever visited the beach, chances are you’ve eaten at Frenchy’s or one of its offspring, Saltwater Café or Rockaway Grill. The iconic eateries are known for their fresh seafood, especially the Gulf grouper, which is brought in daily courtesy of Frenchy’s Seafood Company. While much of the grouper goes towards making Frenchy’s …

Tres Hermanos is not what you would call a conventional taqueria. Located on North Highland Avenue in what used to be a gas station, the family-owned establishment isn’t really even a restaurant; it’s actually a produce stand and meat market that specializes in catering and carries enough groceries to complete a shopping list. But Tres Hermanos also happens to serve some of the best tacos in town. The shells are of the homemade corn tortilla variety, prepared fresh daily on site according to Oscar, one of the three brothers in the ‘tres hermanos’ moniker. Inside those soft shells are large …

Most Mexican taquerias we’ve visited for this feature seem to serve the same five or six tacos – beef, pork, chicken, chorizo and tongue are the staples. But at El Huarache Azteca, they not only have those standards, but eight other types to go along with them. Some are merely variations of the standards, like carnitas (fried pork), al pastor (marinated pork) and cueritos (pork skins). But El Huarache also serves unique editions like tripa (beef tripe), buche (pork stomach) and cabeza (beef head). In all there are 13 different types of tacos, and each one costs just $1.50. The tacos come in …

Tucked away in the back of a small plaza on the west side of busy US 19, Mi Mexico might look more like a grocery store than a restaurant. But don’t be deterred by the giant “meat market” marquee on the façade and those “grocery” signs in the windows – Mi Mexico is indeed a restaurant as well as an all-purpose grocer. While one side of the establishment is a full grocery store, stocked with a wide variety of Mexican foods including meats, produce and prepared meals, the other half serves as a taqueria, complete with colorful piñatas, a foosball table and a jukebox. Of course for the purpose …

Part of Taco Tuesday is discovering Clearwater. Many of the places featured so far, are driven by each day, missed if you did not know delicious tortilla stuffed treats waited inside. That especially holds true for La Comercial Mexican Store. It offers a little of this and a little of that all with an authentic south of the border flavor. It is part grocery store and part grill. A menu is tacked to the wall near a deli refrigerator inside the expansive store.I ordered two bistec (steak) tacos. They also are available in pollo (chicken), chorizo (sausage), chicarron (crackling pork), barbacoa…

The Hacienda Mexican Grill is a unique restaurant. It has the size, look and menu of a large chain restaurant. Yet it features an array of homemade dishes and a quaint setting that give it the feel of a family-owned eatery. Perhaps the reason for that is because the Hacienda is family-owned. The Cortes family began with a single restaurant in Pinellas Park five years ago. They branched out to include this Drew Street location, which opened six months ago, and another spot in Tampa. The father and two brothers run the three stores. Despite that kind of business success, there was no guarantee …

The purpose of this weekly feature is to uncover hidden gems, places that aren’t lit up with giant neon signs and featured in half page ads in the Yellow Pages. And by stumbling upon this Clearwater restaurant, we can definitely say “mission, accomplished." El Chicanito is located on the west end of Gulf to Bay Blvd before it merges into Cleveland Street, it is unassuming to look at from the outside and if you’re not paying attention, you could easily drive right by it. But once you know it’s there, you’ll be sure to stop in. Step inside the door and you are greeted with a colorful Mexican …

While we’re learning through this series that little taco shops are plentiful in Clearwater, we’re also realizing that some stand out from the others for different reasons. Some have more variety of tacos than others. Some are larger and more modern inside, while other shops are quaint and old-fashioned. But one thing they all have in common is that they have their own unique take on the time-honored Mexican treat, the taco. Los Amigos, located on Missouri Ave right on the Clearwater-Largo border, mixes many of these ingredients and comes out with a winning combination. The interior is bright…

The interior of the restaurant is cozy, the décor is early cowboy and the plates are no-frills. But boy are the tacos good. Los Vaqueros, located on the corner of Drew Street and Hercules Avenue, is a quaint Mexican restaurant that serves all the traditional dishes such as enchiladas, burritos and quesadillas. They also offer dinner plates featuring steak, chicken and seafood, with prices ranging from $7.99 to $11.99. And unlike many Mexican places, Los Vaqueros also has a substantial breakfast menu. But the purpose of this piece is to talk about their tacos, and we’re happy to report, they …

The name might suggest this Clearwater restaurant specializes in one thing, but like your mom always said, don’t let a name fool you. Sure the House of Enchiladas features 14 different enchilada plates, enough to cover one whole page of its extensive menu. But like any good Mexican restaurant worth its Margarita salt, they also serve lunch and dinner staples like burritos, flautas, chimichangas, and of course, tacos. For the purpose of this feature – it’s not called Taco Tuesday for nothing – we sampled the traditional taco lunch plate. For $6.99 the meal comes with three tacos in your choice…

If you’re looking for a fast, convenient place to grab a quick bite, but don’t feel like going to a burger or sub joint, try Taqueria Chazumba in Clearwater. Located on the corner of Highland Avenue and Union Street, this recently-opened Mexican restaurant serves nine different kinds of tacos, as well as other Mexican dishes. Everything from chicken to pork to shrimp tacos can be had for just $1.87 each, and for the adventurous eaters out there, they even offer a cow tongue taco called a lengua. More conservative folks will enjoy the pastor, which is filled with marinated slow-roasted pork, …

The name may conjure up images of a diner in upstate New York, but don’t let that fool you, the Lakeview Grill serves authentic Mexican cuisine in hearty, affordable helpings. Located at the corner of Lakeview Road and Highland Avenue, this former pizza parlor and Greek restaurant has been serving Mexican dishes, along with some traditional American fare, since 2008. Owner Nicholas Paloma bought the building and renovated it to more resemble an authentic Southwest-style cantina, complete with Kokopelli artwork and bright colors. “We took the place over right around the time the economy went …