D.Rough and I have driven by this taco place hundreds of times and said we were going to go there. Well, when Food Truck Wednesday got last-minute cancelled, I decided to hit it up. Thankfully, she wasn’t too mad that I went without her…
The outside looks like the building used to be an old timey diner, and judging from the inside, that’s pretty accurate. A bunch of booths are in the main dining area and the menu is on large signs above the cooks’ line. You sort of tell the guy behind the glass what you want and he makes it right there. You tell him what you want in and on your food and he puts it all together for you. Efficient operation.
I was in the mood for a chimichanga, so I ordered one with pastor (pork) on the inside. The guy wrapped up beans, rice, and pork in a flour shell and deep fried it. He added some lettuce, avocado, tomato, and sour cream, and handed it over. I also can’t pass up a pineapple Jarritos…
The food was piping hot and delicious. The shell was perfectly golden brown and the pastor was tasty. I had gotten it with the spicier green sauce on top (you can get red if you want it more mild), and it had a great flavor. I didn’t feel any heat at all, but thankfully, the flavor was great. The cheese was just starting to melt on the top of the hot fried shell and also helped with the flavor. I ended up cutting up the chimichanga into pieces and then folding in the lettuce, avocado, and tomatoes. I was pretty happy with this.
It’s one of four locations in the Twin Cities (I think they’re all connected somehow), so feel free to hit up any of their locations.
Top 5 things about Pineda
1. Chimichanga
2. Expansive menu with a lot of options
3. Friendly staff
4. Reasonably priced
5. Got to watch Mexican soap operas while eating lunch
Bottom 5 things
1. Still kind of has a greasy spoon diner feel to it, decoration-wise
2. Styrofoam plates (doesn’t bother me, but I’ve heard people complain about that before)
3. The tomatoes weren’t the greatest (I realize it isn’t tomato season)
4. Weird empty vending machine just inside the door
5. It isn’t very busy, which is surprising
Pineda Tacos
1304 South Robert Street
Saint Paul, MN 55118
(651) 455-6833