Review: Mexican restaurant's innovative taco mashups and ambience an unexpected surprise
The name of a restaurant often forms your first impression. I had frequently passed Taco Dive in Tradition and wondered about the name.
Back in the day, I was not permitted to visit a place referred to as a dive. Would it be a shabby place? Would there be seedy characters at the bar? Would I be overdressed? (Proper attire is always important.)
Thus, it was with some trepidation that I decided to visit Taco Dive for lunch. The first thing I asked myself when I walked in the door was what had taken me so long.
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The wall behind the counter is lined with reclaimed wood planks. A large, exposed silver duct spans the length of the ceiling. Sparkly white lights hang from a naked mattress spring frame, and austere wooden pallets adorn the walls. The tables are rustic, shiny varnished wood with mid-century style metal chairs covered in coffee colored leather.
A happy hello and menus were immediately delivered, and we laughed because we were not overdressed. We each ordered iced tea and happily commented that it tasted as if it was freshly brewed. What kind of dive is this?
The menu enticed us with “Food Before Food,” which is never a bad idea. Choices included fresh salsa, queso and smothered tots (tater tots topped with queso and jalapenos). We started with guacamole ($11), which was served with house-made tortilla chips. The guacamole, which is made daily, was memorable. It was creamy, chunky, oniony and full of garden-fresh flavors. The chips were warm and crisp.
The menu is simple and direct. You can order your choice of items as either a taco or as a bowl. Steak, chicken, fish, or a Boring A@$ ground beef taco are available, and no one will judge. It’s a dive, after all.
But if you want to color outside the lines and order something really different, try an Irish, which is slow-roasted corned beef, cabbage, tater tots and spicy mustard; or a BLT with pimento cheese, applewood smoked bacon, arugula, tomato and a fried egg. Taco Bella is a vegetarian option with marinated portobello mushrooms, tomatoes, sauteed arugula, corn and bean salsa, and that magical guacamole.
We were living dangerously, being that we were at a “dive,” so we dove in. My friend ordered a pork bowl ($12/taco $5), which is described as “Thai it, you’ll like it!” (A little corny, but we were in no position to judge after learning a lesson or two about dives.) Slow-roasted shredded pork, cabbage, red beans, pineapple bits and yellow rice were assembled in a large bowl then drizzled with Thai sauce. It was at once both a taco and an eggroll and we marveled at the idea.
Now it’s your turn not to judge. I ordered the Under Dog Taco ($5.50/bowl $12.50). They had me at the description, “It’s a Weiner.” A split, all-beef hot dog was grilled, then topped with shredded cabbage, chopped cucumbers and onion, tomato, jalapeno, crumbled queso fresco and, of course, spicy mustard. I love hot dogs and this one in a taco shell was pretty special. Why don’t they serve these at baseball games? We were getting bold.
Taco Dive describes itself as a neighborhood joint, but not just another hole in the wall. The menu is not large, but everything is made fresh daily. Its mission is to be really good at fewer items than just OK at a bunch. That’s a noble cause and a very successful delivery for a charming, warmhearted and pleasurable dive.
Taco Dive
Cuisine: Mexican
Addresses: 10501 S.W. Village Center Drive, Port St. Lucie; 208 N. 2nd St., Fort Pierce; 2025 Seaway Drive, Fort Pierce; 1901 14th Ave., Vero Beach
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Saturday. The Seaway Drive location is closed Mondays and all other locations are closed Sundays.
Alcohol: Beer and wine
Online: tacodive.com
Lucie Regensdorf dines anonymously at the expense of TCPalm for #WhatToDoIn772. Contact her at Lucie@theloveofcooking.com
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Restaurant review: Taco Dive, Fort Pierce, Vero Beach, Port St. Lucie
