Tacoasis

At the counter of Tacoasis, a small Northfield establishment with no seating and a drive-through, I am urged by the woman behind the cash register to get Monday’s special: the fiesta salad.

“Can you tell me about it?” I ask.

“It’s like an edible taco salad,” she said while her colleague in the back enthusiastically held up a deep fried tortilla bowl.

That about sums up the food at this Midwestern eatery. It is unapologetically edible. The ground beef is barely seasoned (if at all), the lettuce is iceberg, and the tomatoes taste like water. And yet, the food is pleasingly reminiscent of family taco nights that I’m sure take place in thousands of homes every Tuesday. The menu hosts all the classics like hard- and soft-shell tacos ($1.40 and $1.60 respectively) along with other Americanized Mexican food like chicken fajitas, burritos, and enchiladas. But there are also some more innovative items such as the taco burger (a bland sloppy joe with lettuce on top. $2.00) and the taco supremo (a mock Crunch-Wrap Supreme in which a hard shell taco is wrapped in a refried bean coated tortilla. $3.50). Just a minute away from Taco Bell, Tacoasis has to compete with the corporate food laboratories that have concocted such masterpieces as the Doritos Locos Taco and the Beefy Frito Burrito. I assume that these last two items are their response.

While the flavor palette is not as rich and varied as one may like, Tacoasis does have a number of things going for it. The food is extremely cheap and comes out fast. I waited all of 20 seconds to get my taco burger and only a little longer for my other food. A meal for two can easily be bought for under $10. But Tacoasis’ winningest quality is that it is a part of the Northfield community. There are framed pictures of all the snow-mobile teams and bowling leagues that they sponsor; The service is as unobtrusive and friendly as a mom popping her head into a room to see if you and your friends are hungry; and the place seems to have a moral compass. Hanging next to the door is a print you might see in a high school health classroom. It is of a young man getting breathalyzed by a police officer and reads, “Open wide and say ‘Oh %#@!’” I just wish it was the food that made me mutter expletives to myself rather than the poster.

Two-and-a-half out of five stars.

Tacoasis is right off of route three. Open for lunch and dinner.