Sunday, July 03, 2005

Taco del Mar, Granville near Pender

TDM is a pretty tasty fast food option if you're near the Granville Skytrain Station. This U.S. chain originating from Seattle specializes in fish tacos. I had one of their soft tacos, $2.59. I'm hooked! They deep fry Alaskan cod and top it with shredded cabbage, sauce, cheese and salsa in either a soft or hard shell. It's across from the Book Warehouse on Granville, where you can find cookbooks at good prices. (Speaking of cookbooks, I visited the new Barbara Jo's in Net Loft on Graville Island recently. A nice addition to a foodie's visit to Granville Island).

It's been noted that Tex Mex fast food hasn't had much of a presence in Vancouver (possibly in part due to a rumoured deal made by MacDonald's with Taco Bell during EXPO '86 to ensure their total domination, but that's unconfirmed and speculative, from an unreliable source). Tex Mex used to be a staple of my diet when I lived in Athens, Georgia (where a local chain called Taco Stand fills up many, many hungry, poor students day and night. The quintessential student meal when you don't even have the time or energy to make KD). Anyway, Taco del Mar is pretty decent for fast food, and they even serve alcohol. How thoroughly American!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

What's with the lack of mexican food here? The TDM on Boulevard is for sale and I believe it's no longer operating. I don't understand especially when places like Las Margaritas are so busy and their food is pretty bad not to mention their service. I will open one and make it great. Can I count on you Dumpling_Girl to assist me in refining a menu?

Dumpling-girl said...

Sure, open a restaurant up, and I'll eat and blog! Hmm, I'm waiting for the day that I get preferential treatment because someone recognizes me from my blog. Of course, to provide an relatively unbiased review for you, dear readers, I do try to protect my identity. I just wanted to add one note about my favourite Mexican restaurant in town. It certainly isn't Las Margaritas, though I've actually enjoyed the food and the service there, but I find that I get much better food, and a better deal at Andales Mexican Restaurant (1175 Davie). I usually go to the one on Davie St, but I've been to the one on Broadway too. The Andales Nachos with chicken is the best nachos in town, in my experience. It's smothered in things like good salsa, nice guacomole, whole black beans, and some incredibly tender pieces of chicken (they must braise the chicken slowly). Lots of cheese that is well-distributed throughout. They've got all the Tex-Mex favourites, but their other dishes are quite good too. I've had a stewed lamb dish with peppers and onions, as well as their gazpacho and ceviche (both quite competently executed), and they have mole too.

Pixie the dog said...

I love TDM. I ate it often in Seattle. I have to correct one thing though--it's not TexMex. TexMex is cheesier and meatier. TDM is actually mission style--the coast of Cali--with those huge burritos and fish incorporated into the menu.

God, now I really want one and they don't have them here in Houston.

Dumpling-girl said...

Ranger! I didn't know you read my blog! AND I didn't know about your blog. Cool. Thanks for the info about Mission style. I still have to blog my visit to Seattle about a month and a half ago. Did lots of foodie things there. Thought about you when I was down there, of course.

Anonymous said...

TdM now serves two types of fish: the original "fish taco" fish -- probably cod or some other whitefish, and breaded shrimp! I had a breaded shrimp burrito this afternoon, and it was pretty good, though they need to do a bit of tuning on the seasonings and sauces (in particular, about half the tartar sauce would have made it a much better burrito) because the shrimp is less fully flavoured. Nifty idea, though!