Taco Trek: Villa Arcos Tacos

By Yan Digilov and Ben Lopez     1/21/10 6:00pm

The pursuits of men are many, varying in levels of scope and difficulty. But few glorious quests can be compared to a single challenge that beckons only the bravest of college students: finding the source of Houston's most cherished raw material - tacos. Yan Digilov, a vegetarian gardening enthusiast with a penchant for friendly conversation, is joined by Ben Lopez, a meat-devouring San Antonio native, whose physical stature reflects his expertise in the respected field of Taco Sciences. The two have stepped up to the task, sacrificing it all in the name of greasy Tex-Mex.

After years of research and relentless exploration, this dynamic duo narrowed the search to a small stretch of road on the east side of town known to experts as "The Taco District" (see map below). These mean streets are known to house some of the most exotic taco delicacies in the world, and these two selfless youths - nay, men - have set out to document their search for the best taco in town.

In their first journey of this four-part series to the wondrous district, our heroes venture to Villa Arcos Tacos, located at 3009 Navigation Blvd. Providing almost 40 years of family service, Villa Arcos has become one of the state's foremost destinations in the search for taco's holy grail.

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Yan's Take

We arrived at Villa Arcos on a sunny Saturday afternoon. After staying up all night playing board games and trying to get ahead with class reading, I really wanted a homey atmosphere with friendly servers to get me started for the day. Villa Arcos' quaint building did not disappoint, with a clean, neighborhood feel that said, "Come for the smiling faces; stay for the tacos."

Typically, the first item on a taco menu that attracts the attention of any bean- and rice-loving taco muncher is the tostada plate. These crunchy, warm, personal favorites of mine were a great way to start off the meal. While this classic Tex-Mex dish didn't initially jump out at me as a flavorful revolution, it wasn't until the end of my second tostada - when I decided to sprinkle some green onto my meal - that the experience became electrifying.

This "green" took the form of an insidious container of green tomatillo sauce, which I ignorantly decided to spread generously on my final bites of tostada. Within seconds of devouring the fiery concoction, I was standing in front of the water jug - that's right, everyone gets their water from a giant jug - which was strategically and conveniently placed in the dining room for tenderfoot taco eaters.

After learning my lesson with their homemade sauce, I began to meticulously ration my usage on a well-filled bean and cheese burrito. The generous portions were redeeming factors, especially since my love of lettuce and tomatoes cost me an extra 15 cents per item. The Villa's propensity to overfill was especially appreciated as I entered what I consider the most important part of the meal, a place I like to call 'Potato-egg- 'n-cheese-land.'

A common problem with your run-of-the-mill potato, egg and cheese taco is that one item's presence can overpower the others. But this would not be so at Villa Arcos. The potatoes were sliced perfectly to ensure that they were distinguishable, yet enriching, and the generous portions of egg and cheese brought a smile to my veggie-loving face. Altogether it was the best part of the meal, and combined with some of that fiendish tomatillo sauce, it made crossing the finish line at Villa Arcos a trying, yet rewarding, task.

(I must include a disclaimer, however, for the student taco eaters. They only take cash, and while nothing on the menu is outrageously expensive, you pay for the jump in quality.)

As my meal concluded, I scooped out the vegetable/bean/Spanish rice mixture that had accumulated on the bottom of my plate and reflected on our wonderful time at Villa Arcos. From the moment Ben and I walked in, the experience was full of surprises that made us feel like we had found taco heaven.

Ben's Take

Where I come from, breakfast tacos are the first things to cross the mind on any given Saturday morning; the whereabouts of my roommates and symptoms from the previous evening fall secondary only to my insatiable craving for those warm, handheld gems.

Taco joints are everywhere, but restaurants like Villa Arcos, time-proven and entrenched in a community, are few. As soon as we entered, I knew that it was the tacos, not the ambiance, that drew the masses. For what the interior lacked, the tacos made up for several-fold.

Sitting on my plate were more meat selections than I could count. My first delight was the chorizo-and-egg taco. Boasting homemade chorizo sausage, this taco was far less greasy than the typical offering but just as full of flavor. The meat-to-egg ratio was sufficient, and the tortilla was hot and fresh to boot. The tortillas themselves appeared slightly heavy on grease, but please, let's not kid ourselves - that's why they tasted so great.

Next on the docket was a guisada taco, a staple amongst breakfast taco menus. This incarnation of carne guisada was lighter on the gravy than usual, but after one bite I was reminded by my inner Texan that a good meat needs no sauce.

I followed this with what many consider a delicacy amongst the taco community, an item so coveted that it's only available on weekends, and even then, often runs out: the barbacoa taco, which is prepared from slow-cooked cow head meat that is traditionally treated for several hours in a hole in the ground.

Alas, Villa Arcos' barbacoa was good, not great. The meat in my taco was low in fat and certainly tasty, but there just wasn't a lot of it. Jump on this taco if you get there early in the morning, but if it's past noon, go with another choice.

To get an idea of what lunch was like, I tried a crispy taco plate. The shells were tasty and sturdy, well-equipped to support the stuffed tacos. The chicken filling was fresh and tender, but the beef variation reminded me of something I'd find in the servery. My only regret was not ordering more Spanish rice, which was fluffy and bursting with flavor.

With close to five tacos down the hatch, I watched Yan nibble on diced tomatoes and prepared myself for what I knew would be the pi?ce de résistance: the Villa Burrito. This delicious wrap was the highlight of my meal, combining the classic features of a bean and cheese taco with an entirely new, meaty spin. This bean, cheese and chili creation took me by mathematical surprise; each bite was somehow cheesier and beefier than the one before. If you like onions, then by all means pile them on.

If you only try one thing on your visit to Villa Arcos, I pity you, but make sure it's the Villa Burrito - you won't be disappointed.

And as Yan mentioned, a great complement to each taco was the homemade tomatillo salsa, surprisingly spicy but a pairing made in heaven for most items on the Villa Arcos menu. I'm still not sure if Yan's post-meal tears were due to the spicy salsa or the quality of our feast, but I know we'll be back several more times in an attempt to figure it out.

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