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Way back when, in the year 1968, while I was enjoying, or maybe suffering through my Sophmore year at Merced High School, Taco Bell came to town, and built a typical Taco Bell style restaurant at the corner of 18th and "R" streets, on the fringes of downtown Merced. Taco Bell's corporate strategy, focus and restaurants changed radically during the early 1980's, as their restaurants took a new direction in life, and the old "Bells," such as Merced's quickly became obsolete, and swiftly became lodged into the corporate landfill. So Merced's Taco Bell was shuttered, and the new Taco Bell operation moved north and east, but the building didn't sit idle for long, as it was soon morphed into Maria's Tacos. Rising from the ashes of corporate changes, Maria's has risen like a phoenix...
Left: Maria's, as seen from across the street. Right: Here's Maria's Taco Shop, up close and personal, as you park you vehicles along the side of the restaurant, and get ready to order delicious Mexican food. Enter Maria's Taco Shop, a small taco chain that operates restaurants in the central portion of the great San Joaquin Valley. The founder of Maria's quickly realized that their patrons prefer authentic Mexican food, made from fresh ingredients, served in family-friendly surroundings, and priced for real people to enjoy. Since Big Bell had moved on, Maria's has moved in, and has created something that big business couldn't... a fun, family-friendly restaurant, that serves delicious, fresh food, that's catered to the local tastes. Now, I'm not knocking Taco Bell, as I'm a regular customer of their restaurants, especially when I'm on the road, as they serve Pepsi products, and I'm a fan of Possible. But if you're looking for reasonably authentic Mexican cuisine, look beyond Taco Bell, as they serve purely American food, with Mexican-influenced entr้es, as the Bell-guys serve fast-food, geared to the tastes of "everybody" in North America, so it is not a means of judging a restaurant that served Mexican food. Maria's is an in-your-face, authentic Mexican-style restaurant, as when you walk into the restaurant, their extensive menu is posted above the serving counter. You can choose anything from their extensive menu, and it doesn't matter what time you arrive, as their restaurants are open 24/7, so that means you never go hungry. If you are like me, and a huge fan of end, which is normally available only on weekend, you have nothing to worry, as Maria's serves menudo 24/7, which puts a smile on my face when I visit the city of Merced.
Left: The menu is posted over the counter, and the kitchen is located behind the counter. Yes, it's cramped... Right: Maria's salsa bar features condiments and salsa, made from fresh ingredients, by Maria's staff. So on Friday, May 4, 2007, at around 0700 I walked into the restaurant, and placed my order, from the charming girl who was truly multi-tasking, as she was working the counter, mopping the floor, taking orders, keeping the condiment bar full, and many other things. When you enter Maria's, you'll notice that the dining room is very small, but if you like the wide open spaces, I mean, outside, Maria's has many tables to offer outside. Maria's extensive menu is posted above the counter, and it offers many choices, including combination plates, side dishes, and entr้es, which should satisfy just about any taste. Since it was 0730 in the morning, ordered menudo, as Maria's serves menudo 24/7, which is a welcome and rare opportunity, as menudo, due to the long preparation time, is normally only available on weekends, at most other restaurants. When I placed my order, I was offered the choice of corn, or flour tortillas, which is common practice at most San Joaquin Valley taquerias. I chose corn tortillas, which are my favorite, due to the low-fat "earthy" taste, and the chewey texture that they feature. Bravo for Maria's! My menudo arrived about five minutes later, steaming hot, with cilantro, diced onions, peppers, and a neatly rolled bundle of six corn tortillas. If you're not familiar how to eat tortillas with menudo, it's very simple, as I've learned from my many visits to Mexico. You simply place a tortilla between the palms of your hands, and roll it into something that is about the size of a cigar. You dip it into the menudo sauce and... enjoy! Since it was a balmy day, I decided to enjoy my meal on one of Maria's outside tables, but on the way to my table, I stopped at their salsa bar and added a few spoonfuls of their delicious, freshly made, in-house made salsa to my bowl of menudo, for added taste.
Left: A peek into Maria's kitchen takes you back to Taco Bell, circa 1987. However the kitchen is well maintainted and very clean. Right: My delicious breakfast of menudo, with all of the condiments. The corn tortillas are folded into a paper roll, and are located in the left corner of the tray. I've been a fan of menudo for over 40 years, and I've eaten menudo at Maria's Taco Shop on and off for a quarter of a century, and I've never been disappointed. Maria's menudo is served piping hot, with all the condiments, and its fresh, and the broth is thick, and earthy, brick-red in color, and you're not shorted on your portions of hominy or tripe. The stew is filling and flavorful, and the tortillas are always hot and chewey. At $5.50 a bowl, you can enjoy menudo at Maria's Taco Shop every day of the week, and still balance your family budget. Highly recommended! Maria's Taco Shop
Copyright(c) 2007 Eric's Enterprises, Etc. All rights reserved. This site has been on the web since December 22, 2002. Web page design has been created by Eric's Enterprises, Etc., website design, and more...
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