The owner is literally shredding bunches of fresh cilantro onto one of the vacant dining tables. This is what we first see upon walking into Tacos Lupita, and it bodes well for both the quality and authenticity of ingredients, not to mention the awesome flavor. Since being introduced to Porter Square's own Tacos Lupita by a mutual friend, it has quickly climbed to the top ranks of our favorite nearby cravings, and it's under-priced to boot.
The menu is roughly divided into tacos, burritos, quesadillas and the lesser-known huaraches, mulitas, tortas and gorditas. For whatever you order, you can choose between carne asada (grilled steak), al pastor/cerdo (roast pork), pollo (chicken), chorizo and lengua de res (tongue). Yes, tongue - try it, you'll like it (Charlotte didn't try it).
While we haven't tried all of their options yet, everything we have tried has turned out pretty well. Our favorites so far have been: pollo gorditas (Winston) and the chorizo taco (Charlotte). For the gorditas, those of you who immediately think of Taco Bell's Cheesy Gordita Crunch, don't. It's much better. It's a corn tortilla that's split sideways like a pita, stuffed with meat, beans, cheese and lettuce. As the employee behind the counter put it, "you can just pick it up with both hands and dive in."
The tacos are prepared with the same crispy and wholesomely-textured corn tortilla as the rest of the menu's offerings. Served open-faced, they are on significantly smaller rounds than the Tex-Mex variety.
Fair enough, considering they are $1.99 each for unquestionably crisp and fresh chopped tomato salsa, that aromatic fresh-cut cilantro and a high-quality and cooked-to-order sprinkling of your 'carne' of choice. Brilliant as a side or made into a meal on their own, these have raised our standards for what to expect in a taco.
The best part of both the gorditas and the tacos is that after you order, you can see the cook shape each corn tortilla from a ball of dough using a cast-iron press. No matter which meal you choose, be sure to ask for both the green and the red sauces, (they come on the side) because most orders only come with one, though both are worth sampling.
One way to round out your meal is with one of a selection of Mexican or Salvadorian bottled sodas. Or, if you have the appetite, Tacos Lupita carries horchata, a typical Salvadorian drink. Rich, slightly sweet and milky, it's an unusual beverage made from roasted, ground rice.
Tacos Lupita isn't located right on the T, but it's not too far off the beaten path. When you exit at Porter Square, cut across the Shaw's parking lot and take a right on Elm Street. If you walk roughly five blocks, you'll find it just before the intersection of Elm and Somerville Avenue, across from the gas station. Sure, you can't see it from the exit of the T, but it's really not the same sort of effort it takes for an "evening out."
Winston Berkman is a sophomore majoring in international relations; Charlotte Bourdillon is a sophomore who has not declared a major. They can be reached at Winston.Berkman@tufts.edu and Charlotte.Bourdillon@tufts.edu, respectively.
