Texas Taco in Sayville: Soggy saga
Fire Island tacos, made with shrimp, salsa, cabbage slaw and chipotle aioli, are a specialty at Texas Taco in Sayville, Aug. 15, 2014. Credit: Newsday / Erica Marcus
Texas Taco opened earlier this summer in Sayville, serving a Tex-Cal-Mex assortment of tortilla-based dishes: tacos, nachos, fajitas, burritos, quesadillas, wraps and taco salads.
On a recent visit, I ordered the Fire Island tacos ($9.95) from the “specialty trio taco” menu and was presented with a very pretty troika of soft-corn tortillas, each cradling cabbage slaw, salsa, shrimp and chipotle aioli. (Other specialty tacos include the Texas with brisket, caramelized onions, Jack cheese and chipotle aioli, $8.95, and the Sayville with ground beef, black beans, corn, avocado and sour cream, $7.75.)
The filling was tasty enough (though I’d edit out the iceberg lettuce) but the tacos completely fell apart when I tried to pick them up. Thinking that the problem was that each taco was made with only one tortilla (as opposed to the traditional two), I asked for some extra tortillas and was courteously obliged. No dice. Now I had twice the number of limp, soggy, torn tortillas on my plate. I finished up with a knife and fork, and no small degree of irritation.
I noted that both the corn tortillas destined for tacos and the flour tortillas destined for burritos were reheated in the same hinged press. This works great for flour tortillas: the press makes them more supple and pliable, the better to be folded into a neat burrito. But corn tortillas are best refreshed right on a hot, dry griddle lest they weaken and tear.
I spoke to a manager at Texas Taco, and he said he’d give it a try. I hope he does; a good taco deserves a properly treated tortilla.
Texas Taco is at 21 N. Main St., Sayville, 631-750-6065, texastacosayville.com.
