Arizona Taco Festival

Andrew and I took a drive down to the Scottsdale Waterfront this morning to attend the Arizona Taco Festival.  We got there just after they opened at 10am and had to wait in line for a few minutes with a few hundred other Taco lovers.  After we showed our ID’s, got a stamp and went through security, we paid our $10 entry fee each.  Andrew picked up 5 tickets at $2 each, which could be traded for food samples at the booths.  Instead of enjoying the food, I decided to capture Andrew’s tasting adventure on camera so I could share it with you.  Aren’t you lucky?!

After making our way past all of the booths, we round our way back to the start where Andrew could choose a few samples to try.  There were about 25 booths in all, each representing a different local taco shop.  After it was all over, Andrew happily declared his favorite and decided which were the best and not-so-good tacos of the day.

Beef Taco at El Toro

#5: Beef Taco from El Toro Barbeque

El Toro should stick to barbeque, as their brisket taco was below average.  This was not a great taco by any means.

Salsa and Pulled Pork Taco at Mi Salsa and Catering

#4: Salsa and Pulled Pork Taco at Mi Salsa and Catering

A standard pork taco with some flavor, but wasn’t anything special.  The salsa was their mild variety but was still a bit on the hot side.

Braised Short Rib Taco at Blanco Tacos

#3: Braised Short Rib Taco at Blanco Tacos

This taco had a nice flavorful beef taste with a little bit of white sauce, making it a good beef taco overall.  It was not hot or spicy.

Fish Taco at San Felipes Cantina

#2: Fish Taco at San Felipes Cantina

A nice piece of battered white fish with a standard cabbage dressing.  This taco was satisfying with a good flavored fish while most are bland.  This one hit the spot as far as fish tacos go.

Slow Cooked Chicken Taco at Carte Blanche Gourmet Tacos

#1: Slow Cooked Chicken Taco at Carte Blanche Gourmet Tacos

With corn salsa, this sweet chicken taco on a triangle tortilla was the best one sampled at the Festival.  Carte Blanche is a food truck that travels around the Phoenix area.  Check them out on Facebook or Twitter to see where they are today.

So there you have it: Andrew’s ratings of the five taco stands that he happened to try at today’s Arizona Taco Festival.  There were so many to choose from that it was difficult to decide where to grab a sample.  We opted mainly for the most friendly staff or the most unique or yummy-sounding ingredients if they were listed.  Overall it was a bit expensive at $30 for 30 minutes, but a fun adventure and a great way to sample some delicious food from around the Valley all in one place.