Calacas Tacos & Beer - Brownsville — Restaurant in Brownsville

I reside in Pennsylvania, so am not in the RGV often. I had been to the Brownsville location a few months ago when I visited my family and absolutely loved this place. My dad had some nachos, my sister ceviche and I had the birria tacos with an agua de tamarindo. The nachos had big chunks of beef and cheese. The ceviche also had big chunks of fish and shrimp. My tacos were very flavorful and the agua de tamarindo tasted fresh and came with real tamarindo, making it even more delicious. I was so excited to take my husband to this place on this most recent visit, as he loves authentic Mexican food. I was unfortunately extremely disappointed. The service was great, but the food this time had no flavor. I again ordered the agua de tamarindo and this time it was bland, no tamarindo chunks anymore nor tamarindo flavor whatsoever. My sister again ordered the ceviche and this time it was more like just extremely hot pico de gallo. The fish was nonexistent and the dish was not edible due to how spicy and hot the peppers were. I can say with certainty that the food service has gone down in just a few months. The first time I went there, we met the owner and she had told us that she wanted to make sure that people had the true Mexican flavor experience and was the reason for making everything fresh. She felt proud of her accomplishment and even had her daughters working there. I don't know what happened, but it's definitely not the same. ...

After reading and hearing all the hype about Calacas in Brownsville, we placed three orders to go. We parked at the designated slot and waited. As we waited, we noticed one of their wait staff open the door and look our way; we thought they were checking to see if we were parked and assumed our orders would be coming our way. Nothing. Three vehicles came and left after our arrival and still we waited. We learned that our order had somehow been lost in the kitchen, and they had difficulty finding it but not to worry because our order was being readied. (They found it on the floor after it had been stepped on numerous times.) After almost 45 minutes of waiting, we were finally on our way home. Every thing looked and smelled delicious. My son's quesabirria was to die for. My husband's order of ribeye tacos was missing the borracho beans. I mean if you're going to pay almost $20 for that plate, at least make sure it's complete. My huarache norteno was prepared with plenty of cilantro. I hate cilantro, so I specifically ordered it without the herb. You're probably wondering why we didn't drive back... We live in Los Fresnos, and after the hoopla, we had no desire to return. Lucky for those who were/are able to enjoy their Calacas meal. After paying almost $60, I don't see us going back...

Entering this establishment my palate snapped to attention. The ambiance was electrifying by the buzz of the patrons and the absolutely charming setting that took me to a colorful street south of the border. My party was seated quickly and Elva provided an exceptional service though out our dining experience. Remarkably the cuisine might’ve exceeded the ambiance. The presentation was amazing. My eyes were stunned by the beautiful colors arranged so precisely. Platting spot on. Oh the taste of the taco accoutrements; caramelized onion, avocado, pickled onion and salsa verde - supercharged the perfect composed tacos. Oh yea, you bet we were trading bites across the table. Absolutely one of the best fish tacos I’ve tasted. Light batter delicately covered the freshest fish. The el pastor street taco shined like a star with a pineapple salsa which I have never tasted is equal. Don’t leave without sampling the red hot sauce. It has such a beautiful warmth - not creeping to forefront of my palate but soothing warmth, like a warm blanket on a cold night. The proprietor kindly allowed me to view her kitchen and see the back of house staff that prepared an unforgettable meal. Thank you everyone for such an...