La Plaza Taqueria — Restaurant in Cleveland

Although I was aware of this original location for years, I had never had a chance to visit because on my trips to Cleveland, it was never close enough to stop by. Coincidentally, I happened to be in Amherst during the grand opening week of their second location. I had recently tried barbacoa for the first time at a different "national" establishment, so that was what I chose. I arrived earlier in the day, so the meat and sides were very fresh. The barbacoa was so tender and flavorful that I was kicking myself for never trying it before. It was like someone's grandma was in the kitchen. Fast forward to my recent trip to the original location because I finally was within 7 minutes away. I chose to once again order barbacoa tacos with rice and beans as before. On this trip, it was later in the day, which may account for why the meat on this visit was flavorful, but not nearly as tender as before because it seems to have been sitting longer than before. What I forgot to mention is that on the first trip, I ordered the food carryout and drove 65 minutes or more home, keeping the food heated with my heated seats. On the second trip, I ordered carryout and kept the food heated in my Doordash bag and heated seats for a 30-minute trip home, and the first order was still WAY better. In their defense, I understand that everyone can have an off day when preparing food, and surprisingly, when I took them out of the fridge the next day and reheated them, they were better than the first day. I plan to visit again earlier in the day this time to ensure that I receive it as fresh as possible. The chicken taco and tamale dinners were ordered by my son and granddaughter, and they enjoyed them at both locations. (Pics are from...

The most authentic tacos you'll get in Cleveland. Sadly because of their popularity, prices have gone up over the years, but they've also been able to expand their seating area and separate from the actual grocery store.

Parking is a little tight in the adjacent parking lot, but street parking is usually aplenty. Pass through the small outdoor patio and enter an array of aromas. The menu has grown, but my advice is to focus on the tacos. Efficiency is their specialty - you order, they hand you your receipt, and you get your food in short order from the counter. No small talk or schmoozing.

These are traditional Mexican tacos - double corn tortilla with a heaping serving of protein. Chicken tinga? You got it. Carnitas? Obviously. Lengua? It's yours. The best part is being able to customize your salsas at the salsa bar so you don't have to pick out all the onions or cilantro that someone might inadvertently put in. It does make it a little inconvenient if you're getting things to go, since you have to pack up all these little cups of sauce and toppings, and the tortilla shells don't hold up well for too long so try to eat these fresh if you can.

The vegetarian options for tacos are pretty limited, but buy a baby-sized burrito filled with beans, cheese, tomatoes, and rice and you'll be pretty satisfied. Occasionally they'll have a rich soup like Posole that'll warm you right up. Guac comes in a hefty tub and pile of chips that you'll keep eating until you're stuffed with sodium and corn.

Plenty of first-come-first-serve seating inside, with a few outdoor tables that have seen some better days. Some of the seats outside are falling apart so be careful when...

Came here a little while ago with some friends, and I'm glad we went! Situated right next to a supermarket, it's a little restaurant with ample seating. The tacos are prepared with just the shell and the meat, and then there's a "salad bar" type situation for all the toppings - queso, guac, cilantro, etc. The tacos were great, though I really don't have anything specific to say about each meal in particular. I also got a side of guac and chips. One of my friends got a sandwich-type meal, and I can't say I remember what it was called. We also all got horchata - which was tasty but weirdly lukewarm. Overall, a pleasant experience, and a good place to grab tacos...