Taco King — Restaurant in Town of Hempstead

I'm a Californian and I also lived in Mexico for a period of time, so I know my Mexican food. I had their #8 chicken and steak burrito combo -- with tortilla chips, salsa, and a drink -- for $10.50 (only $1 more than the chicken +steak burrito on its own!). Breaking it down by each product, I like the tortilla chips -- they're the thin and crispy restaurant-style chips. The salsa is very liquid-y, which I dislike, and the mild has a nice garlic flavor while the hot isn't that spicy at all. The burrito -- I thought I would've gotten more food from the way it was marketed -- tasted pretty good, but definitely not "the best in New York". The tortilla was nice and fluffy/thin. The meat tasted good but not anything crazy. There was a lot of rice/beans/lettuce and I think the flavor would've benefited from more brightness or freshness or acidity -- something was a little lacking. I think at the price, I am really not going to go out of my way to come back to this place but everyone was nice.

Also, the atmosphere is very, very casual. Old booths and a couple of tables with chairs -- the TV is playing a little too loud and is...

One thing I miss about living in Long Island are the Tex-Mex restaurants. Yes, they're not of the highest quality, and usually they're in a cheap location, and the horrible customer service is always a given, but I do enjoy the food every once in a while.

After searching for a Tex-Mex restaurant, I stumbled across Taco King. This location is actually pretty big with plenty of sitting space. My usual go-to dish at a Tex-Mex place is the Grilled Steak rice platter, so I decided to stick with what I like. I thought the steak here was excellent. It came with one flour tortilla, rice, beans, salad, guac, and chili. The quality and proportion was better than what I expected.

However, it was crazy expensive. I know I sound old, but I remember that only a few years ago, the same dish was about $8 or $9. Now it's over $17! I would gladly eat here more often if the price...

So taco king definitely beats taco bell any day. Its not fast food it's a restaurant but they are pretty quick about cooking here. I typically come here once a week for their hard shell chilli taco and their nachos. The quesadillas are delicious too. Staff here is very polite and patient. I almost feel like I'm part of a family coming in here. There is seating to dine in but typically people pick up here. Parking during peak hours can be difficult as the lot can get busy. On regular hours you will have no problem getting a spot if you plan...