La Casita

1328 Park Avenue (just south of Poppleton Ave.)
Omaha, NE 68105
(402) 934-7575
Closed Mondays

To celebrate National Taco Day today, I'm sharing with you my favorite place to eat them in all of Omahaland. Perhaps one of the best kept secrets in the city, La Casita is a friendly little house that serves quality, authentic Mexicuisine. You can go just for the food, or you can relax and sip a Michelada or margarita. The jukebox tunes can get a little rambunctious, and beware of Sundays, when the place is bursting with fiesta. When you walk in, your nostrils will perk at the smell of refried beans, which will then cause your tongue to salivate. If this doesn't happen, there's something wrong with you. Try a taco al pastor in a soft flour tortilla. And maybe a carne asada quesadilla, which is a neatly stuffed brick of meat and cheese that is perfect to share with your pals. Vegetarians will only really have cocktails and chips to savor, but that's kind of hardcore, eh? Maybe a side of rice? No matter what, you will leave stuffed and happy with only a couple bucks missing from your wallet. See you there.

Michelada

Taco al Pastor and Carne Asada Burrito

Sope

Gordita and Taco with Flour Tortilla

Tacos el Peligro

5133 S. 25th St. (Just north of 25th and Q)

Omaha, NE 68107

Open 'til 10 most nights, and I hear 'til 4am on weekends (!)

Homemade Chips with Salsa Fresca, and Chipotle and Green Avocado Salsas with Fresh Limes and Radishes

After the "trying out a new Mexican place" disaster a few weeks ago, we hoped Danger Tacos wouldn't be as dangerous of a choice. We knew as soon as the chips were promptly and politely placed in front of us that we were in the right place. The green avocado salsa is absolutely amazing, with a nice spice that keeps your mouth slightly burning throughout the whole meal. No canned stuff here. Notice the pineapple on the al pastor taco; isn't that how it's supposed to be? Where lots of other places skimp, Tacos Peligro comes through. My chicken sope had tons of juicy tomatoes, even with the price of this fruit at an all-time high. I can't really say enough about how pleased I was with the whole experience, and it's worth noting that I did not feel like a fat pig afterwards. So brush up on your Spanish--the staff will appreciate it--and head on in. 

BTW, here's a handy South O restaurant map.

Taco al Pastor

Dos Tacos Carne Asada

Sope con Pollo

Taqueria el Rey de Omaha

5201 South 24th Street (24th and Q)
Omaha, NE 68107
(402) 502-0674 
They have a drive-thru and a delivery car, though I'm not sure how far they'll deliver. If you want the abbreviated version try their taco truck in the Avanza parking lot at 31st and Leavenworth.
Open later, and til 2am on weekends (!)
www.taqueriaelreydeomaha.com

Chips and Dips

Three dips for your homemade chips: (watery) beans, a'spicy salsa, and tomatillo avocado. The ramekin caddy is downright classy, as are the flat screen TVs showing the Latina Judge Judy at a respectable volume, and the wrap-around windows offering a panoramic view of 24th and Q. It's obvious this taqueria "chain" (three locations if you count the truck down the street and the newly-opened restaurant in Lincoln) is doing well for itself. They were a little stingy on the tomatoes and cheese on my sope with carnitas (a savory corn cake with pulled pork, essentially), but that's ok. I dumped on the rest of the chip dips to take care of the slight dryness. At $2.25 per sope, you can't complain. As for the tacos, the double corn tortillas aren't anything special, but the ultra-fresh cilantro, scallions, and white onions are. The al Pastor meat was well marinated and perfectly greasy. The carne asada burrito--filled with layers of rice, beans, cheese and steak--came cut in half, probably because it's actually two meals. The flour tortilla was basic but satisfying. Here is proof that Mexican food in Omaha can be pretty damn good.

Mexican Coke

Carne Asada Burrito

Al Pastor Taco

Sope with Carnitas