Thanks to Clothesline Laundromat and Fraidy Cats for their support.
The best Mexican food isn’t always in a restaurant. Mexican grocery stores can offer the same culture and flavors as authentically as a restaurant. Let’s step beyond the pre-packaged food at three West St. Paul grocery stores and sample their made-to-order menu.
Abarrotes La Doña
1200 S. Robert St. Suite B / LaDonaMN.com
I arrived at Abarrotes La Doña at 10 a.m., admittedly too early for anyone but a taco fanatic, but I charged on. The TV menus weren’t on yet. The place ran like a serving line, with large tubs of meats, soups, rice, and beans. For taco proteins they offered barbacoa and chicharrón in salsa verde. My usual lineup of barbacoa, lengua, carne asada, and al pastor was out.
I ordered two of each. The tacos were heavy, generously filled. The barbacoa had large, slow-stewed chunks with a good texture, but the flavor was too concentrated and dark, hard to want more than one. The chicharrón hit with a wave of unexpected heat, which I liked, though it might be too much for some. Texture-wise, it didn’t work for me. Not badly made, but the gelatinous bite isn’t my thing…