Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Tacos Franc Tijuana - Tacos Al Pastor and more

A typical day of Tijuana taco hunting usually consist of about 4-5 stops. Out of 5 stops I typically get 1 place I'm inspired to write about. Although Im not on chow.com much these days I finally made it out to Taqueria Franc which I initially found through a post on Chow. I'm kicking myself for not checking this place out before.

Unfortunately Taqueria Franc was the last stop on a June Taco Hunt so needless to say I was pretty stuffed when I rolled up to the bar like seating. Even with all the stops on the Tijuana taco hunt I could not resist the succulent looking Al Pastor. Nothing quite like spit roasted juicy marinated Pork shaved off into a tortilla.

Adobada Taqueria Franc Tijuana

Its especially good when the pork is shaved right into a fresh warm handmade tortilla.

The Masa ! Taqueria Franc Tijuana

And of course topping the hot crisp pork with some onions, cilantro and rich and creamy guacamole adds a perfect balance of textures and flavors.

Adobada Taco Taqueria Franc Tijuana

The tacos Al Pastor at Tacos Franc have definitely earned a spot on the upper echelons my my tacos list. The flavor of the pork alone is hard to describe, I would love to find out how they marinate the pork. A special blend of chilies, spices, and herbs bring the perfect amount heat while I also detected some sweet infusion.

I feel like I committed a crime not going through some of the other offerings of Suadero, Cabeza, Tripa, Cabeza, Chorizo, Lengua, and Carne Asada. The smell from the Carne Asada over the grill was very tempting. I most certainly will be reporting back when I sample more goods and this will be my first and only stop.

Taqueria Franc, Carne Asada

In addition to tacos you cheese fans can order mulitas or quesadillas. Judging from the pictures it looks like they go through mounds of fresh cheese in one night.

Cutting the cabeza and prepping Cheese for quesadillas. Taqueria Franc

The service was very fast and friendly and I would describe the atmosphere as vibrant. Taqueria Franc is conveniently located at the corner of Sanchez Tobado and Miguel Hildago placing it within very close proximity to the Border. They are open from Monday - Thursday 4pm to 1am and Friday and Saturday from 4pm to 4am making it a perfect choice well into the wee hours of the morning. .

Taqueria Franc Tijuana BC Mex Corner of Sanchez Tobado and Hildago

If your around the Playas De Tijuana area be sure to check out Tacos El Frances which is affiliated with Tacos Franc. I'm about a month behind on my writing but stay tuned my early July Tijuana Street Food hunt turned out a few gems I hope to report on soon until then Provecho!

15 comments:

Byte64 said...

Hombre,
you must definitely find out how they marinate the pork for "al pastor", that is an outstanding issue on my to-do list!

What about bluntly ask the taquero?
:-)

KirkK said...

Whoa...no matter how stuffed I am, I'd still find room for that Al Pastor!

Memória said...

My girlfriend loves "Tacos al pastor"! I love how they cut a bit of pineapple into the meat without you barely noticing because they move so quickly. I love your pictures. The tacos look so great! I like how the lady covered her "tortilladora/prensa manual" or manual press for the tortillas.

BTW, "Sánchez" is spelled incorrectly without the accent mark on the "a". Also, "provecho" should have an inverted exclamation mark along with the other one (i.e., ¡Provecho!). If you are unfamiliar with how to add the marks, just copy and paste them from this comment. :D

Bill said...

Wow looks so fresh and so yummy!
How I miss tacos from the west coast - texmex is so bleeeeehe.

cindi said...

the pit it's so big ! Amazing!

Masa Assassin said...

Hi Byte... Si Hombre I wish the taquero was willing to give it up.

Hi Kirk... Yeh Im glad I made room for it

Hi Memoria... Im glad you like the pictures

Hi Bill.. yeah its tuff to beat tacos out here

Hi... Hi cindi yes the go through so much Al Pastor in one night.

Anonymous said...

Great post MA. Is this taqueria close to the Mercado Hidalgo?

Thanks.

LaMesita said...

Tacos el franc is a TJ classic. I remember when it used to be called El Frances and I'd hit that place up every weekend night after bars in Plaza Fiesta and before going home. I must go back. The suadero there is the best!

Masa Assassin said...

Hi An... Yes its very close to Mercado Hildago, you can actually see it from Tacos Franc.

Hi Juan we need to go to TJ together someday. Suadero is my favorite choice I cant wait to try theirs.

Luis said...

I think the hunt it what matters. :)

If not then I would add an additional filter. My wife and I never eat at a taco place that does not have at least 3-5 other patrons inside.

With this criteria we've discovered Tacos France in playas, Yaki's Tacos in Rosarito, Manuel's Tacos on the strip in Rosarito.

Last Saturday afternoon Manuel's had about 25 people in line and the little spot across the street was empty. hmmm which one should we try?

Saludos,

Luis

Masa Assassin said...

Hi Luis thats a very good tip on the filter, and a good choice in Tacos El Frances Playas.

A.D.A.M. said...

just there last night. must say the suadero was the best i've had. i hadn't eaten so i was able to plow my way through one of each of their tacos on offer. suadero and cabeza were my favorites. the asada was awesome too, and they put whole pintos in it as well.

Masa Assassin said...

Hey Adam that sounds good I want to get back to Tacos Franc soon.....

awert said...

I'm form Spain and I was there the last summer. I took a cab and asked the guy for the best place for tacos, he took me to Tacos Franc.
They were delicious!
Hope to come back someday...

Anonymous said...

I am proudly a Tijuana citizen. I believe its worth mentioning that the 'taquero' (taco-man) recognized in the 5th picture gives great customer service. He is always checking on customers to see if everything is ok and will gladly give you more 'guacamole', onions or cucumbers should you need them... this builds up to a better experience in this place.

No place like TJ!