For the past few months, I kept hearing about Lokos Tacos. Friends shared photos on Instagram, my brother mentioned going and even my pastor posted several paragraphs extolling the virtues of his meal on Facebook.
So, when Nancy and I started talking about getting our families together for dinner, naturally she’d been. She suggested our families meet there, and I was in.
It was 5:30 on a Sunday night, and the small restaurant was already packed. Happily, Nancy, Greg and their son Collin had grabbed the last big table for our crew and waved us over.
I loved how you could already feel the authentic vibe. Collin and my daughter started working right away on translating the Spanish phrases on the walls and menus; Spanish-speaking families around us were happily talking and enjoying their food; and I kept craning my neck to look at the colorful bowls and plates of food that were being brought out.
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Soon after we ordered, our server brought out a complimentary appetizer—a small bowl of Mexican noodle soup, in a lightly spicy tomato broth. It was warm, homey and the perfect opening for our meal.
The menu features the usuals like tacos, quesadillas, burritos and tortas, but there are so many authentic and home-cooking-type dishes that you don’t often find in other Mexican restaurants. There’s mole, for one, the chocolate-based spicy sauce that’s often served with chicken; shrimp ceviche and raw oysters; street food like chicharron of wheat flour topped with pickled pork skin and veggies; grilled cactus; even a Mex dog, a hot dog topped with mayo, tomato, onion, pickled jalapenos and avocado.
Since my daughter and I were sharing a plate, I’d chosen one of their house favorite dishes and a classic I knew she would like: their version of carnitas, topped with grilled onions and served with rice, beans, lettuce, pico de gallo, avocado and tortillas. Meanwhile, my husband picked a dish off their “Amigos Favorites” menu: the Texas rice, topped with steak, chicken and shrimp, grilled veggies, and covered in cheese dip.
Even with the soup, we wanted a starter, but something light, and the guaca fresco fit the bill. It arrived before we even finished our soup, with plenty of chips plus a dish of red salsa too. I loved how fresh it was—the chopped avocado lightly mixed with fresh crisp red onion, tomato, spicy jalapeno, cilantro and lime juice—every flavor holding its own but marrying beautifully with the others.
The carnitas were great, big tender pieces of shredded and savory pork that I lavished with lettuce, tomato and cojita cheese and ate alternately with the homemade tortillas or the creamy beans and mild rice. But I kept stealing bites from my husband’s; the grilled vegetables with their smoky-sweet caramelized edges stole the show, lending their savor to his steak, shrimp and chicken.
To finish off our night, we decided on a bonus stop: Peachy Rolls just next door, for a cup of their light ice cream, freshly rolled with our choice of toppings. It was almost too pretty to eat, the delicate shavings of ice cream rolled and arranged like a flower with open petals, but of course we did.
It was a memorable evening: local food, fast, fresh and flavorful. And the next day, when a friend asked about places to go for lunch, I found myself saying, “Lokos Tacos? You have to try it.”
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Make Your Reservation
Lokos Tacos
2825 Washington Rd., H1, Fairway Square
Cost: $9.25 to $18.75
Peachy Rolls Ice Cream
2825 Washington Rd., Suite I, Fairway Square
Cost: About $6
Danielle Wong Moores is a local freelance writer who’ll never turn down a shrimp cocktail, sushi or cheese dip. Her greatest food influences are her mom and writers MFK Fisher and Amanda Hesser. Her Dine and Dish column runs the second and fourth Fridays in The Augusta Press.
