I had lunch at this new Mexican joint where B&B Junction and 4 Rivers used to be on Monday. Why people love this parking challenged spot in the middle of nowhere is a mystery. They opened the previous Tuesday. I may be a bit too harsh on them, but, this food category is flooded. So flooded that even these upscale, white boy reinventions of street food are common. I would say that they suffer from the same affliction as B&B. Great ambition with poor execution. The residue of that equation is hype. I had a brisket taco ($3.5) and a chori-pollo taco ($3) and a chicken tinga quesadilla ($5). If we look beyond the 30% white boy mark up on street food, we see that they grill/reheat the meat prior to serving. That can add flavor (and calories) or dry it out. They dried it out. The brisket was really good. Good in the areas that they didn't try and improve (weren't crisped). Just leave well enough alone. Your brisket is solid as is. The chicken was bland. However, the oil hardly hit most of it so it stayed bland. The chorizo was too spicy and mealy. It can go. It will overpower anything it is paired with. Both were served with a guac-y lime puree/salsa, white onions and cilantro. It doesn't work with non-white meat. That needs a red sauce. No lime. They are very generous with the meat. They really don't need to "double bag" the coaster sized flour tortillas. They are so thick that one is enough and two is two much. The second ruins the flavor balance. I suggest you pull them apart and dump half of the meat onto the "orphan" tortilla and double your taco allocation. The quesadilla was very crispy and savory. It included Chihuahua cheese, sauteed onion, garlic and a tomato chipotle. It was a little runny. I'm not sure if it is worth two tacos. But, they never are. They have some curious ingredient options. Hibiscus tacos, squash blossom quesadillas and other combos with chorizo or eggs and beans. They have a great looking cheese crisp they call a chicharron. They do a corn in bone marrow broth called "esquites". Cucumber salad is at the party for some reason. They also have a few flan-y desserts. The rebuild seemed to be endless and to tell the truth it looks much the same. They reoriented the counter so it in on the left (instead of center) of the street. You still order like you are in elementary school. However, no lunch lady slops the meal on your plate. They bring it out to you on a very similar looking patio picnic area. The main difference (and something they are extra proud of) is the inclusion of some fine murals. Will there be a Banksy-esque run on them when and if the place closes down? The color scheme is now black and white. They had heaters above you. And fans for the summer. The fans et al look expensive and chic. Soda was cheap. Not all pretentious artisan choices. I liked it. I would have loved it (execution issues resolved) five years ago when it was a fresh concept. Black Rooster is similar and simpler and I may prefer it. Now I could eat at either without pause, but, it would not be a treat. Just like my daily Jersey Mike's, Tijuana Flats, McDonald's days off. I need more things like the chicharron to get a rise in my Levi's. My crib sheet is inundated with taco places. I still have one downtown and another in Lake Ivanhoe (not open yet) that have been languishing in the queue. I have taco fatigue. Even epazote and hibiscus can't break me out of it. Maybe huitlacoche. Doubtful.
*Since Moe's loves silly names, do you think they should steal the crisp and call it a Cheech Marin?
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