Well, it's Sunday May 25, 2025 (FYI, that's 05 25 2025 which is cool if you like numbers as I do). And I arrived at about 5 minutes after 5 pm (so numerically I'm just geeking out, but enough about all that). I...
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Well, it's Sunday May 25, 2025 (FYI, that's 05 25 2025 which is cool if you like numbers as I do). And I arrived at about 5 minutes after 5 pm (so numerically I'm just geeking out, but enough about all that). I had just dropped off some e-waste at the NARS (thank you Sacramento, for making that recycling both free and convenient on a Sunday), and I hungered. Google identified this place when I sought "tacos near me" as I left NARS.
I arrived and parked. Enough parking for the attendance, but it wasn't crowded. I stood for several minutes scanning the menu, and then ordered what I almost always default to--two steak tacos, and some nachos. Let's unpack that.
Now, I often end up at another well known place, that I'll just call "JaneGirls." At "JaneGirls" that order is easily consumed quickly because it's not really a lot of food there. Not so at El Parion, my dear reader-eater.
The tacos. I specified crispy which was 1.50 more than "regular," which interestingly brought the price to exactly what I pay for a steak taco at "JaneGirls." Here is the El Parion approach: Take two crispy corn tortilla shells, and apparently challenge two workers in the back to see which of them can stuff the most grilled beef slices into the shells until nothing else fits inside, then hide the packed shells under lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole, and ground parm cheese--and .... serve. The shells were both crispy and crunchy. (I couldn't tell whether they were fried versus baked, but I have a strong policy of not asking caloric questions when I'm enjoying myself and the answer isn't going to change my conduct.). Delicious.
The nachos. Well, just as I was wrapping up the tacos, the super nachos arrived. Chips, meat, cheese, pickled jalapenos, pico, sour cream (hold the beans please). I had requested grilled chicken as the meat. Now, I only have one misgiving, and that is my fault. I'm ok-ish with chicken breast but definitely don't love it, so I really should have asked if I could get grilled dark meat instead. But I still loved the nachos. But alas, my love could only last a short while, in that after three bites I was stuffed. That is not what happens at "JaneGirls." Different quantities of food altogether.
So, with a full tummy I carried the nearly full plate of nachos to the front. With a knowing smile (this clearly isn't the first time eyes exceeded stomach at this establishment) the nice gentleman asked, "To go?" And I smiled and nodded profusely. He put it in a to go container and I drove home contemplating how the nachos will become the base for some breakfast dish involving a very hot nonstick skillet and incorporating scrambled eggs and spicy salsa.
I'll be back. I don't care that it's more than 15 miles from home.