A short walk down Tenth Street , we arrived at Ruffles Taqueria . Ruffles is located in building once occupied by Joe ’ s Italian Restaurant location at 168 W . Tenth St . Ruffles offers tacos , burritos , menudo , seafood , and traditional Mexican plates . They also serve aguas frescas ( fresh waters made from fruits , rice and sugar ). Deb and me had tripas dorados ( crispy intestines ), Mike had cabeza , and Karyn had carnitas . We also ordered chicharrones ( fried pork skins ) for the table . If you ’ ve ever had “ pork rinds ” in a bag , you ’ ve had chicharrones . Best when super dry and crispy , they are also good when a little undercooked . Did I mention Modelos ? Yep — tradition .
Incredible tacos at Tacos Ameca on Tenth & Monterey Rd .
Day 2 :
We started out at Taqueria Cancun Fresh and Grill at 890 Renz Lane ( near Best Buy ). Another great place offering a full menu with Mexican seafood , oysters , tacos , burritos , menudo , caldos ( soups ), nachos , and so much more . Breakfast shrimp tacos for Mike , Karyn , and me . I also had a carne asada taco . Deb had a tripitas taco ( small animal intestines , boiled then grilled to a crisp ). Both Deb and I grew up eating tripitas and other animal products like lengua ( tongue ), cabeza ( head ), etc ., so we ’ re kinda cool with some foods that others may not have ever tried — or may be repulsed by . That stated , Deb commented her taco was as good as she has had — that ’ s a big statement . Taqueria Cancun does not skimp on their food portions . The street-style tacos were loaded with meats , cilantro , and onion . We all gooped on plenty of salsa to wash down the Modelos and a shared horchata for the girls . We had a great breakfast . Hardcore , but great .
Taqueria Cancun shrimp tacos and " Super Taq " cabeza
Next stop — Super Taqueria . “ Super Taq ” is always worth the visit , always incredibly good , and always cash only . Su tarjeta no vale nada ( Your card is no good here !) The food portions will easily satisfy a pro linebacker , or a teenager . You can feed a family on a budget here . Mike , Deb and myself had cabeza tacos . The cabeza was grilled crispy on the outside , yet tender on the inside . The flavor was incredible . These were the best cabeza tacos so far ! Karyn had a great carne asada taco . We swooshed a couple Modelos to cool the red and green salsa we added from their self-serve salsa bar .
Moving on foot we headed East to Monterey Rd . The south stretch of Monterey Rd from Tenth to Fifth Street was thriving . We passed kids getting haircuts , moms running into grocery stores , folks eating breakfast and lunch outdoors . It was great to take it all in . No one we crossed paths with knew we were on a mission . Just as it should be .
We headed straight for Station 55 Seafood and Mexican Cocina . This place is a local favorite — and a well-kept secret . They have incredible daily specials and a full bar . They make extraordinary cocteles ( seafood cocktail with onions , cilantro , shrimp , tomatoes , onions and avocado with clam and tomato juice ). Yes — you can have it spicy and with or without alcohol . Their breakfast , lunch , and dinner menus rank right up there with the best Mexican restaurants in town , and they make one of the best albondegas ( Mexican meatball ) soups in the South County . My go-to lunch here is their enchiladas suizas con pollo ( chicken enchiladas in a green tomatillo sauce , served with rice and beans ). If you haven ' t tried Station 55 , you should !
Back to tacos — Deb and Karyn had great shrimp tacos . I had the chorizo , and was now on a mission to find the best chorizo taco . This one was very good . Mike had a packed carnitas taco that was very good . Modelos helped round out the food . Salsa was great . This place is a gem .
El Charrito Market and Surprise # 2 On foot , we hit the streets . Up Fifth to Monterey Rd . North to El Charrito Market . This family owned grocery store in the heart of “ Old Gilroy '' has been a staple for generations . As kids , we would walk to El Charrito Market to buy loads of candy , pack our shirts and pants pockets full , then sneak our candy into the Strand Theater to watch the latest horror flick or Bruce Lee movie . Theater owner and local legend , Jack Peters , likely knew we were all up to something , and he would bark at us to go get in our seats instead of milling around the lobby . Yet , he would always let us slide . Jack Peters was the best in many ways . I long for the Strand Theater and the old marquee to return to downtown Gilroy … one can dream .
Since those early days of sneaking candy into the movies , El Charrito has undergone some changes . They now offer a full sit-down restaurant right inside the store , great tacos are just the start . Still in search of a great chorizo taco , I ordered one and would order it again without hesitation . Mike had the carnitas taco , and Deb and Karyn shared a cabeza taco . I took a break from having a Modelo — which officially makes me a
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