Several readers and other acquaintances have been suggesting Taco Roc to us, so Wayne and I drove over to 6960 Lee Highway at the intersection with Shallowford Road to give them a try. It’s a very small (only five tables) restaurant across from BI-LO.

You are immediately greeted by the owner who is very welcoming and eager to serve and please you. The menu is limited, but flavorful. They refer to themselves as the Taco Revolution of Chattanooga, hence the name Taco Roc, serving authentic Mexican. This is a no frills place – none of that rice and beans, although you can have beans as one of your toppings.

Menu items are tacos, burritos, quesadillas, tortas, and tostadas. Tacos are the soft variety, but not the wrap versions and when you select the meat filling, it is piled high. After you select the item, your choices of fillings include Al Pastor (diced pork with red chili, grilled sliced onion and chunks of pineapple), Barbacoa (shredded beef), Campechano (Carne Asada and Chorizo mix), Carnitas (shredded pork), Carne Asada (grilled chopped steak), Chorizo (grilled spicy pork sausage), Lengua (beef tongue), Pollo Tinga (chicken with chipotle and tomato sauce), Tilapia (grilled blackened Tilapia, Shrimp (grilled blacked tiger shrimp), and the Vegetarian (grilled blackened portabella mushroom, grilled red and yellow peppers, grilled onion, avocado, tomatoes and shredded romaine lettuce).

The tortas must be huge! I saw the bread and it was quite sizable. The tortas consists of a Mexican telera bread, beans, tomato, lettuce, ranchero cheese, grilled onions, avocado, and Mexican cream. They suggest you eat it with a pickled jalapeno chile

Wayne ordered two Tacos ($1.85 each) and a Burrito ($4.70), while I ordered a Taco and a Tostada ($2.70). We also ordered a basket of chips ($.99). Chips are not cooked until you order them! They were so good – hot, fresh, and crisp. You serve yourself from the salsa bar in the center of the restaurant. Condiments on the bar include fresh chopped cilantro, diced onion, lime wedges, pickled jalapenos, and of course, salsas made from scratch (no canned tomatoes used!): Green & Red Mild, Green & Red Hot, and Smokey Chipotle medium hot.

For my filling I selected the Campechano. The meat was plentiful, and after being topped with cilantro, onions and salsa, quite a taste treat. Atop the meat selection on the tostada (a crisp flour tortilla) were beans, meat, shredded lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, Mexican cream and queso fresco. This is perfect for the small appetite.

The burrito isn’t huge, but it’s packed with more meat than most. Ingredients are your choice of meat, cheese and beans. Of course you can doctor it up with trimmings from the salsa bar.

In addition to the usual soft drinks there are several drinks called “flavored waters”, so I tried one of them, the Horchata (cinnamon, rice, almonds and vanilla). It was very sweet and I liked it until I got to the bottom, where it was a bit too thick for me. Taco Roc also has Tamarindo: resembling an iced tea drink, but not very sweet; Jamaica: Hibiscus Flower, which I didn’t try, and each day there is a Fruit of the Day drink: seasonal flavors available (may include pineapple, strawberry, melon, etc.). On the day we were there, the flavor was Mango. I liked the fruity taste, but it was a bit on the watery side.

Wayne said the hot, green salsa was HOT!! Even hotter than the Inferno he had recently tried elsewhere.

If you’re looking for a large Mexican meal, this isn’t your place, but if you’re looking for some good, authentic style Mexican specialties, then we suggest you check them out. We’ve already been back since our initial visit and I’m sure we will go again. The best tostada I’ve ever eaten! And the chips – I could finish the entire basket by myself! They cut them and make them right there.

The last time we were there, Wayne was going to try the Lengua, but, just our luck, they were out. Taco Roc – a good place to check out.

Hours for Taco Roc are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday until 10 p.m. Taco Roc is closed on Sunday.

We’ve received several comments regarding last week’s pet peeve. Tipping seems to be a hot topic. Here are a few of them:

1. “My only pet peeve is that I missed the news story, legislation or proclamation that established 18% as an across-the-board, acceptable restaurant tip. I've been tipping 15% for decades and every time menu prices go up, the server gets a raise. How neat is that!”

2. “Some restaurants cheat their servers by boldly forcing an 18% 'tip' onto a group of diners. If allowed the courtesy to tip on my own, which is what a gratuity is, I would leave as much as 35%. However, if they dictate that I pay 18% instead of the figure I had in mind, I won't argue the point.”

3. “Contrary to the peever's staunch 18% tipping demand, the customary tipping procedure in this country is a discretionary 15 - 20% of the total bill before sales tax. Why not after sales tax? Because we're grateful for the service, not the tax. I'm referring to a standard full table service restaurant. However, gratuities for the bartender, wine steward, and maitre d are generally separate and may differ.”

READER PET PEEVE OF THE WEEK:
“Bad estimating of wait times by the host/hostess. I don't expect them to be correct all the time but being off by 30 minutes or more can ruin your whole evening, especially if you are trying to get to a show.”

We look forward to receiving your comments and pet peeves: cdojanet@chattanoogadineout.com