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Haute Taco Soothes Election Woes

Posted by Tim Dotson on Nov. 5, 2008 | 4 comments

Food

For those of you who know me, you may find it odd that a conservative writer like myself would be doing a restaurant review on the morning after our nation's election.  Well, I'll have the next four years to write about the degradation of Democracy and the rise of Socialism in this country.  Today, it's all about the tacos!

I have been hearing about Haute Taco for some time.  Located on Capitol Dr. & Brookfield Rd. in the Brookfield Towne Centre, it is operated by the same folks who own Jake's restaurant, which is well known for its fine dining and excellent service. I couldn't help wondering how the owner's experience in providing fine dining would translate into a taco joint.  They hit the piñata right on the nose.

Taking a page out of the fine dining mindset, you'll find that everything on the menu is ala carte.  While most Mexican restaurants have plate specials and dozens of combos by number, at Haute Taco, you'll order everything individually.  This allows you to mix and match anything on the menu exactly to your own taste. 

This also means you won't be getting any chips and salsa on your table unless you order them as an appetizer.  This may be a disappointment to some who are expecting it.  We decided to order the chips regardless, and also tried the guacamole as well.  To our delight, the chips came with three specialty salsas.  One was a typical pico de gallo that was very fresh, but fairly standard.  The second had what can be described as a smoky flavor and was the hottest of the three.  The third salsa was by far the most interesting, a bright green salsa that was took your palate on a rollercoaster of tastes that was both sweet and hot with a most unique flavor combination of green peppers and fresh cut grass.  It was really refreshing.

The main dishes are comprised of a number of interesting meat choices served three ways.  I decided to order 3 tacos to really get a feel for the different favors, while my companions ordered a burrito and torta respectively. We all ended up ordering different meat choices. 

While the torta and burrito were ordered with more traditional meat choices of steak and chicken respectively, I had to have the fish, slow cooked duck, and braised short ribs.  The meats were incredibly tasty, and you could tell that Haute Taco doesn’t skimp or choose low cost ingredients.  Still the prices were quite reasonable and the portion size was very good.

The sides were very tasty as well.  There was a slaw type salad as well as some excellent really thin cut french fries with superb flavor.  I had Mexican rice & pinto beans which tasted fine, but were a bit on the dry side.

Since everything else was so good, we decided to have desert as well.  There are two options here, flan, and ice cream sundaes.  The flan was spectacular, and the sundae featured high quality ice cream and a wide variety of flavors to choose from.

The wait staff wore jeans and brown T-shirts, yet the interior has a slightly upscale feel. This left me wondering if the experience was supposed to be casual or nice.  I think it lands right in the middle, and I think it works.  Perhaps the only odd thing I observed was that soda was served by the can which didn’t seem like a good fit.

Overall, I highly recommend this truly unique restaurant.  It is a great balance of excellent food, reasonable pricing and a fine ambiance. This is a truly unique experience in Mexican fare that you must try.