I normally do not like to write about chain restaurants. When I was headed to Tin Lizzy’s Cantina I thought I was going to a big chain, Tex-Mex place. I did a quick internet search and found out that they really are not that big. They are a small local chain that is based in Atlanta.
They have several locations around the metro area. And they just recently expanded to have two restaurants in South Carolina and one in Florida. In my mind this is just a really successful small business that is growing.
As soon as I walked in I was greeted by really nice hostesses. They were very welcoming and I knew I was off to a great dining experience.
Their menu is filled with starters and a huge list of tacos. You can order each taco individually or you can order one of their meals that allows you to pick and choose which tacos to try.
I start with I ordered the Triffecta. This was seasoned tortilla chips that came with their fresh made salsa, creamy queso, and fresh made guacamole. It was perfect to start with as I settled in and enjoyed catching up with a good friend.
The salsa was refreshing. It was a thin salsa where all the components had been placed in a blender and make smooth. The guacamole had huge chunks of fresh, creamy avocado. The queso was my favorite. It was extremely creamy and had a great salty taste. And I cannot forget about the tortilla chips. I mentioned that they were seasoned; from what I could tell it was like a chili powder and it added an extra flavor to each dip.
For my main meal I ordered the taco plate. I got to choose three tacos of my choice plus it came with a side of black beans and rice. Narrowing down the tacos was hard. I figured I should at least try three different proteins. I finally decided on:
(1) Bacon Cheeseburger Taco
(2) Baja Fish Taco
(3) Grilled Chicken Taco
When the tacos came out the first thing I noticed was how large they were. I had expected them to be a little smaller. Had I know this I would probably have only ordered two.
I started with the bacon cheeseburger taco. This was exactly what it sounded like. It was all the ingredients of a bacon cheeseburger in a taco shell. It was even garnished with a few dill pickle slices.
This was my favorite of the three because of the flavor. I thought it was the most robust. The bacon and lettuce added crunch. The beef was seasoned perfectly and the pickle added a slight sourness. Instead of using mustard and ketchup they used a wonderful tasting chipotle aioli.
The Baja fish taco was loaded with grilled cod and shredded red cabbage. It was topped with cotija cheese, avocado salsa, and that chipotle aioli that was also on the other taco.
The fish was cooked perfectly. It was flakey with great seasoning. The cabbage to me was there just for crunch and color. It did not add much to the overall flavor. The cotija cheese added a little sour taste. All the added flavor came from the combination of the avocado salsa and that great tasting chipotle aioli.
After eating these first two tacos, the grilled chicken taco was kind of uneventful. Don’t get me wrong, it was still tasty but in retrospect I should have eaten this one first.
The chicken was very tender and was topped with a homemade pico de gallo. The pico was extremely fresh and had wonderful flavor. The lettuce was there for filler; it really did not add much. And once again that chipotle aioli was drizzled on top. The aioli is what added the flavor to this taco.
I can see why Tin Lizzy’s Cantina is growing. They have a nice, unique take on tacos. This was a fun environment to hang with friends. Check out their menu at http://www.tinlizzyscantina.com/
Enjoy!
T
