Taqueria Eduardo (Campbell, CA): Chicken Super Nachos

To get to 'Taqueria Eduardo', head north down Winchester in Campbell and go a little ways past Hamilton.  Is that McDonalds that I see on the left?  Is that yet another tiny, funky strip mall behind it?  Is that the world's narrowest parking lot?  Is that yet another Taqueria adjacent to a nail salon?

This funky, tiny (4, tables, a sitting bar, and a total of 24 seats, the most distant of which is about 10 feet from the kitchen/ordering counter), no-frills taqueria is a total dive with nothing special on their very limited menu except for maybe Pork stomach as a meat choice - eeeeewww.  However, they serve a very tasty, very reasonably priced plate of nachos ($5.50 for the full boat super nachos with meat).  This place also gets kudos for asking me if I wanted grilled chicken or shredded chicken (shredded, please!).  Just the right amount of cheese, tasty chicken, pico de gallo, sour cream and guacamole and some of the hardest, thickest chips I've encountered so far (see below for what my Chinese friend, Ken, who also ordered nachos, thought of them).  The sliced jalapenos on top were a nice touch and added some great flavor.

Rating: 3 out of 5
Rating Notes: (these would have gotten a 3½ but the chips made Ken's mouth tired) 

Map to Location: http://mapq.st/lwElYd

Fun Fact!

A coworker of mine just told me that in Hindi, there is a word 'naacho' (pronounced just like nacho) that means 'dance'.

Naacho + Nachos = PARTY!!

Casa Lupe Restaurant (Campbell, CA): Nachos with Chicken

What do they serve in Lupe's house?  Tasty goodness, that's what!  I almost felt bad getting Nachos (technically an appetizer) at this Campbell sit-down Mexican restaurant, considering that they serve up some really unique stuff like catfish fajitas(!)  However, I didn't feel like I missed out.  This plate contained exactly 10 - count 'em - nachos.  Skimpy?  Perhaps, but each nacho was built with care, with its own layers of beans, shredded chicken, and cheese in just the right proportions.  All it took was a dab of guacamole, sour cream, some of their excellent salsa, and a bit of the shredded lettuce garnish on each one to turn this plate into 10 triangles of bliss.  And you know what?  Despite it being one of the more expensive plates of nachos I've ordered ($8.95), it seemed to be just the right amount of food and didn't leave me feeling like I over-ate (the usual ;-).  Great stuff!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Map to Location: http://mapq.st/jO4HOj

Planet Fresh Burritos (Santa Cruz): Regular Nachos with Chicken

A friend of mine had been recommending this place to me for awhile, so I, my family and she hopped in the car and made our way down to this nice little Santa Cruz taqueria the other day.  Located in a corner space on Center Street near down town Santa Cruz, this nifty little taqueria serves up what they call "Gourmet Burritos".  Basically, this means that they put some ingredients in their burritos that you wouldn't normally expect, like Thai chicken, prawns, and some other stuff not found on your typical taqueria meat selection.  In any case, I didn't care on this particular visit (I'll be back):  I was there for nachos!  From the normal to unusual mix of ingredients available on the menu for their menu selections, I was very curious about what I'd find in my nachos.  The answer?  The usual (chips, refried pintos, guacamole, sour cream, tomatoes, chicken, of course, and a bonus - scallions!) and that's good!  The scallions were a nice touch, btw.  I sometimes use those in my own cooking instead of regular onions.
In any case, these were some very "fresh" tasting nachos, with just the right amount of cheese and chicken.  And they actually gave you enough chips so that you didn't just end up with globs of goo in the bottom of the plate at the end.  And move over, Andale (see past post) - this is probably the best grilled chicken I've had: not dry and chewy - moist and tender.  Nice!
Rating: 3½ out of 5
Rating Notes: (would have been a 4 but for the fact that they brought me my nachos with no chicken at first and then had to add it to the top = lame)
Side Note:  They have a salsa at Planet Fresh called   "Sweet and Hot  " that is totally awesome.  This goey, Asian-esque salsa went great with the usual nacho flavors, but I'll bet it's killer if you combine it with one of their less pedestrian meat selections! 
More interesting side note:  Back in the day (mid-90's), a friend of mine had a band that played in this same space (I forget what it was called), and when I showed up, they had no one to run the mixing board for the show.  Since I'm a musician myself, they chose me.  Cool - I was almost part of the band - chicks dig that, right? 
Map to Location: http://mapq.st/ifPn7H

Taqueria Vallarta (Felton): Al Pastor Regular Nachos

It's mother's day weekend, and my wonderful wife wanted to grab some quick dinner while the boys were at Grandma and Grandpa's house, so we went to our old standby.  Ah, the rewards of trying something new!  Yes, I've been to Taqueria Vallarta in Felton a million times and yes, I've had their nachos a million times, but ALWAYS chicken.  After my great experience at Taqueria Superior with those Chile Verde Nachos, I thought, "Why not try something new again?"  I have to admit, I'm still partial to their chicken nachos, but their al pastor version is nothing to sneeze at.  A truly tasty meal.  Nice!  By the way, I'm not sure I gave enough kudos to 'Vallarta for their chips last time.  They're home made, thick, crispy, pure awesomeness.  I'd rather eat these than almost any other corn chip I've ever tasted.  I think the only ones I like better are the ones you get at Chevy's (review of nachos at Chevy's coming soon!)
Rating: 3½ out of 5

Map to Location: http://mapq.st/oXVFgt

Taqueria Superior (Campbell, CA): Chile Verde Nachos

I'd driven by this place a zillion times during my tenure as a Los Gatos/Campbell business employee, and wondered if it was really "Supérior".  I walked in, planning to get a plate of chicken nachos, but the meat selection on the menu caught my eye.  Chile Verde?  That sounds good!  And what a good choice it was.  These nachos, heaped generously with refries, chile verde, Monterey Jack, guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo were great (and check out that nifty sour cream stripey pattern, the likes of which I hadn't seen since I went to Tu Mero Mole)!  Tangy, with just enough green peppery taste to give an extra kick compared to what I'm usually used to.  Highly recommended.
Side Note: They have a really tasty avocado salsa (not quite guacamole, not quite salsa) at their free salsa bar!  Their red salsa is good as well.

Rating: 4 out of 5
Map to Location: http://mapq.st/n4vAKY

Andale (Los Gatos): Grilled Chicken Nachos

Ok - how often do you see sour cream applied with a pastry bag to make decorative little blobs, or guacamole sitting on top of a plate of nachos in its own little crispy bowl (the bowl is actually edible, even tasty, by the way, unlike those stale cactus "corn chips" you get on your plate at Chevy's!)?  Best Grilled chicken I've had anywhere.  Even makes me not long for shredded chicken.  I've gotten these before with Andale's rotisserie chicken too, which is pretty epic, but turns an $8 (ouch) plate of nachos into a $14 (yikes) plate of nachos.  Great stuff!
Side Note: Be sure to try their tasty peanut salsa (lower right in the picture)

Rating: 4 out of 5
Map to Location: http://mapq.st/nIc6SS

Los Perricos (Campbell, CA): Chicken Nachos

 

Another strip mall gem, Los Perricos (the parakeets?), serves up a great plate of chicken nachos.  They may use green salsa to stretch their guacamole, but it works, and it tastes great on top of the pile of thick, crispy chips, great-tasting "shredded salsa chicken", cheese, pico de gallo, and sour cream.  No beans on these nachos, and they definitely don't need the extra flavor they would add.

Rating: 3½ out of 5
Map to Location: http://mapq.st/rgC25G

Gloria's (Campbell, CA): Chicken Nachos

Gloria's gets immediate credit for being different.  First of all, it's a sit-down/get served restaurant with reasonably priced taqueria-style food.  I was happy to see that they offered shredded chicken on their nachos, but it's a really different kind of flavor from the other places I've been.  Kind of a really savoryt salt and pepper flavor.  The chicken was nice and tender and balanced well with the refried beans, cheese, guacamole and sour cream.  If you like mild, these nachos will make you happy as well.  Not really a hint of spiciness.
Rating: 3½ out of 5
Map to Location: http://mapq.st/o2C9sL

Maya's Cafe (Campbell, CA): Chicken Nachos

 

This taqueria definitely gets convenience points.  It's only about 5 minutes from my office in a little strip mall near Union and Bascom (seems there are a lot of good little taquerias in strip malls around here).  This was definitely a nice-looking plate of nachos - check those even stripes of sour cream, guacamole, and pico de gallo!  The chicken had a very nice flavor, but like most grilled chicken from taqueria's the texture left something to be desired.  I'll likely get these again since they're almost within walking distance from my work.

Rating: 3 out of 5 (would have been 3½ out of 5 if they'd given that flavor to some shredded chicken)

Side Note: If you're still hungry, hop a couple doors down for some great fish and chips at "Harbor Fish and Chips" 

Map to Location: http://mapq.st/ncwhmP

Victor's Taqueria (San Jose, CA): Chicken Nachos

 

Overall, a nice plate (takeout container?) of nachos.  Not the most flavorful chicken, but crispy chips and guacamole without too much filler.  I have to admit I'm liking having the refries on my nachos as well!  One of my main hangups is that this doesn't seem like a $7.25 plate of nachos.  For the quality and flavor, I'd say $6.00 would be fair.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Taqueria Vallarta (Felton): Chicken Regular Nachos (to go)

I'm actually surprised that these weren't the first post I made after the Taco Bell nachos.  Taqueria Vallarta (multiple locations in Santa Cruz County) is one of my old standbys.  Their food is good, reasonably priced, and the people that work there are really friendly.  I've had their "Regular Chicken Nachos" many times and while they aren't the best I've found so far, they're always good.  Thick, home-made deep fried tortilla chips, juicy shredded chicken, and generous portions of guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo make for a tasty, filling meal every time.  I took this picture when I grabbed some for take out one night after work.  The presentation is much better when you eat in, trust me.

Rating: 3½ out of 5

Warning:  There is an impostor taqueria in Sunnyvale, CA masquerading as 'Taqueria Vallarta' that I unfortunately stopped at for some chicken nachos at a few years ago (thanks/no thanks, GPS points of interest!).  Those were the most offensive plate of nachos I've ever had.  Tasteless Chicken, obviously watered down guacamole and sour cream (seriously, who does that?), very average salsa.  And, they even charged 25 cents for a tiny tray of corn chips (again, seriously, who does that? - As a friend of mine once said, free chips and salsa is your "ROI" when you go out for mexican food).  Needless to say, avoid this joint and
stick to the Taqueria Vallarta chain in Santa Cruz county.  They rock!
Map to Location: http://mapq.st/oXVFgt

Cazuela's (Saratoga, CA): Chicken Nachos

 

Who's that?  Could it be my old friend, "Queso" or "Plastic Cheese" as I like to call it?  On a plate of genuine taqueria nachos?  Yes.  This taqueria, one of my friend, Ann's regular haunts, allegedly makes a mean Mole (I'm going to try to convince them to put it on top of some nachos next time I go) and is the only taqueria I've been to so far that by default puts "queso" on their nachos.  I must say, it actually went well with all of the regular fixings (refries, sour cream, pretty tasty grilled chicken), but I do prefer real melted chease.  Nonetheless, a tasty plate!

Rating: 3 out of 5

Map to Location: http://mapq.st/mSGoU1

Orale (Campbell): Small Chicken Nachos

 

Orale (formerly "Ricardo's") is a nifty little taqueria on Winchester Blvd in Campbell, housed in what I believe was formerly a purpose-built A&W drive-in.  A few years ago, I used to stop by Ricardo's for what I thought was the best shredded chicken burrito (no rice, please), anywhere.  So naturally, I wanted to see if they still served a mean shredded chicken.  So do they?  Well, the flavor is definitely different than before, but it's really good and has a great texture.  At this point in my search for my favorite nachos, these are my favorite.  The portion isn't exactly large, but the flavor and texture, along with the nice touch of black olives really makes it!

Rating: 4½ out of 5

Map to Location: http://mapq.st/rdKSa9

Los Gallos (Scotts Valley, CA): Chicken Nachos

 

I went to this taqueria on a recommendation from a friend, who insisted it was better than my old standby, Taqueria Vallarta (watch for a future post).   While I commend them on the large blobs of guacamole and sour cream, the chicken, though shredded and having a good texture was quite lacking in flavor, and had a lot of juice running around the bottom of the plate (generic Dixie paper plate, btw, even though we ate in).  Not too fond of these, and not a place I'll be going back to any time soon.

Rating: 2½ out of 5

Map to Location: http://mapq.st/ozVF7G

Tu Mero Mole (San Jose, CA): Chicken Nachos

 

Ahhhh - my first "real" plate of nachos for this blog.  And what a pretty plate it was!  I've never seen a nicer nacho presentation than this (will I again?).  Although these had grilled chicken (I REALLY prefer shredded, seasoned chicken), they were quite tasty.  Not really used to having beans on my chicken nachos, either, but those were surprisingly good as well.  A really great start to my quest for my favorite nachos!

Side Note: Make sure that if you go to this taqueria, you try their "Crispy Shrimp Tacos", they're epic!!  I'll be getting those next time I stop by.  BTW - you'd never know this taqueria was so good,  They're located in a tiny strip mall off of Union next to a go kart shop.  "Go" figure... (sorry, couldn't resist).

Rating: 3½ out of 5

Rating Notes: Would have been a 4, but for grilled instead of shredded chicken)

Map to Location: http://mapq.st/rf0YuT

Taco Bell (Everywhere): Nachos Supreme

I thought I'd go ahead and establish a low baseline for nachos on this blog by showing what you get for $3 at Taco Bell.  Yes, I do have a soft spot in my heart for queso, or "plastic cheese" as I like to call it.  And yes, I know that the beef on this little plate of goodness is only about 40% actual meat, but I have to admit, these are a tasty snack for the price.

Rating: 2 out of 5
Rating Notes:  (1 star for taste, one for price ;-)
Map to Location:  http://mapq.st/oHQ33C

Alright - see my newer posts for the good stuff…