BONUS POST: NACHO HALLS OF FAME AND SHAME!

When people hear that I'm a nacho freak and that I have a nacho blog with over 100 posts, they almost always ask me who has the best nachos, and sometimes they ask me what were the worst nachos I've ever had.  Well, here you go:  My top 5 and bottom 5 nacho experiences!

Hall of Fame (The top 5!)
An exceptional group of nachos that I'd go back for again and again!

Fifth Place: Angel's Rock House (Finley, CA): Nachos with Chicken

If you're ever in the Clear Lake area, be sure to stop in Finley for a plate of chicken nachos at Angel's Rock house.  Don't blink as you're driving by or you'll miss the whole town and won't get to try some great shredded chicken!
Rating: 4½ out of 5

Fourth Place: Taqueria Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz, CA): Super Nachos with Chicken

Lots of sour cream and guacamole, homemade chips, and THE best tasting shredded Chicken that I've had anywhere!  If you're in Santa Cruz and looking for great nachos - these are an excellent choice!
Rating: 4½ out of 5

Third Place: Freebird's World Burrito (San Jose, CA): Small Nachos with Carnitas

This excellent go-to-the-counter-and-tell-them-what-you-want-on-your-plate not only blows Chipotle (overrated in my opinion) out of the water, but they also have the fixin's for an excellent plate of nachos.  Get both regular cheese as well as their homemade cheese sauce AND have them sprinkle a generous helping of their excellent barbecue sauce on top - trust me!
Rating: 4½ out of 5

Second Place: El Guapo's (Campbell, CA): Santiago Nachos with Carnitas

Don't let the styrofoam container fool you.  Although a little pricey, these nachos, in addition to excellent carnitas, are packing a unique blend of ingredients, including cheddar, pepper jack, and feta cheeses, giving them a rich, amazing flavor.  Great selection of salsas, too!
Rating: 4½ out of 5

First Place:  Rio Adobe (Cupertino, CA): Adobe Nachos with Adobado Pork

The best nachos I've had.  Tender, flavorful pork, a mix of cheddar and jack cheese, just the right amount of guacamole, salsa, and sour cream over a bed of crispy, chips.  And they're broiled, the only authentic way to cook nachos (99% of all places serving nachos microwave them - a travesty!)
Rating: 4¾ out of 5


Hall of Shame (The bottom 5...)
These are the nachos that never should've seen the light of day, or the darkness of my stomach...

Bad: La Playa (Fort Bragg, CA): Nachos with Carnitas

Don't you love it when you're vacationing and you stumble across great food?  This wasn't one of those times.  Don't let the decent presentation fool you: bland "barnyard"-tasting carnitas, overpriced, lame.
Rating: 2½ out of 5

Worse: Two Pesos Taqueria (Los Gatos, CA): Chicken Nachos

Look great, right?  Wrong!  Should literally have only cost two pesos.  Grilled, charred-tasting chicken that wasn't at all offset by the other assortment of ingredients.  Ugh.  These nachos ruined lunch on my birthday!
Rating: 2½ out of 5

Even Worse: El Tule Taqueria (San Jose, CA): Nachos with Chicken

Blaaaaaaannnndd, just like the black-and-white photo says.  Poor service at this place, too.
Rating: 2 out of 5

Just as bad as you'd expect: Taco Bell (Everywhere): Nachos Supreme

Don't get me wrong - I love plastic cheese (Taco Bravo nachos are one of my favorite low-line lunch feasts), but Taco Bell takes a glorious snack and turns it into processed junk.  I have to admit, though, that it's processed junk that I've eaten many many times ;-)
Rating: 2 out of 5

Oh, the humanity!!:  Del Taco (Campbell, CA): Macho Nachos with Chicken

For fast food nachos, these actually LOOK ok.  But what a horrible surprise the Del Taco patron is in for if they order this awful mess.  The chicken is salty, slimy, and disgusting.  If you must have nachos here, stick to the ground beef version, trust me.
Generous Rating: 2 out of 5