Being back in Atlanta for a few days has me excited about the opportunity to revisit some of my all-time favorite eateries. Having once lived here for several years, it’s going to be impossible to fit them all into my two day stay, but I’m going to try and hit up as many as possible.

Immediately after checking into my Westside hotel, I headed towards Taqueria del Sol, an awesome spot that creates everything from scratch to produce some of the most flavorful food around. Their “Monterrey Meets Memphis” concept, their simple a la carte menu, and their uniquely efficient ordering “system” allow you to design your own dish and enjoy  quality food that’s reasonably priced and served fast. Just to be clear, this is not fast food, but it is great food in a “fast-casual” setting. Taqueria del Sol’s upbeat casual atmosphere welcomes those that just have an hour for lunch or the rest of the afternoon off with both a relaxing patio and a full service bar.

When Taqueria del Sol opened their original Westside location, almost 10 years ago, their tacos were their keystone and I’m relieved knowing that hasn’t changed. Yes, they have other great items on their menu like daily specials, enchiladas, soups and side dishes, but their tacos still take the spotlight and rightfully so.

With my favorites tacos being the Memphis (chopped smoked pork with spicy jalapeno cole slaw and tequila BBQ sauce) and the Brisket (shredded beef brisket with pico de gallo) I ordered one of each and decided to try the Veggie (jalapeno refried beans, queso blanco and roasted tomatillo salsa), as well, with a roasted chicken enchilada with salsa verde, a tomatillo-based salsa, and a side of turnip greens.

I was a little reluctant about ordering the turnip greens as it’s not my typical accompaniment to Mexican food, but I’m glad I did. They were absolutely delicious – tasting seemingly more like a vegetable-based soup than your typical southern, meat-laced side dish and spicy, too! Everything at Taqueria del Sol is amazingly flavorful, but it’s not overpowering. The pork in the Memphis taco is sweet and smokey and it’s enhanced by the tequila BBQ sauce, and the Brisket taco offers a robust bite that’s balanced nicely by the fresh pico de gallo that tops it off. As for the Veggie taco, I wasn’t surprised at how good it was, but I was surprised at how good it was. The jalapeno refried beans and the tomatillo salsa was a perfect combination, and again, provided an unbelievable amount of flavor that you don’t typically find in most “veggie” options.

It’s obvious, I love and miss Taqueria del Sol. It’s one of the many things I miss about living in Atlanta; however, it’s reassuring to know it’s still the same place I first visited nearly a decade ago: they’re still operating with the same passion and promise they had on day one, serving simple, fresh, made-from-scratch food without pretense. It’s so good in-fact you’re bound to revisit, because you won’t be able to find anything like it anywhere else.