Taco Tuesday: Sabor Mexicano

This taco Tuesday review comes with a little background info that really contributes to the whole reason my mom and I went out for tacos, considering I use to work at a Mexican restaurant and was usually serving tacos on taco Tuesday rather than enjoying them.

For as long as I can remember my mom has always brought me to the Camas Days market, usually taking place for one weekend over the summer. And for as long as I can remember my mom has been completely obsessed with the tamales at a small little food vendor at Camas Days.

Each and every year we go specifically for my mom to get her tamale, and then we walk around looking at the vendors.

Well this year while my mom was getting her tamale she learned the best news ever: the small tamale stand was also a restaurant in downtown Vancouver! My mom was ecstatic, and ever since that weekend at Camas Days she has wanted to go and try out the restaurant.

So now that I'm back in school and no longer waitressing on taco Tuesdays, it was time for us to go out and try some tacos at Sabor Mexicano!


The Meal

Rice, Chicken taco (left) Al pastor (center) Carne Asada (right)

Two shrimp tacos 

I had decided before even leaving my house that I would be ordering tacos. Usually when it comes to eating out I like to try things that I can't make at home, but today I wanted to try Sabor's tacos as a way of getting out of my culinary comfort zone.

After chatting with the waitress it was obvious that the shrimp tacos were the most popular taco ordered on Tuesday's, and that her personal favorite of all the options was the "al pastor" pork taco.

I decided that I would try three different meats, chicken, al pastor, and carne asada (in order from left to right in photo) and my mom would try the shrimp tacos.


Our waitress was definitely right. The al pastor meat was extremely flavorful in comparison to the chicken and carne asada. The al pastor actually seemed to have been cooked in a marinade, whereas the chicken and carne asada were minimally seasoned with what tasted like only salt and pepper.

Each taco was topped with chopped onion and cilantro, and the meat was cradled in a house made corn tortilla that was the most impressive tortilla texture I have ever experienced. It was perfectly fluffy yet still crisp, and complimented the flavors of the meat, cilantro and onion very nicely.

I also ordered a side of Mexican rice, and it was fairly mediocre.

Along with rice we ordered an appetizer of chips and salsa (something different to me as the restaurant I worked at provided them complimentary). The chips were thick, warm, crisp and just the right amount of salty. The salsa on the other hand was somewhat watery, but still had a nice mild flavor.

Overall the meal seemed very authentic. My mom and I went with two friends who said they religiously order the burritos which were absolutely massive, and topped with a generous amount of sauce, lettuce and sour cream.



The Feel

Sabor Mexicano would probably go unnoticed on Main Street in downtown unless you were looking for it. The restaurant didn't have any large signs with it's name, just a simple sticker on the large front window facing the street.

It was also pretty small. There were a couple tables outside in front of the restaurant and about eight or so inside. This would probably not be the best place to go if you're looking to invite more than six people just because space is limited.

The interior was full of bright colors that were complimented by the rustic wooden chairs, tables and flooring. There were various paintings on the walls, as well as a framed newspaper article on display right when you walked inside.

I thought this was a really great way of giving new guests an idea of what they were getting into. The Columbian article, titled "Sabor Mexicano's authentic food stands out" mentions how the business started at small markets like the Vancouver market (and Camas Days as I mentioned previously), praising the homemade sauces and al pastor tacos.

The feel of the restaurant really matched the authentic food and downtown charisma. The staff were very friendly too.


The Deal 

The moment I walked into the restaurant I was greeted with a sign promoting $1.75 tacos on Tuesdays. Count me in! I'm trying this new thing called "budgeting" and under two dollars for a taco fits very nicely into that plan.

As I mentioned a little earlier, I did find it very unusual to have to purchase the chips and salsa (only $2.50) considering most restaurants I've been to have them included. However, the waitress let us know of a promotional offer where if you post a photo of your food and tag your location at Sabor Mexicano, the chips and salsa were on the house. Of course we did this, so that was nice.

Another discrepancy was the price of the shrimp tacos. They were the only taco that remained full price of $3.50 per taco rather than $1.75. But my mom said they were more than worth it.

As for the burritos I mentioned earlier they were absolutely huge and were less than $10, and the plate of rice was large as well, showing that the prices at Sabor Mexicano are reasonable in relation to the portions.

Sabor Mexicano had authentic, flavorful tacos, a comfortable atmosphere and affordable prices. I look forward to returning to try other things on the menu!