What makes a restaurant truly special? I think we would all agree that consistency, customer service, and quality of ingredients are three key factors. tacos & mas goes above and beyond those qualifications in more ways than one. Upon walking into tacos and mas, one will be graciously greeted by owners Hector and Ana Batista who, after years of management experience in the culinary realm, ventured out to open their own restaurant with cuisine inspired by authentic Latin flavors.
tacos and mas isn’t your typical taco joint. Think casual taco restaurant meets grandmother’s kitchen in Dominican Republic. It’s the kind of place that makes you want to sit down and stay awhile, and Hector and Ana are pleased to oblige. There are personal touches throughout tacos & mas such as the tables built by Hector himself and the large painting done by an artist from Dominican Republic. The food at tacos & mas even incorporates flavors straight from Ana’s mom’s cooking.
Their menu is broken up into aperitivos (side dishes), meat, seafood and vegetarian tacos with homemade flour or corn tortillas, & mas (& more, larger entrée size dishes). tacos & mas had me at “free chips and salsa”. It’s a small gesture, but it goes a long way. Two staples: Homemade Guacamole and Beef Empanadas are just about as flawless as you can ask for. My unexpected favorite aperitivos was the Yuca Frita. Similar to a french fry, except much larger with a smoother texture, this dish consists of fried cassaba with a delicious, creamy alcaparra dip with tangy flavors from the fresh lime, cilantro and capers.
I’ve now eaten twice at tacos & mas and can honestly say that every single taco is outstanding and priced at $4.50 or less. I won’t bore you with the description of allllll the tacos, but I will tell you which ones stood out among the rest. I’m a sucker for Cuban sandwiches, so naturally the Cubanito with flank steak, sweet plantain, avocado and black beans is my #1 pick. As with all the meat tacos at tacos & mas, you can tell that true love has gone into ensuring it is as flavorful and tender as possible. The sweet plantains are simply the “cherry on top” of this scrumptious taco.
Following closely behind is the el ranchero (the farmer) with slow mojo cooked pork, chicharron, roasted corn, and green tomato. The drizzle of chilled green tomato sauce elevates this taco with a zesty punch of flavor. The last two tacos are tied for spot #3: Balcalao con Cerverza with Dos Equis battered cod fish and cabbage-radish slaw and the Camaron with sautéed shrimp, charred tomatillo and cilantro. Both of these tacos were fresh and bright, as all fish tacos should be.
Upon my next visit to tacos & mas I will promptly order the Sandwich Cubano and the Ropa Vieja Cubana with braised flank steak, rice, beans and sweet plantains (notice a pattern here… J) Hector said that he wants his customers to “feel like family” at tacos & mas. I would say he’s succeeded.
tacos & mas is located at 802 S. Road in Greer, SC off The Parkway. They are open Monday – Friday from 11:00am-9:00pm and Saturday from 2:00pm-9:00pm.
The Upstate Foodie 