While we’ll be closed on Thanksgiving Day, we’re celebrating all week with a special Thanksgiving taco.
Thanksgiving taco:
Beer-Braised Turkey
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Turkey Gravy
Cranberry Chutney
Fried Green and Yellow Beans
$6
This one’s only gonna be around for a limited time again (we’re talking a number of days), so come check it out! Available beginning Monday, November 21st.
This weekend, our special taco is a DBLT, that’s a Duck BLT, in case it isn’t obvious. It features Duck Bacon, Arugula, Fried Green Tomato, and Spicy Aioli.
This one’s only gonna be around for a limited time again (we’re talking a number of days), so come check it out! We’ll begin serving it Friday, October 21st!
DBLT taco:
Duck Bacon
Arugula
Fried Green Tomato
Spicy Aioli
$6
Limited availability!
We’re offering these Friday, October 21st through the weekend (or while they last)!
It’s LA Beer Week, a two-week celebration of beer culture in LA/OC and taco asylum is getting in on the fun! Come out and celebrate the diversity of our local beer culture by checking out our Pint Night TONIGHT!
Monday, October 17 @ 5 p.m. >> Lost Coast Brewery!
Enjoy Lost Coast’s Downtown Brown Ale on tap and take home a free pint glass (while supplies last). This is a lightly hopped dark malt ale, without the brawny taste of a more robust beer.
Beer on tap is $6, but remember that they are $3 off during Happy Hour Monday-Friday from 2-6p and again at 9-11p!
Cheers!
“A place that is more than tacos and far more than a quick innovative stop. This is a place where taste buds go to frolic and tortillas go to have some fun.” – dawn garcia
Once in a while you come across a restaurant that takes food to an all new level. They take the ordinary and make it extraordinary, take a basic concept and get entirely creative. Allow me to introduce you to Taco Asylum. The name beckons a sense of total abandon, opening your mind, and asking your taste buds to take a trip on the wild side. This post is entirely different than the rest and in all honesty, it deserves it’s own originality. Before I even delve into walking you through a restaurant that lures you in with a notion of tasty insanity, take a look at the photographs: http://www.atasteofdawn.net/2011/10/06/taco-asylum/
What you are looking at is called “First of Flight”. A sampling of EVERY Taco on the menu but one – and before you ask, YES – yes I did order every single one. So let’s start by telling you about the Menu:
1. grilled octopus | flour tortilla, kalamata olives, oregano, feta, tomatoes $5
My take: I am not an enormous fan of octopus BUT the purple guy that comes out lathered in a mix of salt and sweet somehow eases my concerns and I happily enjoy the Octopus’ garden. The best part? Those kalamata olives! The strangest flavor that cut the “fishy” right on out.
2. pork belly | flour tortilla, carrots, daikon, onions, cilantro $5
My take: Oddly, not too salty! The daikon adds this “sneak-up-on-you” palette cleanser.
3. short rib | flour tortilla, pickled red onion, salsa verde, cotija cheese, cilantro $5
My take: 10 More PLEASE! This is not short rib that has just been thrown in. This is short rib that has been stewing and drinking in flavor for long enough to be like strips of juicy meat swimming in a sea of irony. The flavors are an odd combination and yet — YUM!
4. curried paneer | naan tortilla, raita, tomato chutney $5
My take: You had me at Paneer. This is a Vegetarian taco with all of the powerful flavors of traditional Indian fare. This is another one I could take a dozen of. The curry makes you close your eyes and imagine being surrounded by bright color and love, spices filtering through every open kitchen window.
5. wild mushroom | herbed tortilla, mushrooms, garbanzo puree, parsley salad, fried chickpeas $5
My take: I was expecting this to be the cringing bitterness of old Shitake mushrooms but instead it is a meaty morsel of mixed mushrooms dancing along in the “parsley salad” which seems more like heaven when it is paired with this wonderful little fungi.
6. lamb | flour tortilla, olive tapenade, ratatouille, mâché $6
My take: The lamb is moist but ratatouille just isn’t my favorite thing. They can’t all be hits and this is more about preference than taste.
7. duck | flour tortilla, camembert, dijon crème fraîche $6
My take: Seriously delicious. In spite of having dijon (my least favorite taste), the creamy perfectly surface-ripened camembert cheese added an unexpected level of depth that I was all too happy to enjoy. This is the BBQ-Beer-Outside kind of taco.
8. steak | chimichurri, buttermilk fried onions, potato hash $5
My take: Let me start with the buttermilk fried onions. Fried makes everything taste better but this, this is seriously a home run! Then add the chimichurri AND potato hash – this is so homey and sweet it feels like something a Culinary Mastered mom would make you when you came over. Comfort food.
9. ghost chili pork | flour tortilla, chili threads, pork cracklins $5
My take: The BEST was saved for last. The chili threads are like hints of spicy innovation. The pork cracklings are the thing that takes this masterpiece one step further. The Pork – the perfect blend of spice with the ease of a perfectly cured piece of meat . This would make even the pig consider ordering one. There are few words to adequately describe how much I loved this taco. Taco love for Executive Chef Greg Daniels.
READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW HERE!
Taco Asylum is bringing a whole new meaning to the phrase “getting tanked” with the addition of mini tanks of wine to their menu. These pint-sized stand-alone tanks keep wine fresh for up to 60 days and are reusable, limiting waste.
MAS Vino, which is a 2009 blend of Petite Sirah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and Sangiovese and a 2009 MAS Chardonnay are offered in the tanks along with a new selection of Belgian beers as well as house-made spicy sangria. The Belgian beers are served in 24.4 ounce servings and include Chimay Grande Reserve and Unibroue La Fin du Monde priced at $6.
Taco Asylum is open until 11 p.m. daily so make it the meeting spot for your pre-party party and stop in for late-night happy hour from 9-11 p.m. Monday-Friday and enjoy $3 draft beers, $2 off canned beers and $1 off tacos.
BY SARAH MOSQUEDA for COAST MAGAZINE
Mini Wine Tanks at Taco Asylum: http://www.coastmagazine.com/articles/minitanks-1885–.html
Taco Asylum in Costa Mesa sells products that really are tacos in name only, better described as tortilla-wrapped tapas. That said, they’re delicious. Best bets are the paneer cheese taco with raita and chutney, the wild mushroom with fried chickpeas and the braised lamb with ratatouille.
JEFF OVERLEY, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
PHOTO BY MIKE GOULDING, THE REGISTER
“Are these the best O.C. tacos?”
The Orange County Register | September 29, 2011
LINK: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/food-319722-taco-county.html?pic=9
This year, Orange County sees two new culinary events: OC Wine Week (September 25th through October 1st), and OC Beer Week (October 2nd through October 8th). During these back-to-back week-long events, Chef Greg Daniels will presents his taco plate with your choice of wine and beer on tap for only $15! Check out our menu below or online HERE.
Wine Week (Sept 25-Oct 1 – offered 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.)
Taco Plate – choice of two tacos with “rice & beans”
Paired with one of our wines – $15
Beer Week (Oct 2-8 – offered 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.)
Taco Plate – choice of two tacos with “rice & beans”
Paired with on of six craft beers on tap – $15
This weekend, our special taco features Buffalo Meatballs, Creamy Cayenne, Bleu Cheese, Carrot & Celery, and Orange-Honey Vinaigrette. This one’s only gonna be around for a limited time again (we’re talking a number of days), so come check it out! We’ll begin serving it Friday, September 9th!
Buffalo Meatballs
Creamy Cayenne
Bleu Cheese
Carrot
Celery
Orange-Honey Vinaigrette
$5
Limited availability!
We’re offering these for dinner Friday, September 9th through the weekend (or while they last)!
Taco Asylum is the perfect addition to the collection of global, sustainable, healthy and hip restaurants found at the CAMP in Costa Mesa. Each of their unique 9 taco offerings were constructed by Le Cordon Blue Trained, Executive Chef, Greg Daniels who uses fresh ingredients, sustainable meats and local products from local farms whenever possible.
If you go, I recommend you whet your pallet with a flight of 8 tacos while you make a game plan for your second visit. Trust me, you will be back! The flight comes with each of their taco creations except for the Ghost Chili Pork taco. The tortillas are so obviously fresh; lightly puffed, warm and chewy. The Grilled Octopus taco was tender, juicy and topped with Kalamata olives, feta and tomatoes. The Pork Belly Taco was like an explosion of flavor in my mouth. I will come back to Taco Asylum for the Short Rib Taco which is topped with diced chunks of eggplant ratatouille and mache lettuce. But I’ll probably also enjoy the Duck and Lamb taco again and again. Don’t fear the Corazon (beef heart). Take a big bit and tell your friends about your dinner adventure. The Curried Paneer was my eighth favorite taco (e.g. least favorite) but only because it lacked the excitement of the others. But the Wild Mushroom made up for it in fried chickpeas – So fun to eat! This place also has some really unique beer on tap and in cans. This time I opted for one of their non-alcoholic options – Red Hot Ginger Ale. Next time I’m trying the Coconut Porter or maybe the Hemp Ale.
What I really love about this place is that it takes adventurous and gourmet ingredients outside of the typical, stuffy, “$40 an entrée” environment. Instead, their stark, industrial décor turns out to be an ideal subtle backdrop to the over-the-top flavor of their tacos. You can simply sit back with your Red Hot Ginger Ale (or Coconut Porter) and enjoy the food!
Read the entire blog post on iheartoc.com HERE.
By Joanne Tucker | Greer’s OC
Located at The Camp, Costa Mesa’s urban hipster green mall, taco asylum recently broadened its internationally-inspired menu to include a south-of-the-border grilled $5 steak taco (with fresh Argentinean chimichurri,buttermilk fried onions, potato hash) and healthy (and yummy!) new side dishes for tortilla-less bowls and more filling combination plates.
How can rice and beans be low calorie and still taste good? When the rice is not rice, but a deliciously light cilantro-and-lime-flavored Israel couscous ($3). And when the beans are not beans, but a cold lentil salad ($3) with carrots, shallots, fennel and garlic in a red wine vinaigrette topped with a hint of fluffy goat cheese
Want both sides and two tacos? Then, order the new “combo” plate. For $14, you now get two of taco asylum’s fresh-and-tasty tacos along with both sides. Add a $3 draft beer during happy hour (Mon.-Fri. 2-6 p.m. and 9-11 p.m.) and that’s just $17 for a hearty meal in one of OC’s most chill eateries.
What makes taco asylum just a cool place to hang out by yourself (with your laptop or smartphone) or with your friends? This sparse indoor-outdoor taqueria has a totally laid back modern style with restored wooden tables, steel chairs and a concrete floor. The breezy, casual feel of the place is palpable and so is the relaxing vibe here that seems to say: “Sit down, chill out and have a good time, man!”
Tasting the New Steak Taco
Taco asylum finally introduced its first new taco since it opened last year. Yes, we highly enjoyed the new juicy-and-spicy chimichurri steak taco as well as the classic pork belly taco, which is garnished with Vietnamese-style crunchy-and-sweet pickled daikon, carrot and cilantro.
We also love the all-veg earthy wild mushroom taco with chickpea purée, parsley salad and crispy fried chickpeas. But then, it’s so difficult to pass up the Provence-style braised lamb chunks over garlicky ratatouille with olive tapenade or succulent short ribs with pickled red onions, salsa verde, cotiga cheese and cilantro.
Can’t make up your mind? Bring some friends and order a flight of eight tacos for $18. Add a side of Israeli couscous, a cold lentil salador a mixed green salad. Yummy!
Wine in Mini Tanks!
Ready for a glass of wine to pair with your indulgent taco flight? Taco asylum recently introduced MÁS Wine Company’s award-winning draft wines served out of stand-alone mini tanks that keep the wine fresh for up to 60 days.
Also, taco asylum features a choice from more than 30 canned beers or gourmet sodas. Another addition to its brew menu is five Belgian beers, which are available in large 25.4 oz. (Blanche de Bruxelles, Chimay Grand Reserve Blue, Unibroue La Fin Du Monde, Bruery Saison Rue and Bruery Trade Wind Triple).
We love tacos, beer and The Camp and we can’t wait until our next visit to this awesome independent OC eatery.
Hours:11am-11pm daily
Happy Hour:$3 drafts, $2 off canned beer, $1 off tacos, Mon.-Fri. 2-6 p.m. and 9-11 p.m
taco asylum, 2937 S Bristol St., Costa Mesa, 714-922-6010, www.tacoasylum.com
Joanne Tucker is a freelance dining and travel writer based in Costa Mesa, California.
View the entire piece online HERE.