Some of the best tacos in town are made by a Chinese immigrant and Mercer alumnus named Sam Zheng, owner and manager of TacoRito in Robbinsville. He says his interest in Mexican cuisine started with a visit to Chipotle.
“Their food is very Americanized,” said Zheng. “I wanted TacoRito to have its own concept where food is made to order, and customers can have their own toppings, but at the same time offer many authentic dishes and keep the salsa and flavoring as close to Mexican as possible.”
These dishes include the Crazy Empanadas, Nachos, and Quesadillas.
“We try to keep our menu exciting by offering new dishes every year and removing dishes that don’t sell,” said Zheng.
He continued, “Every once in a while, I’ll work with the cooks to come up with new dishes and we will do a testing to see how the customers like it.”
For not much money you can get a veritable mountain of food. If you are starting to feel the beginnings of the fall chill, you’ll be happy to know that by the end of a typical meal, you’ll feel satisfied and warm. You may also be jazzed to know that you will probably leave with several Styrofoam boxes filled to their limit. A college student can never have too many leftovers!
The atmosphere is casual, comfortable, and modern with light, refreshing colors and an entire wall covered in southwestern cactus plants. Customers are greeted by a shelf lined with a wide variety of hot sauces, a fridge packed with sugary, flavorful Mexican sodas, and a display of emerald veggies, ruby salsas, and a rainbow of other sauces.
Every dish leaves you feeling warm and comfortable as if grandma is back in the kitchen whipping up steak burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, and traditional desserts. The only difference is that you might not feel as guilty not finishing everything in one sitting.
The Taco-Rito Rito is as big as a baby’s arm, and is packed with crispy cabbage, a hint of lime juice, jalapenos spicy enough to scare those with weak taste buds, a slight dash of cilantro, some chipotle mayo, bright yellow rice, and enough steak to feed a village. The Crazy Quesadillas are, indeed, crazy huge.
The tortillas bulge with a wide variety of ingredients, including corn, cabbage, chicken, and chipotle mayo. It creates an overwhelming experience, but in the best way.
To top things off, the distinctly American Fried Oreos offered at TacoRito are the ultimate treat. They’ll remind you of treats at local food festivals, and the powdered sugar is pure comfort food.
Tom Smith, 61, a Robbinsville resident and fellow diner said, “I think I’ve been here about eight times, and I do like it… I like the Mexican style chicken.”
TacoRito is a good place to go if you have a big appetite, an ambitious mindset, a willingness to try something unique, or a desire to feel the comfort of a more traditional dish.
