I walked into Super Taco on a cold Sunday afternoon when the crowds were slowing down. What I found was a restaurant with a simple interior and decor that could really use some love. I didn’t let that scare me off though; I know that some of my favorite places in the world have the the most humble interiors. The restaurant had simple chairs and tables down the middle of the room, and booths lining the walls on either side. At the back of the space there was a counter with a register and pick up window. While waiting to be helped, I looked over the colorful menu and started to mull over my choices. I knew my family was especially hungry, so I was prepared to get a lot of food.
My sons had told me before I left the house that they “needed” me to bring home tacos, so I made sure I ordered 3 steak tacos ($1.99 each) for the boys, then I got steak flautas a la carte ($2.49) for the hubby, and I selected an 8 inch chicken fajita quesadilla ($7.99) for myself. I also ordered one steak tamale and one chicken tamale ($2 each) for everyone to share. The cashier was very friendly and the food was ready in about 10 minutes.
I got the food home quickly and we eagerly spread the scrumptious smelling feast out onto the dining room table. First we dug into the tamales. We gently unwrapped the fragrant packages from their golden husks to reveal the steaming hot tamales. The shredded chicken and beef in the tamales were a bright red color. The shredded chicken was pretty tasty, but the meat in the beef tamale was unfortunately salty and extremely dry. The meat in the steak flautas was the same story — it was also dry and tough — and the fried shell exterior was tough and overly crunchy. The condiments on top of the flautas were all fresh and the cheese was gooey and delicious. The chicken fajita quesadilla was covered in creamy white cheese sauce, and was filled with green peppers, onions, and tender chicken, although I found it to be a bit salty overall.
The steak tacos served on corn tortillas were the overall favorite of the night. The steak in the tacos was flavorful and tender, and luckily not too salty. The tacos were topped with a fresh mix of green onion, white onion, lettuce, tomato, and fragrant cilantro. All of the meals were served with containers of tomato based mild salsa and hot salsa. Little hint: the hot salsa is very hot, so be careful!
If you visit Super Taco I would definitely recommend ordering a corn tortilla steak taco. I would also like to go back and try one of the salads, or maybe one of the combination plates served with rice and beans. They have a wide variety of food from which to choose from. It is a solid choice for your average Mexican food, but I wouldn’t say it had anything that set it apart from the rest. The staff was friendly and the food was fast, but my dining experience was very average and, I’m sorry to say, so was the food.
Super Taco
523 W Town Center Blvd
Champaign
M-Sa 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Su 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Photos by Rebecca Wells