A favorite for Taco Tuesday and the other six days of the week is Rocco’s Tacos with multiple locations around south Florida.
I first started going to Rocco’s on Tuesdays where for $15 you get all you can eat tacos and can choose from chicken, pork, beef, mushroom, chorizo, shrimp, steak or fish. You start out with an order of four and then each additional round consists of three. I’ve been known to do a total of nine, but have heard rumors that the record belongs to a woman who ate 21 at the West Palm Beach location.
Let’s talk tacos for a minute. They all come with taco sauce, pico, cilantro (yuck), red onions and cotija cheese and you can get them either on a hard shell or a flour or corn tortilla. The ground beef are a bit spicy, the shrimp are delicious, the steak I find a bit tough, the chicken and pork are “ok,” the chorizo is noteworthy, the blackened fish is good and the mushroom should just go away.
Considering the shrimp tacos go for $5.25 any other day of the week, Taco Tuesday can be considered a bargain if you’re going to enjoy more than three. You can score $5 tequila shots and $3 Dos Equis beer on Tuesdays as well.
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If you’re thinking about Rocco’s Tacos for Taco Tuesday, a bit of advice. Put simply… the place gets packed. All locations. In season and out. So be prepared to wait for a table or even a seat at the bar. While the Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale and Delray Beach locations don’t take reservations prior to 9pm on Taco Tuesday, the one in Palm Beach Gardens does, which is where I’ve been going lately rather than wait 45 minutes or longer for a table. Service can be iffy too on Tuesdays due to the crowd, so keep that in mind and remember you’re eating on the cheap so don’t expect everything to be flawless.
The tacos at Rocco’s are pretty good and on Tuesday’s they’re a bargain. My favorites include the shrimp and the blackened fish. For the most part, they contain a good amount of protein and you can kick them up with some of the different taco sauces available that your server will bring over in bottles for you. (Tip: the hot… is HOT!)
While most of the discussion so far has been about Taco Tuesday, it’s important to note that even on that day the full menu is still available. So let’s talk about that.
For starters, tableside guacamole is one of Rocco’s specialties (besides boasting an enormous selection of tequila). At $12.50 a pop, a server will come to your table and put on a show while making it fresh right in front of you. While I’m not a huge guac fan, we’ve had it a few times and it’s always a hit with everyone at my table except me!
One thing I always get to start off is chips and salsa. Unlike Uncle Julio’s in Boca Raton, Rocco’s charges $3.50 for chips and salsa and extra bowls of salsa come with a $1 charge, while chips are refilled for free. The chips have a seasoning on them that some may not like, so if you like your chips plain, ask for them that way and they will make you a plain batch. If you want to kick up the salsa a bit, ask for the bottles of hot sauce early so you can mix some in with your salsa.
For entrees, hands down my absolute favorite is one of Rocco’s Molcajetes. Think fajitas and you’ll get an idea if what these are like. They come out in a huge, very hot, lava rock bowl that you don’t want to touch with your bare hands. Inside is a blend of meats and seafood (depending on which of the three molcajetes you choose) paired with a flavorful sauce. On the side is tortillas and traditional fajita accompaniments like your pico, cheese, guac, etc.
I’ve had the Molcajete Carne (shirt steak, chicken, chorizo, chile rajas, salsa roja and tequila) as well as the Molcajete Surf & Turf (skirt steak, chorizo, sweet potatoes, chicken and shrimp in a roasted garlic verde sauce). Both are fantastic! A seafood version is available with shrimp, scallops, fish, poblano chiles, sweet potatoes and charred tomatoes. They are $24 for one person or can be done for two for $40.
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Empanadas de Picadillo (2 carne molida turnovers with avocado, lime, cilantro, salsa de pina) are one of the appetizers available, although they are pretty standard and not really noteworthy as far as flavor is concerned.
#empanadas from @roccos_tacos in #bocaraton. #mexican #foodporn #roccostacos #instafood
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In addition to the tacos and Molcajetes, Rocco’s has a pretty standard menu of Mexican favorites including burritos, enchiladas, and combination dinners. One thing to keep in mind, this isn’t gourmet Mexican, but it’s good, solid Mexican without the fluff.
P.S. Don’t forget the Margarita!
#margarita from a recent #tacotuesday at @roccos_tacos in #bocaraton. #roccostacos #drinkporn
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