La Cucaracha by Lalo Alcaraz for January 29, 2024

Yeah, I can believe that. Just about every third restaurant in my Pacfic Northwest city is either Mexican, Central American, or TexMex. I walk down one of the main drags in town and between 136th and 118th, there is La Guerra, Mexicana, Baja Fresh, Chipolte, Su Casa, and Muchas Gracias. Plus Taco Bell but that is as far away from Mexican cuisine as we are from New York.

I’m good with that, my doctor however…

I think the numbers are higher in Tulsa.

Well, I dunno ‘bout that; we’re on a corner lot in a western suburb of Boston (MA, USA), and there’s no visible restaurant of any sort on or near our corner. The closest I recall has been during the neighborhood’s annual yard sale Saturday, which includes a food stand run by the organizers, and often includes food from a downtown Mexican restaurant that’s owned by a local family, not a chain. But then, who’d expect a comic strip to exaggerate something? ;-)

Since all the burger joints have added the standard taqueria fare, and the roach coaches are all taco trucks, yeah. Of course ‘on every corner’ is an average. Some blocks get six or eight of an evening (instant roadside food court) and some get none. (It’s how you tell where the rich people are)

If you add in the restaurants that also serve at least one menu item that is Latin based, it’s 3 in 10.

We have an excellent taco truck in the parking lot of Menards. My trips to the hardware store always take longer than expected.

I came into enough money recently that I could afford to eat at restaurants again. I ate at a local Mexican restaurant twice a week. In three months I had gained ten pounds. I love the food but the heavy emphasis on carbohydrates is for a hard-working adult male. I had to cut it out and eat vegetable-heavy meals at home. I’ve lost five pounds but it’s slow going.

My recommendation as a central Texan is to judge your taco place by the music the staff is listening to. If there aren’t accordions, change your plans!

Chinese seems to be way more common here than Mexican and the closest taco truck is over 3 miles away. On the other hand, we have two really fantastic Mexican places downtown.

That old cell-phone commercial about “more bars in more places” was taken to heart here in Wisconsin (tinyurl.Com/yckpw6zr), where if you walk 5 blocks without encountering a bar it’s considered a business opportunity.