Takeout from a trio of Troy taquerias
Newer taco restaurants showcase depth of the versatile dish
Troy is awash in tacos. Three taquerias have joined the fluctuating downtown dining scene during the pandemic in a logical move for food that’s fast, easy to prep and easy for takeout. The enduring love affair with Mexican street food has spread from Taco Tuesdays long entrenched in homes and the national lexicon to the breakout trend of regional Mexican birria tacos, which jumped from Los Angeles to the national scene.
In Tijuana-style birria de res, shredded braised beef brisket, slow-braised with beef fat in adobo and water, is piled onto flour tortillas topped with onions and cilantro, soaked with red braising broth and served with a cup on the side for dipping. A sort of taco au jus.
Increasingly, we’re being treated to taqueria making their own tortillas with nixtamalized masa dough. In Troy, tacos are selling fast, and the newcomers are staking a claim, whether it’s authenticity or Americanized street eats. We hit them up.
Taco Libre: River Street Market in the waterfront Hedley Building is a quiet shell of the bustling premium food court it sought to be. A few counters are still doing brisk weekday business thanks to the office audience and those stopping by. You’re spoiled for table choice in the beautiful, large space and might fit in a round of oversized chess if you’re one of the few dining in. There’s hand sanitizer on every table.
At the back is Taco Libre, an offshoot of Troy-based Mex Cocina, where taco platters include four tacos, and our
order of rusty-red birria are served in crisp folds sprinkled with cotija. On the side, lime wedges and finger-staining dipping sauce. Reduced sales means not all proteins are offered daily. Seek out the tinga (chipotle) chicken and de lengua (tongue), given the chance, though they offer pulled pork, pineapplesweetened al pastor, chorizo, strip steak and vegetarian/vegan options. Pick your protein for chunky burritos loaded with rice and beans or tortas (grilled sandwiches) layered with Mexican string cheese, avocado, jalapenos and refried beans. We made short work of a cheeseoozing tinga chicken quesadilla, dunking it in fresh guacamole and sour cream, saved room for a slab of sweet milk-soaked Tres Leche cake and washed it down with Jarritos and Jumex sparkling apple juice.
Details: River Street Market, Hedley Building, 433 River St., Troy. facebook.com/tacolibreny. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday.
Street Taco VII: No surprise that Street Taco VII on Fourth Street continues the same stylish interior as Genika Blandshaw’s Juice Factory VII on Broadway. Street Tacos VII is a fledgling new business for Blandshaw’s daughter, Osjah, born out of “her love for tacos.” In vibe and style, it’s closer to a smoothie-andsalad bar, but a drop-down menu with $1.20 to $1.40 add-ons (everything from sour cream to refried beans) lets Gen Z endlessly customize orders like a Tiktok secret menu hack.
The menu puts chicken noodle soup alongside a deconstructed burrito salad, Mexican street corn and the kind of protein-topped rice bowls you’d find in a poke bar. Jerk chicken and jerk salmon deliver a Jamaican twist in tacos sporting fresh pineapple-mango salsa, crema and “pico salsa” on the side. Unavailable via Mealeo, the business’ chosen ordering and delivery platform, are Troythemed grilled cheeses including a vegan South Troy Melt and a Buffalo option with blue-cheese crumbs and ranch.
Lime-spiked cilantro rice makes a bright base across rice bowls and a Mexican street corn salad topped with cotija cheese and avocado, even if the corn is clearly not sheared off a cob. In bowls and tacos, the jerk-seasoned salmon is a burst of flavor; red and white corn chips accompany a bland guacamole that, if housemade, needs a boost. In a truly brilliant move, the Ultimate Taco is an order of potato skins stuffed with ground turkey. A slam dunk whether you’re gluten-free.
Details: 151 Fourth St., Troy. streettacovii.com. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday.
La Capital Tacos: La Capital Tacos gives it to you straight: “Real Tacos by Real Mexicans.” And no one wonders what they mean. The newest taqueria on the scene is open in the former Capital Taxi stand on the corner of Fourth and Ferry streets, a spot owned by Jinah Kim of Sunhee’s Farm & Kitchen and used in conjunction with her Ferry Street Night Market. With the newly boxy building clad in wood and La Capital in a builtout kitchen, the funky, grungy space — with graffiti on the ceiling and Asian stickers on the walls — holds future promise for a time when Kim’s team will run the 8-seat bar. Expect a good soju cocktail when they do.
Chef Yair De La Rosa, a Mexico City native and former chef at Glenville’s Glass Tavern, is behind La Capital’s classic street menu. Salivate over juicy carnitas (slow-roasted pork), tender asada (strip steak) or calabacitas, a medley of sauteed squash and zucchini. It’s the only place under consideration here offering mixed trios: any three with simple cilantro, onion and salsa
($10) or loaded with toppings (“con todos,” $12) if you want guacamole, lettuce, pico de gallo and cheese. A family platter of 20 tacos is available for $40, and, for Valentine’s Day, they stuff tacos in a heart-shaped box. Be still my beating heart.
We put away a taco six-pack and handmade masa quesadillas — campechanos, a mix of chorizo and New York strip, and Oaxacan cheese. La Capital scores big with a fresh, bold guacamole and house-fried tortilla chips, a bright ceviche of lime-“cooked” fish topped in avocado, onion and jalapeno, and Baja-style battered fish tacos served openface with red cabbage and lime crema. On the side, we sip sweet, cinnamon-y, rice milk horchata water and vivid Jamaica water made from hibiscus petals. They offer catering (when we can even contemplate mass gathering). I can’t wait to go back.
Details: 161 Fourth St., Troy. lacapitaltacostroy.com and 518244-5132. 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday, noon to 7 p.m. Sunday, closed Monday.