# What difference does it make



## gmc2003 (Aug 13, 2019)

Just curious on the differences between a burrito, taco, fajita, and an enchilada? We don't have a strong Mexican presence in my part of the world. So my only experiences with the above is either from Taco Bell or from the pre-packaged stuff in the grocers. All of the Mexican posts here look fantastic, except I still don't really know what the difference is except for the shell or wrap. Is it just the shell/wrap and type of sauce used only or is there more to it? 

Chris


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## smokinbarrles (Aug 13, 2019)

From what iv seen on this forum 

 chilerelleno
  knows his mexican cusine. i could explain but im sure he would do a much better job.


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## SmokinVOLfan (Aug 13, 2019)

I could also explain but as smokinbarrles said I'm sure Chili will explain to a much fuller extent lol. We gotta get some Mexican food under your belt Chris. I'm sure you could throw together some great stuff on your kettles. Taco bell isn't going to cut it


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## Misplaced Nebraskan (Aug 13, 2019)

I think it has to do with the tortilla used as well, Flour for burrito, corn for enchilada.  Closed (wrapped)  vs open for a taco.  Eaten with a fork or handheld.  Small nuances, but I'm in for Chili to school me too lol.


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## tallbm (Aug 13, 2019)

gmc2003 said:


> Just curious on the differences between a burrito, taco, fajita, and an enchilada? We don't have a strong Mexican presence in my part of the world. So my only experiences with the above is either from Taco Bell or from the pre-packaged stuff in the grocers. All of the Mexican posts here look fantastic, except I still don't really know what the difference is except for the shell or wrap. Is it just the shell/wrap and type of sauce used only or is there more to it?
> 
> Chris



Great question!  As a teenager I would go to Taco Bell and not know what the hell they were serving because what they call things didn't make sense to the traditional Mexican and Tex-Mex food cooked in our household almost daily lol.

*Taco* - basically anything/everything you put in a corn or flower tortilla and eat.  Hard shell tacos are basically an anomaly and I'm not sure how they came about but they basically follow the same logic BUT the corn tortilla has been fried and shaped to be crispy and hard.

In Mexico they primarily ate corn tortillas and it was rare to see a flour tortilla in the parts we used to visit and vacation in... at least a long while ago.

*Burrito *- basically the same as a flour tortilla taco so this would confuse me as a kid.  The most distinguishing difference is that it is usually completely wrapped especially on the ends where a taco has open ends and can be open on top.  

In common US culture a burrito is still a completely wrapped flour tortilla "taco" BUT now they are GIANT and can have everything under the sun in them.  I've heard it claimed that burritos almost always have beans in them but again you can put anything you want in them so that is not a hard rule.

In Mexico they wouldn't know what a burrito is... well they used to not know at least.  Also they don't really know much Tex-Mex as well... or well they used to not know at least.

*Enchiladas *-  now this is a completely different thing.  Corn tortillas that are filled with meat, cheese, sauce, and/or maybe some onion or some simple veggy that goes with the meat (chicken and spinach).  The corn tortilla is rolled, placed in a baking dish, and then more sauce and cheese and often onion is thrown on top.  This is then baked in the oven until everything is gooey and ready to rock!  Think of it almost like a Tex-Mex/Mexican Lasagna.

Sauces can vary and I love them all.  I like the earthy red sauce, the green tomatillo sauce, the traditional chile based sauce, and the little found mole (pronounced:  mo-lay) sauce!

In Mexico they didn't really know what this was either so this was more of a Tex-Mex or US-Mex dish.     


*My Burrito Take*
I love all of these but burritos are the rarity of what I would make/see in a home setting because who makes tortillas that freakin big at home!?
My favorite at home burrito with a regular sized tortilla is absolutely without a doubt refried bean and cheese with a little onion!!!!!

*My Taco Take*
Tacos to me are always a bi-product of what is being cooked.
If I make fajitas then I am eating fajita tacos.
If I am making eggs and bacon and potatos and beans then I have an egg,bacon,potato, and bean taco.
If I have left over brisket or pulled pork I make bbq tacos... you get the trend.

Tacos are amazing all the time but my FAVORITE is grille seafood tacos!
Hard grill some Redfish, grilled shrimp, grilled lobster tail, and even ceviche make the most amazing tacos!  Throw melted butter, lime juice (mandatory) pico de gallo, cheese, and salsa on them and WOW!!!

*My Enchilada Take*
This is by far my favorite of the 3 though thats like saying my favorite amount of money to have would be 10 million dollars vs 9 million lol it's basically a moot point :)

Ground beef made basically taco meat style with cheese and onion and sauce (very important on the sauce) all in a corn tortilla (lightly grease fried to not break) rolled and then covered in the same stuff.
I CANNOT STAND dry enchiladas so the things must have cheese and sauce inside them even if it is just a tiny amount.

There is a Tex-Mex restaruant in the Dallas area called Uncle Julios that makes the BEST enchiladas I have ever encountered in the world.  
Their cheese and onion enchiladas are to die for!!! It is very rare for me to eat a meal without some form of meat but damn I can't hardly order anything different from that place and they do a number of outstanding dishes there.


*Conclusion*
I gave a lot of info and some personal takes.  I hope this info helps and understand that there may be differences in understanding or convention as we are all from different parts of the country and the world so take what makes the most sense and run with it :)


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## gmc2003 (Aug 13, 2019)

Thanks guys, I'll give Chili a push. We used to have a Mexican restaurant in the big city Burlington, but when I went with friends it was mostly for nachos.



 chilerelleno
 come out and play, 

Chris


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## gmc2003 (Aug 13, 2019)

Thanks Tallbm, very informative. So by your descriptions a burrito is just a larger taco that is closed on all ends. The enchilada sounds great, I've only had the ones they sell in a can - I think old el paso brand, and they weren't very good. We do make taco/burritos(or what we call them) but like I mentioned we use the stuff sold in the Mexican aisle at the grocer. Usually ground beef with taco seasoning, refried beans, lettuce, tomato, cheese and some brand of taco sauce. I'll have to do some research here and try my hand at doing it the right way. 

Chris


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## chilerelleno (Aug 13, 2019)

Oh hell yeah,
the biggest differences are the tortillas.

Harina/flour or Maiz/corn
And there are many types, sizes/thicknesses of each which are used for certain types of tacos e.g. Carne asada vs chicharrone vs Al pastor.
Same for burritos, small breakfast burritos, regular in 10-12 inch and big 18-24 inch for big plated dinner burritos or chimichangas.

It all goes in accordance with the regional traditions and/or method of cooking being used.

How big is that burrito I'm about to roll up, do I need a 12in or a 24in flour tortilla, are the ingredients mostly dry or wet?
Am I steaming that tortilla am I putting them on a griddle or am I going to deep fry it like a chimichanga?
If my ingredients are wet I'm going to want a thicker tortilla.

With tacos there are traditionally different size tortillas for each type of taco and another will be whether it's served with one or two tortillas per taco.
Corn is traditional for tacos, steamed or cooked on a griddle, but some tacos the meat is put inside the tortillas sealed and it's deep fried till its semi crunchy around the edges and the filling is piping hot.

And of course there is the rolled taco, la flauta.
It's origination is a matter of some debate.
Debate or no, it is wildly popular especially back in California.

The only crunchy tortilla chip like corn tortilla use I know of is the Tostada.
Basically a flat crunchy taco.

I've nevers seen a Gringo hard taco shell down in Mexico, the Southwest or California when I was growing up out there.
At least not at any place that could call itself authentic.

Fajitas aren't really Mexican, they are Tejas or Tex-Mex.
 It is the diners decision whether they prefer corn or flour.
The tortillas generally served with fajitas are small taco sized flour or corn.
Most people tend to make tacos out of their fajitas plate.

Enchiladas are corn tortillas, unless you're my mother-in-law and she always uses flour and it drives me up a wall.
Traditionally for enchiladas the tortillas are given a quick dip in hot lard or steamed to make them easier to roll when filled.

Both corn and flour tortillas are served much like pita bread or dinner rolls at main meals.
you'll find people with a rolled up tortilla in one hand, loaded fork in the other taking alternating bites from each.

Some great desserts can be made from both flour or corn tortillas.

And of course there is ever present corn tortilla chip.
Older corn tortillas are cut up and deep fried till crunchy.
I'm sure you know what to do with those.

If I can be of any more service just ask.


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## gmc2003 (Aug 13, 2019)

Thanks John I'll be reading thru your recipe index for help with the sauces and spices. For now I'll have to stick to store bought tortillas, so my choices will be limited.  

Chris


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## SmokinVOLfan (Aug 13, 2019)

gmc2003 said:


> Thanks John I'll be reading thru your recipe index for help with the sauces and spices. For now I'll have to stick to store bought tortillas, so my choices will be limited.
> 
> Chris



Nothing wrong with that man. I made some tacos last night with ground brisket meat I did and used store bought tortillas. Did Mexican rice and refried beans. I'm no Mexican chef by any means and my knowledge is very slim compared to others but am expanding out more. You know I had some cold PBR's with them too


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## tallbm (Aug 13, 2019)

gmc2003 said:


> Thanks John I'll be reading thru your recipe index for help with the sauces and spices. For now I'll have to stick to store bought tortillas, so my choices will be limited.
> 
> Chris



You will do fine with store bought tortillas.  I personally cannot stand them as they taste like styrofoam to me BUT if you put a skillet on a burner and get it hot and then warm up/cook up your store bought tortillas on it to where they are getting a little toasty you can cook out a lot of that styrofoam flavor.  It is a drastic improvement but there is a better alternative.

Look into buying harina/white flour tortilla mix.  The stuff is super simple to use.
It's so simple that these two apartment neighbors of mine in college would get drunk and make them at night all the time.  One guy worked at a plant that sold the stuff and his closet was filled up to 5ft high with giant 50 pound bags of the stuff he stole hahahahaha. 
These guys had no issue making them and their used a corn can as with the label peeled off as their roller pin hahahaha.
These guys shared the same brain and the amazing thing was that they both had their head up their ass so for them to make damn good tortillas with stolen closet stored tortilla mix is a testament to how easy the stuff is to use and how well it comes out hahahahahha.

Here is a screenshot of the instructions from a random bag I found online:






You honestly wont find a better store bought tortilla than what you can make with one of these premix bags and you can make DOZENS for super cheap!  I think this 8 pound bag cost $5.45 and makes 175+ fresh tortillas!

If more people knew about this they would have amazing flour tortilla tacos all the time :)


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## chilerelleno (Aug 13, 2019)

If you live in an area with a strong Hispanic/Latino population look around, find those Mexican /Latino markets.
Look for these keywords.
It is not uncommon to find all of these, or some combination of them, under one roof.

Mercado = Market
Tendero = Grocer
Tienda = Store
All the traditional ingredients you need to whip up a authentic Mexican meal.

Carniceria = Butcher, fresh meats
 A great place to pick up cuts of meat you normally don't find, everything beef and pork, oxtail, tongue, tripas and mejillas.
Plus lamb and goat.

Taqueria = Restaurant specializing in tacos and burritos.

Totilleria = Tortilla shop, fresh tortillas


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## chef jimmyj (Aug 13, 2019)

Lots of good info...Think about looking Past Old El Paso Taco Mix. There are so many great fillings out there. If you can cook a Pork Butt, you can make Carnitas or Carne Adovada, some recipes spell it Adobada, Pork Stewed in a Chile Sauce. Carne Asada, thin strips of seasoned Grilled Beef. There are some pretty good versions of Barbacoa, made with Chuck Roast. Not everybody can get a Cow's Head or Goat...Your family may never want Ground Beef Tacos again!...JJ


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## chef jimmyj (Aug 13, 2019)

BTW...I laughed when I  read the Title...
Ask an Italian..." It's Pasta! What difference does the Shape make? "...JJ


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## S-met (Aug 14, 2019)

No mention of tamales. Masa (corn flour) made into a paste with water, salt and lard, filled with meat, wrapped in a corn husk, then steamed to perfection.

I love fusion mexican food. One of my favorites are smoked porkbelly street tacos.

Below, grilled chicken fajitas, 





Leftover fajitas and smoked pork shoulder for Breakfast the next morning. Each taco made on a single thinly fried single egg omelet. Add avocado chese and salsa verde.
After folding, Topped with sour creme, bulgarian feta, green onion, cilantro, some coarsely shredded cheese and fresh cracked pepper.


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## gmc2003 (Aug 14, 2019)

chilerelleno said:


> If you live in an area with a strong Hispanic/Latino population look around, find those Mexican /Latino markets.



We don't have a strong Hispanic/Latino population here. Most of the newer immigrants are from the Asian regions South and East or from Africa. 



tallbm said:


> You will do fine with store bought tortillas. I personally cannot stand them as they taste like styrofoam to me BUT if you put a skillet on a burner and get it hot and then warm up/cook up your store bought tortillas on it to where they are getting a little toasty you can cook out a lot of that styrofoam flavor. It is a drastic improvement but there is a better alternative.



Tallbm those directions seem simple enough. I'll have to look for harina tortilla flour mix.

Chris


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## chilerelleno (Aug 14, 2019)

tallbm

I keep masa harina on hand for various uses.
Chief among them my Savory Southwestern Waffles, cornmeal waffles with chiles/onions mixed in.
Makes good tamale masa too.

It has a different texture compared to our standard corn meal.
Of course like many Mexican ingredients there are at least a few variations sold each with a different grind, fine, medium and coarse.


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## Misplaced Nebraskan (Aug 14, 2019)

chilerelleno said:


> tallbm
> 
> I keep masa harina on hand for various uses.
> Chief among them my Savory Southwestern Waffles, cornmeal waffles with chiles/onions mixed in.
> ...




you had me at chili waffles...


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## chilerelleno (Aug 14, 2019)

@ EVERYONE
If you love tacos/salsa and Mexican food in general.
If you don't mind reading subtitles.

Then you really should watch,
*The Taco Chronicles*
Available on Netflix.

One can learn a hell of a lot about tacos and salsa in a short time.


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## chilerelleno (Aug 14, 2019)

Misplaced Nebraskan said:


> you had me at chili waffles...


Link >>>   Savory Southwestern Waffles, Corn Meal, Chiles and Onion


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## xray (Aug 14, 2019)

I’ve really started enjoying Mexican cuisine the past few years. The ingredients have become easier to obtain due to a large Hispanic population nearby. 

I’ve enjoyed making mostly tacos, enchiladas and burritos. The more I eat, the more picky I seem to become....For me, tacos need a fresh corn tortilla. I just can’t do a flour tortilla for a taco...For a burrito, yes!!

I buy the store bought corn tortillas, they’re good...But I really want to get a tortilla press and some masa!!!! It’s on my birthday list when the wife asks what I want. So hopefully soon I’ll be pressing my own fresh corn tortillas!!

Chile is our leading expert for Mexican cuisine here so he’s the go-to guy....but if I can offer one piece if simple advice....heat your corn tortillas before eating them. Don’t eat them right from the package.


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## gmc2003 (Aug 14, 2019)

Do you have a favorite Xray or anyone else? 

I wonder if I could incorporate herring somehow and substitute lefse(potato flatbread) instead of a tortilla. Sort of a Norge-Mex. 

Chris


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## tallbm (Aug 14, 2019)

gmc2003 said:


> We don't have a strong Hispanic/Latino population here. Most of the newer immigrants are from the Asian regions South and East or from Africa.
> 
> Tallbm those directions seem simple enough. I'll have to look for harina tortilla flour mix.
> 
> Chris



Chris you can always order that stuff online if you can't find it anywhere locally.  This should work.  Nothing wrong with this brand.  The poor reviews were either about shipping or the bag looking beat up from shipping.  Add a little salt to the mix as needed and you should be fine on taste.

The other option that is very very close is Indian Naan.  It's just a thicker tortilla.  When I was in Australia I couldn't easily get my hands on anything Mexican or Tex-Mex food related so my taco fix was to order Indian food from a restaruant that gave you whole naan so it was basically a tortilla.  I would order the lentils that were just like refried beans, beef or lamb vindaloo and tandoori chicken with veggies and use some of their "salsas" and "yogurt" and I had something very close to Mexican guisado tacos and grilled chicken tacos with salsa and sour cream (yogurt) hahahaha.

Naan is basically the same thing as a tortilla. 

I hope this info helps! :)




chilerelleno said:


> tallbm
> 
> I keep masa harina on hand for various uses.
> Chief among them my Savory Southwestern Waffles, cornmeal waffles with chiles/onions mixed in.
> ...



Mmmmm sounds good.  I like fried Mexican corn bread to eat with the Mexican cauldos (soups).  My favorite is beef rib or oxtail cauldo with that fried corn bread!!!


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## tallbm (Aug 14, 2019)

xray said:


> I’ve really started enjoying Mexican cuisine the past few years. The ingredients have become easier to obtain due to a large Hispanic population nearby.
> 
> I’ve enjoyed making mostly tacos, enchiladas and burritos. The more I eat, the more picky I seem to become....For me, tacos need a fresh corn tortilla. I just can’t do a flour tortilla for a taco...For a burrito, yes!!
> 
> ...



Fresh corn tortillas are amazing!!!!  Go for it!


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## chilerelleno (Aug 14, 2019)

tallbm said:


> Chris you can always order that stuff online if you can't find it anywhere locally.  This should work.  Nothing wrong with this brand.  The poor reviews were either about shipping or the bag looking beat up from shipping.  Add a little salt to the mix as needed and you should be fine on taste.
> 
> The other option that is very very close is Indian Naan.  It's just a thicker tortilla.  When I was in Australia I couldn't easily get my hands on anything Mexican or Tex-Mex food related so my taco fix was to order Indian food from a restaruant that gave you whole naan so it was basically a tortilla.  I would order the lentils that were just like refried beans, beef or lamb vindaloo and tandoori chicken with veggies and use some of their "salsas" and "yogurt" and I had something very close to Mexican guisado tacos and grilled chicken tacos with salsa and sour cream (yogurt) hahahaha.
> 
> ...


Chris,
I've Mexican markets near me but I still order alot of stuff online.
Delivering today from Amazon are three types of bulk chile powder, ground annatto, Mexican oregano and Hawaiian red clay salt.
If I can't find it locally, I can find it online.


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## Bearcarver (Aug 14, 2019)

I'm with Chris, except he knows a lot more than I do!!!

This Mexican Stuff is ALL Greek to me!!!
All we have around here is Taco Bell & Chilis, and was only ever in one once & I had a Cheeseburger & Fries. And that was during a Wrestling Tournament at Break time, before the finals, and I was with the team.

Bear


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## b-one (Aug 14, 2019)

I need to see the Taco Chronicles before my wife kills the Netflix.


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## Fueling Around (Aug 14, 2019)

gmc2003 said:


> ...
> I wonder if I could incorporate herring somehow and substitute lefse (potato flatbread) instead of a tortilla. Sort of a Norge-Mex.
> 
> Chris


Fusion cuisine is very fun to explore.
Pickled herring?  Eh, I don't think so.  Not the same as ceviche.
If you have access to (relatively) fresh herring then fried for fish tacos is my take.

I have never tried lefse (lef-sa) as a substitute for a tortilla.
I do recall many rolling the lutefisk in lefse. 

Friends of mine manage the family business lefse plant.  They market as a flatbread wrap as well for Scandinavian palates.
https://www.mrsolsonslefse.com/


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## forktender (Aug 15, 2019)

tallbm said:


> You will do fine with store bought tortillas.  I personally cannot stand them as they taste like styrofoam to me BUT if you put a skillet on a burner and get it hot and then warm up/cook up your store bought tortillas on it to where they are getting a little toasty you can cook out a lot of that styrofoam flavor.  It is a drastic improvement but there is a better alternative.
> 
> Look into buying harina/white flour tortilla mix.  The stuff is super simple to use.
> It's so simple that these two apartment neighbors of mine in college would get drunk and make them at night all the time.  One guy worked at a plant that sold the stuff and his closet was filled up to 5ft high with giant 50 pound bags of the stuff he stole hahahahaha.
> ...


This X10!!!

I live in Norcal's little Mexico, we have more Mexican restaurants and Mexcian stores here then all other stores combined. 

Make the tortillas yourself they are super easy and they taste so much better. Before I got a tortilla press as a gift I tried the rolling pin deal it worked but it was SLOW and a P.I.T.A so grabbed a dinner plate and pressed them under the plate between wax paper. The little raised 6'' ring on the bottom of our Fiesta Ware dinner plates press out perfect corn tortillas about 3/16 to a 1/4'' thick. (I think by design)

If I want super thick tortillas I would press them between the bottom of two plates. It works just as well as my wooden tortilla press. I use plastic tile spacers taped to the press to get the thickness that I'm looking for. Either way once you make them you will never buy them again, they are awesome.
Flour tortillas are pretty much for burritos or used to sop up sauces in my house. I could eat mexican food five nights a week.

If all you have had is taco bell you haven't have Mexican food.
Mexican food is so easy to make anyone can do it. Here is a good place to start Rick does a good job researching and cooking authentic Mexican cuisine. ( He's pretty strange) but I've cooked several of his recipes and they all turned out amazing. His chicken Mole recipe is out of this flipping world. People beg me to make it for pot lucks and it's super easy to make, you just have to go for it. Start with chicken recipes to see if you like them. (Chicken is cheap so if you don't care for it, it's not a big loss.)

https://www.rickbayless.com/recipes-from-chef-rick-bayless/

Good luck.
Dan


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## gmc2003 (Aug 15, 2019)

Fueling Around said:


> Fusion cuisine is very fun to explore.
> Pickled herring?  Eh, I don't think so.  Not the same as ceviche.
> If you have access to (relatively) fresh herring then fried for fish tacos is my take.
> 
> ...



I don't think I can get fresh herring around here(maybe special order), but I believe I can score some mackerel and use that as a substitute.

Lutefisk I had it when I was really young. but since we moved to VT and away from my Dads relatives in NY city. I haven't had any of the Norwegian dishes. We didn't even eat allot of fish once we moved here, because dad was so sick of eating it growing up. Your friends family business looks really good. Unfortunately there isn't a large contingency of us squareheads living here. So exposure to Scandinavian dishes are a rarity.  

Chris


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## hoity toit (Feb 10, 2021)

Bearcarver said:


> I'm with Chris, except he knows a lot more than I do!!!
> 
> This Mexican Stuff is ALL Greek to me!!!
> All we have around here is Taco Bell & Chilis, and was only ever in one once & I had a Cheeseburger & Fries. And that was during a Wrestling Tournament at Break time, before the finals, and I was with the team.
> ...


Then you need to come to San Antonio and eat at some authentic Mexican restaurants... I know many of them, all are good., especially El Jarro de Arturo . https://eljarro.com/

HT


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## Bearcarver (Feb 10, 2021)

hoity toit said:


> Then you need to come to San Antonio and eat at some authentic Mexican restaurants... I know many of them, all are good., especially El Jarro de Arturo . https://eljarro.com/
> 
> HT




LOL---Yeah, I wish!!
Thanks for the invite, though.

Bear


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