Nuzzled in the bustling city of St. Petersburg are Red Mesa Cantina, Burrito Boarder, Taco Bus and Tijuana Flats # just some of the many places to get your Mexican fix. But one local joint in particular has been a crowd favorite since it joined the Mexican-food hype a few years ago.
Casita Taqueria was founded by owners Don and Gwen Arvin in 2011. The couple left the corporate world to fulfill their own dream of opening their own business. They were inspired by all the tacos they indulged in during their travels along the West Coast, so they decided to open a Western-style Mexican restaurant here in St. Petersburg.
Its original location was off Fourth Street, but when word broke last year that Trader Joe’s was moving in and taking over the plaza, the owners began searching for a new location. They found a charming place in the Grand Central district off Central Avenue. The building had been there since 1935 and was originally a Texaco gas station.
After gutting and remodeling the building, the new Casita Taqueria reopened for business in late May. The charming new location has a small parking lot for customers, picnic tables on the dog friendly patio out front and a small lawn in the back for events.
The sunset orange building displays the name Casita Taqueria on one side, beer and tacos on the other and a giant sugar skull in the middle. Sugar skulls have an immense presence on the inside decor. The colorful eclectic style of the dimly lit restaurant is charming. The walls are full of local art and most of the restaurant is made from recycled and refurbished materials.
Upon entering, you order at the bar, give a name and a take a seat. The friendly staff brings out your food and will bus your table for you. Beer # both domestic and Mexican # and sangria are available at a reasonable price ($2.50-$4.50), and the soft drinks are self served.
The food usually comes out in less than 10 minutes. If you order an appetizer, it should come out first. On my last visit, however, the server forgot to bring chips, salsa and guacamole ($5.99) before my food arrived. But she urgently brought them out when I told her I hadn’t received them.
Queso is one thing missing from their menu, but the guacamole and salsa are both excellent. The homemade salsa has a nice kick to it and is blended thinly. The guacamole is smooth and refreshing with a hint of lime and cilantro, and the lightly seasoned chips are fresh and crunchy, but aren’t served warm.
The most popular item on their menu are the tacos, which are served a la carte. I recommend getting three to fill you up. The homemade corn tortillas they use are made fresh daily, and it’s truly a difference you can taste. The soft, flavorful tortillas fit perfectly in your hand, which means they are on the smaller side, but they are loaded with fresh ingredients.
My favorite is the verduras taco ($3.25), which is packed with mixed seasonal veggies comprised of zucchini, squash, peppers, pico de gallo and cilantro. It is bursting with flavor and the veggies are cooked to perfection # not too crunchy, yet not too soft. The only downfall is the corn tortilla often falls apart due to the liquid of the pico de gallo. I would recommend doubling up on the tortillas to avoid this issue.
The camarones taco ($3.50) is another great choice. It is filled with plump, juicy shrimp and is accompanied by chili seasoning, shredded cabbage, pineapple salsa and cilantro sour cream. All the ingredients are homemade.
Casita Taqueria also serves up Mexican-style sandwiches on thick, crispy bread. They are loaded with black beans, guacamole, onions, cilantro, pickled jalapenos and come with chips and salsa. You can choose from steak, shredded beef or slow roasted pork as your protein. The most popular option is the juicy pork, which you can tell has been slow-roasted.
Casita Taqueria’s hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. It is closed on Sundays. If you haven’t been already, be sure to stop in and find out for yourself what the buzz is all about. You won’t be disappointed.
