Taco Battle On U.S. 1: Get In The Line Of Fire And Pick Your Favorite Between R&R And El Papi

El Papi's taco special -- four tacos, a pair or each

There is a taco battle under way on U.S. 1, and this is one of the rare times that you should get right in a line of fire.

R&R Taqueria has been a HowChow landmark since 2009 when Alberto Flores first turned me onto excellent Mexican tacos in the Shell station at U.S. 1 and Rte 175.  By 2011, R&R was a darling of the local food writers -- and then ended up on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives.

Then R&R ended up across the parking lot.  The owner Rod Albarran-Torres moved out of the Shell station and into a restaurant space in the next shopping center.  A bigger menu with tacos, tortas, burritos, and even a dedicated burger menu that they call Chef Rod's Outrageous Burgers.  Chef Rod made a YouTube video about the move.

R&R tacos with the star, carnitas

That seems to be when R&R's former chef opened his own taqueria in the original space.  That's Jose Flores who started with his own taco offerings and whose El Papi Taqueira got raves from Tim Carmen in the Washington Post last month.

What we have here is a true taco battle.  Flores hung enormous signs that tout "Authentic Mexican Street Tacos" at the gas station and a photo of him with Guy Fieri.  He also did post a little El Papi sign that might let people know that this isn't the taqueria in the gas station that you had heard about when it was R&R.

The bottom line is that everybody wins.  I've eaten a few times in R&R's new location over my 18-month hiatus, but my friend T. Rex and I hit up R&R and El Papi back-to-back to see what we liked.

We liked them both.  They both pack big, fresh flavors into their little tacos.  They both knock out any chain competitor with fillings that taste personal and unique while still being accessible to anyone.  (Except Lil' Chow, but that's a post for the future about his rejection of Mexican food.)  Intense, rich meats.  Fresh vegetables like cilantro and onion.  Thick, robust tortillas that taste like corn and balance out the fireworks that come in various salsas.  And different salsas.  We had red and green at El Papi, then three different salsas at R&R.

Gas station seating

I might have a preference for R&R.  T. Rex and I both preferred the chicken tacos at El Papi, which was chunks of meat with crisp edges rather than minced.  But I love the carnitas at R&R, and we both appreciated that R&R's tacos were one step larger and had tortillas that were one step more flavorful.  There is also the advantage of the larger menu, more seating, and more options for drinks like agua frescas and horchata.

Again, I encourage you to eat both.  They're literally across the parking lot from each other.  We had fun with our progressive lunch.  R&R and El Papi are probably my favorite Mexican in the entire area, so you're not going to go wrong.  Play your cards right, and you can even enjoy El Papi's outdoor seating.  That's three tables literally pressed against the station, almost in reach of the gas pumps themselves.  I still contend that Howard Count's indigenous dining experience is the parking lot cafe -- where you can eat and see your car at the same time -- and El Papi gives its variation where you can watch your car and all the other customers.

El Papi and R&R are on U.S. 1 just north of Rte 175.  The address says Elkridge, but it's right on the line with Jessup and an easy drive from anywhere in the eastern half of the county.  El Papi is literally in the Shell station.  Look for the giant signs.  R&R is in the shopping center next door with windows that overlook the station.  One heads up -- El Papi only takes cash.