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.

Sometimes, You Get Distracted, And You Need Tacos And Pizza And Ice Cream To Shake You Out

Sometimes, you get distracted, and you need tacos, pizza and ice cream shake you out of it.

It's been a nice fall, but life kept me away even from the fun stuff like HowChow.  It's like Lil' Chow ignoring the Bon Chon fried chicken because he was mesmerized by the television.  Football that he clearly can't understand.

But then people plied me with enough great food that I needed to come back.  Expect short posts.  I'm still working a hobby blog into the new reality.

First up -- R&R Taqueria is moving, expanding and then being replaced by a burger joint in the Shell station.  Junior Barnes left a comment with the announcement last week.  The new R&R will be next door to its current gas station location.  The R&R Taqueria Web site says the new location -- with 126 seats and a party room -- will open in late December or early January "where the Jessup Lhasa is."

I'm actually not 100% sure what that means.  The Shell station sits next to a strip shopping center.  Down the road is new construction, but I don't think it has commercial spots.

Can anyone describe where the new restaurant will go?

(Update:  Through the magic of tweets, Rodrigo told me that the new restaurant will replace the Jessup Deli.  That's a big space.  I'm psyched.)

I personally will be psyched.  I love the R&R food.  Touting the tacos highlighted by reader Alberto Flores has been one of my favorite parts of this blog.  But I ate those tacos sitting at one of the few stools or balancing a delicious tray in my car.  That's not an option when I'm looking for weekend lunch with Lil' Chow so I'll look forward to introducing him to more good stuff -- with a high chair and no televisions to distract him.

Thanks to everyone who has left comments or sent me emails.  I appreciate.  I love the blog.  I love that people enjoy it.  I have been spotting ideas all fall, just never could make the time to sit at the keyboard.  I'm just starting to work through the tips and emails, and I will reply.

Check out the R&R Taqueria Web site for the announcement.  Chef Rodrigo Albarran-Torres says he'll turn the current taqueria into a new restaurant with burgers, wings, fries, milkshakes and other items.  He is also working on a cookbook!

Tamales At R&R Taqueria -- Another Simple Wonder From The Gas Station Taco Joint

Tamales from R&R

R&R Taqueira continues to surprise me -- years after I became an early thump in the drumbeat that took them to the Washington Post and the Food Network.

You can go for the frisson of eating in gas station on U.S. 1 at Rte 175.  But you should really drive to Jessup because they serve incredibly flavorful food up and down their menu.

I have raved about tacos, but I noticed tamales on my last visit.  Tamales are a benchmark dish for Mrs. HowChow who imprinted on rich vegetarian versions in a Los Angeles farmers market.  It's always a big deal when she thinks any tamales approach that grade.

Easy takeout. Heat at home.

I thought R&R's tamales were delicious, and they're a spectacular lunch or takeout at just $2 each.  For $2, you get a half-sandwich-sized block of steamed corn with filling.  I ordered chicken.  Then you get some red sauce to pour on top with R&R's signature mix of fresh ingredients and deep flavor.  Spicy and acid tomatoes contrasts with the smooth, slightly sweet corn.

These will make a perfectly fine lunch.  But I actually recommend them as takeout.  Your taco is best eaten right away, either on one of the R&R stools or in the front seat of your car.  But you buy the tamales straight from the refrigerator.  Tell them that you don't want them reheated.  Then microwave them yourself.  They'll last several days in your fridge, and three tamales and the sauce made lunch for two.

I can't recommend R&R's enough.  It has been more than five years since Alberto Flores turned me on to the Mexican takeout in the Shell gas station.  I've eaten breakfast.  I have eaten fish.  I have burned my tongue on lamb soup and on cochinita pibil.  I have cooled my mouth with agua frescas and horchata.  Check out all my R&R posts, and go see how much fun you can have for $10.

R&R Owner Going To The Big Time: Becoming Executive Chef Of A Dupont Circle Restaurant

Rodrigo Albarran of R&R Taqueria is getting called up to the big leagues -- becoming the executive chef at a new Mexican restaurant in Dupont Circle, reports the Washington City Paper.

Albarran will become the chef at a new place called Mission, reports Jessica Sidman.  You know that I love Jessup, but a Dupont Circle restaurant is a chance to feed first dates where both people think they'll become senators (or own senators) later in their Washington careers.

Breakfast at R&R Taqueria: Get A Hearty Start With Eggs, Chorizo, Cactus, Salsa And More

Eggs and cactus with beans and tortillas (and a side of chorizo potatoes)

Hearty breakfast requires a hearty day, and that's why my brain connects breakfast at R&R Taqueria with errands at Lowe's.

R&R is the taqueria in the Shell Station on U.S. 1 and Rte 175, but it opens early for eggs, sandwiches and other breakfasts.  Mostly take-out, but the '34 Act Gourmet and I ate at the small counter looking out over the gas pumps.

For $6, you get a full styrofoam plate of fresh food.  I went with eggs and cactus.  The Gourmet ate huevos rancheros.  The kitchen filled out both our plates with rice, beans, cheese and tortillas.  Everything works at R&R.  Earthy beans.  The lightly-spicy ranchero sauce.  The slightly sour contrast of cactus with hot eggs and fresh salsa.

R&R makes a series of salsas.  I can't track them.  I got a chunky tomato, onion and pepper salsa with my eggs, and I asked for a second container.  They're surprisingly fresh and flavorful for any restaurant -- let alone one in a gas station.

Then, I doubled the load with chorizo potatoes.  Diced hash browns crisped on the griddle, then mixed with a little cheese and crumbled chorizo.  Not that much meat actually.  Just enough to flavor the dish and sheen the potatoes with grease.  The plate just made me happier than most breakfasts because I kept scooping up variety on R&R's delicious corn tortillas.  A little salsa and eggs.  A little beans and chorizo.  Just eggs.  Just beans.  Repeat.

Most of the people flowing through R&R were gearing up for real work.  Landscapers, a Sears delivery guy. . .  I earned my breakfast -- including chorizo -- by getting 20 bags of mulch and spending hours spreading that around my yard.  R&R is just east of the Columbia Lowe's, which makes it a perfect stop if you're doing errands.

R&R serves a range of omelets and breakfast sandwiches.  We ordered from the Mexican eggs, but they'll also make breakfast tacos or breakfast burritos.  Check out the menu here.

If you want to try eggs and cactus at home, you can buy cactus in the produce section at Lily's Mexican Market in Columbia.

Chorizo And Cactus Tacos At R&R Taqueria

Nopales and chorizo tacos at R&R Taqueira

All the talk about the new Xitomate coming to Columbia encouraged me to try a little Mexican.

And the R&R Taqueria salsas encouraged me to try some Mexican soda.

Spicy!  There is a cactus taco special right now.  Nopales -- which you can make at home -- served fresh and most with the meat of your choice.  I took a recommendation and ordered the chorizo.  Three tacos for $7, coming with another lesson that R&R makes complex food from that simple kitchen.

R&R's chicken tacos with our barley salad

It's all good.  Fresh, pliable corn tortillas make an earthy base.  The zesty chorizo cooked with tomatoes and the slightly sour chopped cactus.  Then lime and fresh salsas.  A standard red and then a small cup of a habanero salsa that one of the folks offered me as well.  Each ingredient is outstanding, and the kitchen turns out a perfect meal.

The salsas were really hot though.  Hotter than normal.  I rush back to  the counter to buy a tamarind soda.

I need to go back for tacos at Azul 17 and Xitomate.  Until then, check out all the posts about R&R Taqueria.  Watch out for the parking -- as noted by Kevlar51 and Dan.  I carried out two tacos for Mts. HowChow.  They're pretty good even reheated in the microwave, although the salsa was too much.  You can buy nopales at Lily's Mexican Market and at most of the Asian grocery stores, and they're easy to cook at home.

Cochinita Pibil Tacos at R&R Taqueira

Three tacos from R&R Taqueria

Sometimes, a little knowledge can be highly dangerous.  Consider my ability to speak Spanish and recognize Mexican food.

On my last visit to R&R Taqueria in Elkridge, I overly impressed myself by recognizing the tacos called "cochinita pibil."  That's pork, I remembered.  And it involves cooking the meat in citrus juice, maybe orange juice.  You can't see that from the Spanish, but I remembered it ... from my experience ... because I'm awesome.

And I congratulated myself so heartily that I didn't focus on the word "habanero" written in the description.  That word has the same meaning in English and Spanish.  It means "really hot pepper that you had better respect."

Imagine the hottest dish you have ever eaten and enjoyed.  Because R&R isn't serving stupid hot dishes.  The meat is butchered perfectly.  Their sauces are fresh and bright.  When they use habaneros, they use just enough to hit you hard without overwhelming the pork.

The hit was just an awesome surprise.  I'd eaten the other tacos first -- chicken and al pastor, if I remember right.  They're each very well done.  I was reading at the counter as I picked up the third and bit down on what I expected to be citrus-infused and turned out to be enflamed.

R&R pulled off the habanero perfectly.  My tongue squeaked, and my eyes opened.  I drank down my melon agua fresca and then sucked the ice.  But the peppery zip was just part of the cochinita pibil flavor.  I think there were onions.  I know there was slow-roasted pork.  They were all wrapped in R&R's excellent corn tortilla.

At R&R, the tacos are really unique.  They're not just throwing your choice of meat on top of the same shredded lettuce and salsa like a chain.  Each salsa tastes different.  Each meat comes with a different marinade.  The habenero made cochinita pibil stand out, but it welcomed me to eat every last bite.   The R&R chefs know how to play with fire.

Local Restaurants Get Some Pricey Real Estate On Washingtonian's 2012 Cheap Eats List

Bon Fresco makes Washingtonian's Cheap Eats list

Local restaurants represent a serious slice of new Washingtonian's Cheap Eats edition -- getting the nod for everything from Mexican to Cuban to sandwiches.

The list includes praise for Red Pearl and Bon Fresco in Columbia, Cuba de Ayer in Burtonsvile, and R&R Taqueria in Elkridge.  It also highlights a few local restaurant chains without noting the Howard County locations, including BGR The Burger Joint in Columbia and Honey Pig Gooldaegee Korean Barbecue and Lighthouse Tofu BBQ in Ellicott City.

The Washingtonian critics write short blurbs about each place, and they give practical suggestions -- lots of ideas about what to order and what makes a place special -- like the chilaquiles that they recommend at R&R.

One spot that I'd love to be considered for this list would be Mango Grove in Columbia.  They were closed while this list was being assembled, but I think the Indian there and spots like House of India compete with any "cheap eats" level Indian that I have every had.

The June 2012 edition is really worth your $5 to pick up at a grocery store.  It's not on line so far, and I think it's great to have around.  You could definitely flip through to see what inspires you.  There are some great-looking places within striking distance like Rockville, Beltsville, and Silver Spring.

Party At R&R Taqueria -- Friends Come To Celebrate The Triple D Show With Rodrigo

Television star Rodrigo Albarran-Torres

R&R Taqueria celebrated its "Diners, Drive-ins & Dives" debut with a party this afternoon -- food and mariachi music for friends who came to share the fun on the Elkridge-Jessup line.

R&R shirts

Rodrigo and his crew served up a buffet of chicken, pork, beans and rice.  I hadn't had their chicken mole before, and I'm going back for that and more of the slow-cooked pork.  He also brought mariachi music in from Washington.  They turned the parking spaces at the Shell station on U.S. 1 into a party, including a cake with a picture of Rodrigo and Guy Fieri.

(Update:  Better photo from the folks behind Southern Skies Coffee.  Click here.)

Rodrigo said the show kicked up business the day after it debuted on Monday night.  They have been busy all week.  You can catch the "Time Tested Treasures" episodes on March 9 and March 10.  Check the Food Network Web site for details.

They also have R&R Taqueria t-shirts with their own logo on the front and a Guy Fieri homage on the back.

Click here for my original post on the "Time Tested Treasures" show.  Or click here for all the posts about R&R with suggestions about what to order.

R&R Taqueria On Food Network Tonight

Remember:  The R&R Taqueria segments on "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" airs tonight at 10 pm.  Check your listings for the Food Network.


Guy Fieri and the Food Network came through town last fall to film at R&R Taqueria in the Shell Station on U.S. 1 in Elkridge.  Tonight, the shows broadcasts, and you can see a little bit of Elkridge make the national scene.


(Update:  The segment kicks off the show.  It's terrific.  Watch for rebroadcasts of "Time Tested Treasures."  Owner Rodrigo Albarran-Torres is the star showing off how to make pork and lamb dishes with Fieri and Joe Theismann.  But the cameo customers include the guys behind Strobist and Southern Skies Coffee and include Alberto Flores, who kicked off the R&R love by talking up Rodrigo's tacos in a HowChow comment.)


(Update II:  Photo of Strobist!)

R&R Taqueria To Be On Feb. 27 "Diners & Dives"

Thanks for the photo Rob!

Last fall, Guy Fieri and the Food Network came through town to film at R&R Taqueria in Elkridge.  The Sun's Richard Gorelick posted on the Baltimore Diner blog that the R&R segment on "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" will air on February 27.  Check Gorelick's post for more about other local joints that made the show.

First To Film R&R Taqueria -- YouTube Video Beats Food Network With A Short Video

We're still waiting for the Food Network to broadcast their show about R&R Taqueria in Elkridge, but the Destination Guide has posted a short video with shots of the Mexican food and a nice interview with Rodrigo.

Matt Boyle posted a link on the HowChow Facebook page.  I don't know the Destination Guide, but it's fun to see.

The Food Network Came To Elkridge, And All I Got Was Two Hours Enjoying The Sunshine

The stars of the show -- Chef Rodrigo and family

Guy Fieri and a team filming his Food Network show are working around Baltimore this week, and the star spent much of this morning at R&R Taqueria in Elkridge.

R&R had to close today and November 14 to accommodate the Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives crew, but the owner Rodrigo Albarran-Torres was allowed to invite a few people to appear as customers.  I was honored to get the nod, and I had a great time even though I had to leave while the cameras were still working inside with Rodrigo, Fieri and his guest Joe Theismann.

This was fun like I had fun on a fishing trip where we caught nothing.  The sun was beautiful.  I talked to the folks behind the Strobist blog and Southern Skies Coffee Roasters.  I also chatted with Alberto Flores, who left the first comment about R&R two years ago.  (Alberto and his wife recommended a new dish at another spot for me to try -- which set Rodrigo teasing them that they were helping the competition.)

We watched Fieri and Theismann film a little piece with the show's signature Camaro at the Shell station's pumps.  My favorite moment was watching the two celebrities pose together so that they could each have someone snap a photo with their personal cell phones.  Then we stood around talking until I had to go back to work.  The crew is subtle enough people had no idea they were filming a show.  People kept trying to walk into the restaurant, and a guy had to walk over and explain why the doors were locked.

Let me know when anyone hears when DD&D will air the R&R episode.  I'd love to update.  This couldn't happen to a nicer guy -- or for better food.  This wasn't a PR event.  It was bunch of people standing outside because they really like Rodrigo and R&R.  Click here for all the posts about R&R and its delicious tacos, ceviche, agua fresco, etc.

R&R Taqueria Will Be On The Food Network

Our tacos at the gas station are ready for their closeup.

The Food Network show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives has selected R&R Taqueria as a spot to film on their current trip to Baltimore.

I'm personally excited because I lobbied for R&R (along with some other joints) when the show's production company talked to me a few weeks ago as they were scouting.  I said the food was delicious and that they were guaranteed great video because people eat their tacos looking over the gas pumps.  Then Tom Sietsema named R&R in his Fall Dining Guide, which let me say that they didn't have to rely on a blogger about the delicious part.

I hadn't mentioned anything because I didn't want the show to think R&R was trumpeting the event too early.  But Matt posted an R&R flyer on the HowChow Facebook page that announces the filming and notes that R&R will need to close for much of Nov. 8 and Nov. 14.

(Update:  See below Cara's comment that she emailed DD&D about R&R months ago.  People look out for R&R.)

In far away news, R&R's Web site has photos of new location in the White Marsh Mall.

R&R Tops The Washington Post's List, And That Makes All Of The HowChow Work Worthwhile

Cochinta tacos at R&R Taqueria

Tom Sietsema meet Alberto A. Flores -- the reason why you can enjoy the Mexican food at R&R Taqueria.

Sietsema published his Fall Dining Guide yesterday.  He picked 40 restaurants where he would want to be a regular, and one was the taqueria in the Shell station at the Jessup/Elkridge line.  Let me summarize part of the list:

• CityZen, Washington DC
• Black Salt, Washington DC
• Woodberry Kitchen, Baltimore
• R&R Taqueria, Elkridge

This is one my proudest days as a minor food blogger.  Two years ago tomorrow, Flores dropped a comment on one of my posts, and that sparked my repeated posts reporting on R&R offerings like tacos, agua fresca, horchata and huarache.  That even got my wife to eat in a gas station.

As far as I can tell, my drumbeats got picked up in February when a Wall Street Journal writer researched a five-state roundup of "tacos in gas stations."  That sparked a run of blog posts from Tyler Cowen, Todd Kliman and others.  I wrote before about how much I appreciate the new media innovation of giving credit about where you first heard about something.  I can only assume Sietsema read one of those bloggers and ended up sampling the chicken tacos, the lamb soup, and pollo Mexicano stew.  That food chain of small fish to medium fish ends up with the big fish reviewing the food in a Howard County gas station:

If there's an upside to a sour economy, it's this pint-size eatery with a mere eight stools, which offers the chance to eat tacos every bit as swell as those in Mexico City, the owner's birthplace.

You have to go try R&R now, right?  I have it in my draft "Best Of" list for 2011, but Sietsema was picking places from Fairfax to Baltimore.  Trust him that R&R is something special.  Trust me that all the time invested in a hobby blog becomes worthwhile when I find something delicious and help pass the news into the big-time.  If nothing else, start with the cochinta tacos above -- new to me last month and absolutely scrumptious with a citrus flavor to the pork.

And thank Alberto A. Flores when you love the food.

Horchata At R&R Tacqueria

R&R Taqueria brings genuine Mexican food, and now they're expanding their offerings of authentic drinks as well.

I have raved and raved about the tacos, ceviche and other food.  I have even talked up the agua frescas that bring fruit flavors to your lunch.  Now, you need to order horchata as well.

Horchata is a traditional Mexican soft drink, often made from rice, ground almonds, spices and maybe milk.  You end up with a glass of creamy, light refreshment.  Mrs. HowChow says R&R's has the flavors of a fall latte -- cinnamon, maybe allspice.  The cold goes perfectly with the fresh, spicy salsas that R&R serves up with its tacos.

Tacos And Mexican Along U.S. 1 -- It's A World To Explore And A Treasure To Taste R&R's Success

The "Steak Tipikal" plate at El Tipikal

Once, I happily stopped for barbecued meats anywhere on the side of U.S. 1, but R&R Taqueria has changed my view about Mexican food.

I recommend a U.S. 1 tour for anyone who wants to find their own delicacies.

Like I did, start with the taco trucks like Pupuseria Lorenita in Elkridge.  They're serving tacos or big Mexican sandwiches.  Then work up to the mobile barbecues.  These guys -- often on weekends -- drag half-barrel grills behind a truck and offer up ribs or other meats outside spots like Chesapeake Supply or Mel's Liquors on Rte 175.  For about $10, you get meat in a styrofoam clamshell with rice, beans and salsa.

The new arrival is El Tipikal, which opened earlier this year on the northbound lanes of U.S. 1 in Laurel and appears poised to stay.  It's a wood and plastic shelter built against a catering truck.  They have an enormous grill, and the menu runs from tacos to burritos to steaks with the usual rice, beans and salsa.  It's just a stand, but they have lights and a solid construction that make it seem like they plan on seven days a week for a while.

El Tipikal is fun.  If Lonely Planet wrote a guide of Howard County, it would send 20ish tourists for pork tacos under the plastic roof.  My carnitas taco was delicious and cheap at $2.  The salsas and guacamole are fresh and zesty, and I love the touch of fresh tortillas and cut limes.  But I have to admit that I sat at the table eating my steak and thinking about R&R Taqueria.

Cold Drinks: Watermelon Agua Fresca At R&R

The agua fresca at the R&R Deli in Jessup are the drink that Slurpees wish that they could be.

Imagine a drink slightly thinner than a smoothie, but made from real fruit.  The watermelon agua fresca literally tastes like you're sucking the middle of a melon up through your straw.  Part liquid, part crushed ice.  It's perfect for summer heat -- the cold shock of ice with the flavor of fruit, not artificial syrup.

R&R Deli continues to surprise me.  This is the takeout inside the Shell station at Rte 175 and U.S. 1, and they're turning out delicious food that offers up fresh, fresh ingredients.  I'd put their tacos up against almost any other food in Howard County.  When I was last there, they would blend agua fresca with strawberries, melon, watermelon and something else -- maybe guava.

This is Cold Drink Week.  You want something cool, but you want something better than another soda.  The Cold Drink Week posts offer house-made refreshment -- places that make their own drinks and let your carry them out.

R&R Taqueria Loves HowChow Users; You Should Love Them For Tacos, Maybe Some Soup

R&R Taqueria's business card (Thanks CupcakeRN)

Huarache at R&R Taqueria -- The Secret Menu At R&R Is Your Mouth; Ask For Something Special

I keep writing about R&R Taqueria because you should keep going back to R&R Taqueria.

It was easy for me to fall into a rut of tacos, tacos, tacos.  They're so delicious.  But the takeout joint in a Shell station on Rte 175 offers a broader array of Mexican food -- broader even than its printed menu.

Definitely check out the specials.  Last week, they had a chorizo black bean soup that looked interesting.  But I ordered huarache because Tyler Cowen posted that R&R served the best huarache that he had ever eaten.  

What's a huarache? Start with Wikipedia's profile on the Mexican dish.  Then go order one.  I got an oblong cornmeal base, something between a thick tortilla and an Indian bread.  The base is grilled to have just a touch of char taste.  Mine came topped with a mild white cheese, "al pastor" pork, and some cream.  Dropped on top was probably half an avocado, sliced and perfectly ripe.