Tacos del Cartel: Fried Avocado Taco with Fideo and Fried Cauliflower Taco with Sweet Potato Puree

Tacos Del Cartel is the newest Mexican spot to pop up on the 500 block of Clematis and it’s bringing pink neon, Miami vibes (and prices) and inventive takes on classic Mexican fare.

The Spot: Tacos del Cartel

• Location: 533 Clematis St, West Palm Beach, FL 33401

• Vibe: Modern, buzzy and hip with pink neon, florals and Alebrijes animal decor.

 

The Bite: Fried Avocado Taco with Fideo and Fried Cauliflower Taco with Sweet Potato Puree

• Price: $6.00 each (Happy Hour pricing)

• Vegetarian Status: Vegetarian

The Flavor Breakdown

A good vegetarian taco is hard to find in Palm Beach County. They usually suffer from the same issue as vegetarian sandwiches do - focus on the side characters (lettuce, tomato, onions and cheese) and ignore the star entirely.

Tacos del Cartel gets big points for setting the stage for their star to shine.

I am not a sweet potato girl at all - chips, fries, casserole (unless it was made by Brenda who I worked with over 15 years ago), but the sweet potato puree in this taco is the perfect foundation for the crispy flash-fried cauliflower and plays off the smoky, chipotle-laced salsa macha perfectly. A fantastic bite.

Unfortunately, Tacos del Cartel gets a little too clever with their fried avocado taco.

Fried avocado tacos are incredible and no-one does them better than Torchy’s Tacos. They’re creamy, crunchy and don’t need much in the way of adornment, so the decision to place them on a bed of fideo and drizzle them with crema makes no sense.

Is this a meme-fied reference to the spaghetti tacos from iCarly or just a bad idea? Either way, I don’t it and definitely won’t be ordering again.

The Beverage: House Margarita

• Price: $8 (Happy Hour Pricing)

• Vegetarian Status: Vegan and available frozen if that’s what you prefer.

A classic in every sense of the word.

Light, refreshing, more tangy than sweet. Don’t understand the whole glass dredged in salt but it looked pretty.

One Mouthy Sandwich Girl Rating:

• Flavor & Freshness:

  • 🥪 🥪 🥪 🥪 🥪 - Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Tacos

  • 🥪 🥪 - Fried Avocado and Fideo Tacos

  • 🥪 🥪 🥪 - Average Rating

• Value for Buck:

  • 🥪 🥪

  • $6.00 for one small taco, especially a vegetarian one is pricier than I would like. It’s on par with Cholo Soy, El Segundo and Zipitios which all have creative veggie options but double the cost of Lupita’s which lean more traditional.

• Vegetarian Variety:

  • 🥪 🥪 🥪 🥪

  • Two vegetarian tacos on the menu which is one more than the places listed above as well as guacamole, queso, mushrooms as an alternative protein for their bowls and burritos, cheese enchiladas, esquites, elote, vegetarian refried beans and rice cooked with vegetable broth.

• The Verdict:

  • 🥪 🥪 🥪

  • I love the vibe and I love the prevalence of vegetarian options. It’s a great spot to celebrate an occasion like a birthday or to hit up for a Happy Hour. if you’re looking for creative, fun and vibey spot on Clematis, you’ll do no better than Tacos del Cartel.