The first thing that bowled me over when I set foot in Beto’s Tacos on Main Street was an intoxicating fragrance consisting of smoky meat, bushels of cilantro, and chopped white onions. Corn tortillas warmed on a griddle press behind the counter, readying delicate vessels to load up with chorizo or carne asada. Salsa music played quietly with the accompanying percussion of sizzling pork and pineapple on the grill.
A combination of deep red and forest green vinyl lettering plastered on white subway tile spelled out “Beto’s Tacos” followed by “Tacos, Burritos & Tortas” with a large illustrated chili pepper. A half dozen worn wooden tables were occupied by Clark students and neighborhood residents. Green baseboards broke away from rough plywood flooring to draw my eyes up past the red countertop toward a messy dry erase board menu. I counted just shy of 30 items including drinks, which I considered a manageable roster of ingredients for a kitchen of Beto’s size. Everything was less than $10.
Outside, Beto’s was all clean lines, red bricks, and shiny glass. Inside, a hand-painted mural of a Mexican villa grabbed me right away. There was something intimate about the scene — a glimpse of someone’s world beyond Worcester. The only other deliberate wall decoration was a Disney Pixar calendar featuring Miguel, the young guitarist from “Coco.”
A piñata reminded me to “tip el burro” at the register. I sipped agua de Jamaica, a tangy beverage infused with hibiscus flowers that I would liken to cranberry juice for someone unfamiliar with the drink. The food at Beto’s is served on ceramic plates, but Jamaica and horchata arrive in styrofoam cups with plastic straws.
Tortas at Beto’s are made with Telera bread, dense white rolls toasted on a sandwich press. Campechana, also known as a seafood cocktail, sets the torta selection apart from the tacos and burritos which lean heavily toward land-proteins like beef, pork and chicken. Burritos are packed tight in flour tortillas with rice, beans, pico de gallo, sour cream, and chunky guacamole. The lengua, beef tongue, is particularly popular for its sumptuous preparation.
On my most recent visit, the tacos al pastor exceeded my expectations. The pork had been marinated in spicy adoba sauce and then grilled with juicy cuts of pineapple to perfection. My tortillas were supple but sturdy. The aromatics of cilantro, onion, lime and salsa verde all but smacked me with appreciation. Each ingredient had been independently tended to as if it were going to be served on its own.
Beto’s is a small operation, so if you’re hoping for tres leches cake, you’d better drop by early in the day. They sometimes run out. Tortillas are not made in house, but they are fresh. My only other cuisine caution is that I have now tried three taco varieties and they have all been served with the same salsa verde. I can only imagine the salsa wizardry of which Beto’s is capable of given a few more months in business. I can’t wait to make frequent returns.
The value is certainly worth mentioning. You will eat very well at Beto’s for next to nothing, not to mention the inherent worth of enjoying food prepared by someone who really seems to care about what they’re putting on the plate.
Dinner for two came to $20.98.
Explanation of Stars: Ratings are from zero to five. Zero is not recommended. One is poor. Two is fair. Three is satisfactory. Four is good. Five is excellent.
Food: 3.5/5
Ambience: 2/5
Service: 3/5
Value: 4/5
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