Tucked away in a hidden courtyard on HaShuk Street in Ra'anana is a lively, kosher Mexican restaurant. Los Tacos is a vibrant, rustic Latin American gem, bursting with life and bringing an unexpected taste of Mexico to the city.
Like many interesting places, Los Tacos has a compelling story behind it: a couple who immigrated from Mexico City about seven years ago, left behind their secure, conventional jobs and went all in on their true passion: bringing authentic, deeply rooted Mexican cuisine, with the flavors of their childhood homes, to the heart of Israel's Sharon region.
Granted, they are not the first Mexican culinary pioneers in Israel. A similar story can be found at the wonderful Tacos Luis, which has been operating in Jerusalem for years, or in Tel Aviv's Mexican food scene, which has gained momentum in recent years. But the journey this couple offers, transporting diners from Ra'anana straight into the heart of Central America, is an experience that's hard to remain indifferent to.
Although Los Tacos officially opened only a few months ago, the small courtyard where it is located already looks and feels like a neighborhood taqueria that has been there for years. The smell of corn roasting in the air, the aromas and sight of meat cooking, the gentle background music, the soft evening lighting and the simple seating in a courtyard packed with diners all give the place tremendous character and authenticity.
(Photo: David Moyal)
The moment you arrive, it's clear that this isn't an artificial attempt to create a "South American atmosphere," but rather a natural, relaxed expression of genuine street food culture. It's not something easily explained in words. Come and you'll understand.
As for what the restaurant offers, you could say the concept is Mexican but the pricing is Israeli, with a few welcome, attractive exceptions. A deal featuring three tacos and a soft drink costs 72 shekels, while three tacos with a carefully prepared alcoholic drink will set you back 82 shekels. The menu consists mainly of tacos, with several options for building a bowl using the same ingredients. The food is gluten-free, and there are plenty of vegetarian and vegan options, which we also sampled.
Orders are placed using a computer screen outside. The information is fairly clear, but sometimes human interaction is preferable, especially when dealing with a cuisine that much of the public is less familiar with. After ordering, you hand your receipt to the taco maker behind the counter, where you encounter the restaurant's true source of energy and watch the colorful, tempting plates being assembled.
Los Tacos already looks and feels like a neighborhood taqueria that has been there for years
(Photo: David Moyal)
In the back, corn kernels are ground in a special machine that produces fresh corn tortillas on the spot. To one side stands a rotating shawarma-style spit, or al pastor, a testament to the legacy of Lebanese immigrants who brought the vertical spit to Central America. The spit is crowned with roasted pineapple, its sweet juices dripping onto the seasoned meat. Nearby, a large stainless steel pot holds asado, slowly cooking into an extraordinarily tender, rich and fatty dish.
The authenticity here is uncompromising, and that's precisely what makes the place so successful. When I asked the owner whether she planned to introduce white flour tortillas for Israeli customers, she smiled gently and replied, "No. If you want white flour, go to the place next door."
That commitment to tradition is certainly admirable, although it's also clear that not everyone will appreciate it. Another consideration is the restaurant's kosher certification. Cheese served with meat, and pork in particular, are prominent features of Mexican cuisine. You won't find them at kosher Los Tacos, although we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves regardless.
The taste test
Without wasting much time, we dove into the fillings. Every taco, without exception, comes topped with guacamole, salsa verde, onion and cilantro, with a cucumber and radish salad on the side.
The asado was incredibly tender, rich and juicy, just as you'd expect from a slow-cooked dish packed with flavor. In Israel, serious shawarma enthusiasts often ask for a piece of fat sliced from the top of the spit. Here, you get a slice of roasted pineapple instead. And it's quite delicious.
this isn't an artificial attempt to create a 'South American atmosphere'
(Photo: David Moyal)
But the dish that intrigued me most was the lengua, beef tongue cooked slowly for hours. It's extremely popular in Mexico, and I was delighted to discover it here as well. In Mexico, it's customary to serve a whole slice of tongue, but here the owner has chosen to chop it into small pieces, presumably to avoid putting off local diners who might be uncomfortable with the appearance of the cut. Chopping it caused the tongue to lose some of its juiciness and made it slightly dry, but it was still very good.
There's also excellent chorizo, as well as a combination of chorizo and asado. The vegetarian dishes we sampled, especially the mushroom option, felt like creations in their own right rather than attempts to find substitutes for meat.
Each taco is served with two overlapping tortillas to prevent them from tearing under the weight of the fillings and juices. Everything comes on simple, reusable plastic plates, exactly as it would at a typical street taqueria in Mexico.
As for sauces, you'll find several tasty salsas with varying levels of heat. I would have preferred to receive them in small individual bowls at each table, allowing diners to sample them, become familiar with the flavors and adjust the spice level more conveniently and precisely, rather than having them poured over the tacos in advance.
Alongside the tacos comes a nopales cactus salad (18 shekels), essentially the restaurant's signature pickles, made from pieces of pickled cactus. Its crisp, clean acidity plays an important role in the meal, cutting through the heat, cleansing the palate of richness and rekindling your appetite for the next taco.
Another dish that demonstrates real culinary depth and deserves special attention is the rice with mole (36 shekels). Mole is a dark, deeply flavored and exceptionally complex culinary creation, a sauce containing no fewer than 33 different ingredients, including chocolate and dried chilies. This thick sauce coats the rice beautifully, giving it a rich, spicy character with layer upon layer of flavor.
Are you hungry yet?
(Photo: David Moyal)
The drinks are every bit as authentic, enjoyable and surprising as the food. Alcohol is sold at genuinely attractive prices, with a large, generously sized frozen tamarind margarita costing just 40 shekels.
Among the nonalcoholic drinks, don't miss the horchata, a traditional, indulgent, sweet drink made with rice water, milk and cinnamon, or the Jamaica, a cold, red hibiscus tea that's not overly sweet and is wonderfully refreshing.
The bottom line
Ultimately, Los Tacos is not just another restaurant introducing an international cuisine while trying to flatter local tastes, create a refined fusion concept or tone down its seasoning for a broader audience. This is a genuine Latin American street food experience, unpretentious, passionate and bursting with flavor, in a location nobody would have expected.
That dedication to authenticity certainly leaves you wanting more, with the hope that once the restaurant becomes established and gains confidence, we'll see additional Mexican dishes that aren't yet on the menu.
Even so, in the heart of Ra'anana, you can take a bite, close your eyes and suddenly feel as though you've been transported to the other side of the world.