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Taco Punk Kickstarter

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Ron H

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Re: Taco Punk Kickstarter

by Ron H » Tue Jan 29, 2013 10:49 am

I finally got around to eating at Taco Punk this weekend.

1. It was delicious. The tacos (Barbeercoa and the fish with the chipotle lime mayo) were both delicious, as was the guac--and I normally hate guac, but this was stellar. However...

2. The portions seemed small for the price. For what I spent for two Punk Platters, I could get a meal at Chuy's or twice as many equally good tacos at Hole Mole. I'm aware that it costs more to run a business that has a brick and mortar location, but for that price you could bring the food to me when it's ready (the wife had to wait by the counter for her fish taco to come out of the kitchen). Also, they were maybe a snack-sized bag's worth of tortilla chips, and they seemed very careful about only putting on the acceptable amount of cabbage/jalapenos per taco. I'm not asking for huge portions, nor am I asking for a garbage bag of chips and salsa, but I walked through a lunch line and served myself salsa from the bar; why not throw chips out there so I can have enough chips to go with my guac? And believe me, I loaded guac onto my chips, but I didn't have enough and neither did she.

3. No margaritas? At a Mexican place? Maybe aim to get a liquor license while you're expanding to add a little fat to your bottom line. The turnover seemed to be good even with bottled beer, so maybe a limited bar menu might perk things up? I mean, I would've cheerfully added another $7 to my bill for a 'rita.

4. If you're concerned about the environment, shouldn't you just use reusable dishes/plates/silverware rather than recyclable for in-house dining? Admittedly, I don't know the math of it all, but it seems like something you can use forever (or for many years) is a better value than even the more environmentally-friendly paper plate. Of course, I could be completely wrong, but I doubt it since I'm still using Corel bowls from the 60's purchased at yard sales in the 90's.

TL:DR - Really good tacos, but it costs a little too much for what you get when compared to similar quality restaurants. I'll return, but with a coupon unless I'm really in the mood for the food.
"I like rice. Rice is great if you're hungry and want 2000 of something." - Mitch Hedberg
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Suzi Bernert

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Re: Taco Punk Kickstarter

by Suzi Bernert » Tue Jan 29, 2013 12:45 pm

The times I have been to TP, we had more than enough chips. In fact, I felt bad about leaving them, because they were so good. Not doubting, but maybe you hit a bad time...
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Ron H

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Re: Taco Punk Kickstarter

by Ron H » Tue Jan 29, 2013 2:54 pm

Suzi Bernert wrote:The times I have been to TP, we had more than enough chips. In fact, I felt bad about leaving them, because they were so good. Not doubting, but maybe you hit a bad time...


I must have, because I got probably 10 chips, which seems insufficient to me for a side of guac and some salsa(s) tasting.
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Robin Garr

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Re: Taco Punk Kickstarter

by Robin Garr » Tue Jan 29, 2013 2:57 pm

Ron H wrote:... I got probably 10 chips, which seems insufficient to me for a side of guac and some salsa(s) tasting.

Not being argumentative in any way, Ron, but looking for context here, did you ask for more? If you just silently took a short load, that's one thing. If you sought justice and were spurned, that's something else all together.
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Ron H

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Re: Taco Punk Kickstarter

by Ron H » Tue Jan 29, 2013 4:29 pm

Robin Garr wrote:Not being argumentative in any way, Ron, but looking for context here, did you ask for more? If you just silently took a short load, that's one thing. If you sought justice and were spurned, that's something else all together.


I did not ask for more because I was distracted by the wife's missing taco meat. I suppose I could have/should have asked for more. But I also noted how gingerly they put meat into the taco and the upcharges for adding chips and salsa, sour cream, cheese, and figured I'd make do with what I have. So, really, I guess it's my fault for not holding out my beggars bowl like Oliver.
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Re: Taco Punk Kickstarter

by Robin Garr » Tue Jan 29, 2013 4:47 pm

Ron H wrote: So, really, I guess it's my fault for not holding out my beggars bowl like Oliver.

Naw, don't even go there. I would never argue with a guy holding a pistol. :mrgreen: Seriously, I was just curious about that nuance ... if they had declined more upon request, I'd have gotten more worked up, but that doesn't take away from your original point.
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Jamie O

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Re: Taco Punk Kickstarter

by Jamie O » Tue Jan 29, 2013 7:40 pm

J Dylan wrote: <yakyakyakyak>

Image
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Doug Davis

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Re: Taco Punk Kickstarter

by Doug Davis » Wed Jan 30, 2013 12:20 am

Ron H wrote:
Robin Garr wrote:Not being argumentative in any way, Ron, but looking for context here, did you ask for more? If you just silently took a short load, that's one thing. If you sought justice and were spurned, that's something else all together.


I did not ask for more because I was distracted by the wife's missing taco meat. I suppose I could have/should have asked for more. But I also noted how gingerly they put meat into the taco and the upcharges for adding chips and salsa, sour cream, cheese, and figured I'd make do with what I have. So, really, I guess it's my fault for not holding out my beggars bowl like Oliver.



This was my experience as well, as I stated earlier. So you arent the only one.
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Jamie O

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Re: Taco Punk Kickstarter

by Jamie O » Wed Jan 30, 2013 1:26 am

Jamie O wrote:
J Dylan wrote: <yakyakyakyak>

Image


I just noticed this newly edited version. Touche` ahahahahahahhaha
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Jeff Cavanaugh

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Re: Taco Punk Kickstarter

by Jeff Cavanaugh » Thu Jan 31, 2013 10:52 am

I ate there Monday for lunch, and it was fairly crowded. My experience was different than Ron's; my two tacos were so full of meat I had to eat some of it out with a fork before I could pick them up. Also, they were very clear with me and several others in line that the chips are bottomless if you get a Punk Platter; all you have to do is go ask for more.

Also, I noticed Nulu's old friend Rae Hodge has jumped into the fray with a new hatchet job. Seems to be more of the same stuff we've seen from her before: leaps of logic and class-warfare jihad.
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Deb Hall

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Re: Taco Punk Kickstarter

by Deb Hall » Thu Jan 31, 2013 11:01 am

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Kari L

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Re: Taco Punk Kickstarter

by Kari L » Thu Jan 31, 2013 11:47 am

While I've never had a meat based taco at Taco Punk (since I am vegetarian), I also have always had to eat part of the filling with a fork before I could even begin to pick up my Seasonal Veggie Mole tacos. I've always left full and been very pleased with the portion.

I'd rather just patronize the restaurant than give to the Kickstarter.
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Aaron Newton

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Re: Taco Punk Kickstarter

by Aaron Newton » Thu Jan 31, 2013 11:53 am

Man, screw WFPL for giving Hodge another platform to push her twisted agenda.

Paper mâché tortillas? My sister brought us take out from Taco Punk two weeks ago, which is a 20 minute drive from my house. Those tortillas held up perfectly. All six platters worth had absolutely no issues there.
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DanB

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Re: Taco Punk Kickstarter

by DanB » Thu Jan 31, 2013 12:35 pm

The UofL girl knows a good thing when she sees it since, well, since she's not gained much of any notoriety for anything else. Plus lampooning the hipster ethos is pretty much like shooting fish in a barrel. I think once you move past the notion that this is a begging campaign for a bog standard failed enterprise, you can maybe look at it in a different light.

FWIW Taco Punk is essentially a petri dish scientific experiment for many of the kind of ideals that are advocated for (or pontificated about) on a regular basis in this forum and elsewhere. If we assume all other things being equal (i.e. normal capitalisation and normal management skills) we have a perfect test case where all the noble ideals are packed into one place and set free to compete with the crass, industrialized, and unfair food world.

So far the score is..... well.... shall we say "almost competitive"? Even with a successful KS campaign and $20 grand, Mr. Sowder may fail. The state of TP's liabilities and cashflow is not precisely known. So is it worth throwing good money after bad? --->Maybe. The thing is human endeavor and progress is predicated on people probing the margins.... pushing the envelope. I'm not saying he's the Ferdinand Magellan of food but you get the point.

But even if he does fail his test case might be a useful building block for the next guy or gal. So if you are one of those who supports those same ideals, if you talk about higher retail wages or local sourcing or organics etc, your investment may be more than just a short term cash injection into a weak balance sheet. It might just be a bit of fertilizer for something more important.
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Stephen D

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Re: Taco Punk Kickstarter

by Stephen D » Thu Jan 31, 2013 12:43 pm

DanB wrote:The UofL girl ...


I want to go on record as saying:

'I really like you, Dan. Spot on!

8)
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