New Tacos Al Fuego Impresses at the Hangar

November 26, 2023 – How, exactly, did I almost get the house chipotle aioli in my right eye? I am not entirely sure. 

But it gets at a more general truth: Watsonville has a winner in new Tacos Al Fuego, partly because it is so deliciously messy it leads to cleanup on aisle eyeball.

I shouldn’t be all that surprised that the family-owned and -operated addition to The Hangar food complex proves excellent. 

That’s because two reliable and unrelated sources from beyond Watsonville recommended Al Fuego, which opened in August.

The photo one sent—of The Pastor Burger, whose dry erase board description reads “ground beef with al pastor meat topped with grilled onions, grilled jalapeños, pineapple slice, iceberg lettuce, mozzarella, drizzled with secret avocado salsa, salsa roja and a side of fries, $15”—provided another hint Al Fuego doesn’t skimp on payload, sauce or flavor. 

“Epic joint just was born here in The Hanger,” came the accompanying text from Griffin Guess, the local fisherman/former music mogul who Edible profiled in spring 2023. (The other endorsement arrived from Real Good Fish CEO and “White House Champion of Change” Alan Lovewell.)

The Baja fish taco and melty “mulita” provided affirmation of their recommendation. 

The taco vibrates with scientific precision on spicy heat, the flaky white fish is fried hard but not too thick on crust, with lots of sauce and mango-cabbage coleslaw crunch. 

The mulita benefits from homemade corn tortillas (a house strength), fresh guacamole (another house strength), a choice of meat (al pastor won the slot), diced onion and cilantro, melded with melted mozzarella. Satisfying, with zing.

So messy matters in the right places. 

So does clean—and the decor, layout, bar and vibrant local art all qualify, without sacrificing visual pop.

Other things to recommend TAF, between messy and clean, include: 

• A diverse—and complimentary—serve-yourself salsa bar. Like the fresh guac and house tortillas, it goes a long way to sow customer loyalty.

• Other flavor-forward super quesadillas and tacos like El Macho with griddled, whole Peruano beans and choice of protein or the Baja shrimp, grilled or battered and fried.

• Ambitious burritos like overstuffed Surf n Turf with a mix of Angus top round beef, dry-rubbed prawns, Mexican rice, sour cream, grilled onions, mozzarella cheese and a fresh homemade chipotle guacamole. 

• Homemade horchata made fresh daily, plus craft draft and Mexican beer on tap, because…sí señor.

• Indulgent possibilities like carne en su jugo, loaded fries, churro cheesecake, and the “alambre plate” with grilled longaniza sausage, chicken, carne asada, onions, bell peppers, and mozzarella cheese, plus tortillas, Mexican rice and Peruano beans.

• Wednesday Happy Hours 4:30-7:30pm with a choice of three appetizers like fried fish, street tacos, chicken flautas and al pastor fries for $20 and pitchers of Modelo for $25.

• Solid value—$12 for my fish taco and a mulita feels like a fair price; the flagship taco al cielo runs $5.50. Something like the substantial La Gordibuena (loosely translated, “nice thiccie”), piled with Peruano beans, a layer of griddle mozzarella, choice of meat—including plant-based—grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, fresh house guacamole, mayonnaise (!) and pickled jalapeños, is a lot of food for $13.

• Good neighbors: After all, it does occupy a central spot in the hub that is The Hangar, with local go-tos like Mr. Z’s Crepes and Teas and Honeylux Coffee within a few steps. And the Al Fuego food is exportable to Beer Mule Bottle Shop and Pour House’s expansive picnic-bench patio. Side note: Beer Mule has been upping its food game—to match the sublime beer—too. Call it a whole mess of good stuff to get into.

More at Tacos Al Fuego Instagram feed and menu page.