Aurora's Taqueria: A Little Restaurant with Big Flavor

This week I was feeling adventurous and was a little short on time, so I tried something completely out of my usual realm, Aurora’s Taqueria. Located at 34146 Pacific Coast Hwy., in Dana Point, this is essentially a deluxe taco stand. There is no “inside” to this restaurant. Customers walk up to the window to place their orders, and then wait in the patio seating area or on the sidewalk until their food is ready.

It is a cute building with white plaster walls and red, and green striped awnings. Mariachi music plays from the speakers and sets the mood for diners.

For such a tiny establishment, the menu is unbelievable. They serve breakfast daily and offer omelets, ham or chorizo and eggs, breakfast torta and a variety of breakfast burritos.

Lunch and dinner menu items include tortas, which can be ordered with beef, chicken, pork, or ham and are served with salsa, onions, tomatoes, beans and lettuce.

Soft shell tacos sell for less than $2 each, and can be made with beef, chicken, pork, marinated pork or even tongue. Hard shell tacos are also available, with beef, chicken or potato, and are served with lettuce, avocado salsa, sour cream and fresh cheese.

There are a variety of interesting burrito choices, including the chile rellano, veggie, super and wet. Some are made with your choice of meat and salsa.

In addition, Aurora’s offers nachos, and quesadillas with or without meat, chicken, beef and shrimp fajitas, taquitos, flautas, and enchiladas. A section of the menu is devoted to seafood, which includes, shrimp cocktail, ceviche or shrimp tostadas, fried fish, fish tacos and the intimidating red hot shrimp.

The menu was almost too much to take in for a first timer, but thankfully, there were customers in front of me, so I had a bit of time to look it all over.  I chose two fish tacos for myself, and the chicken enchilada meal for my husband. I was there in the late afternoon on a weekday, and even though it was not really a mealtime, there were several other people there ordering also.

While I waited, I read all of the notices about the specials and special deals being offered like .99 cent Taco Tuesdays, free drinks for checking in to Aurora’s on Yelp, Google or Facebook. You can even get a free meal if it is your birthday, and have ID to prove it. Then, it was my turn to pick up my order. I headed home, hoping the food was as good as it smelled.

When I opened my Styrofoam box, I was surprised at how good my food looked. The tacos were covered with chopped tomatoes, cilantro and onions and a little cheese, which I did not expect on a fish taco. On top of the tacos was a roasted pepper. I was not sure if it was a garnish or part of the meal, but I thought it looked great.

The tacos required a fork. When I took the first bite, I was impressed. There was a red sauce covering the tortillas, which was almost painfully spicy, but really good. The piece of fish in the taco was large, and well seasoned and much more flavorful than the fish I have usually had in tacos. I think that maybe this is how fish tacos are supposed to taste.

My husband’s chicken enchiladas were served with rice and beans were topped with lettuce, a large amount of sour cream, and two roasted peppers. He also thought his food was very spicy, but that did not stop him from eating every bite. His comment was that it was not greasy, and that it all tasted more authentic than what we normally get at some of the Mexican food restaurants that we usually frequent.

Overall, I was surprised and pleased by the quality and flavor of the food and the expansive menu at Aurora’s Taqueria. I think it is a great, reasonably priced option, especially for take out. Aurora’s is open daily from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

I give Aurora’s Taqueria 3 ½ Patches out of 5.