1627 Division Avenue SouthWorking a holiday is never fun but we have to do it a couple of times a year.
I picked Labor Day as my holiday to work. I picked the easier shift just because I loathe it so much. I was able to spend the morning at the lake with my family near Centreville then drive to Grand Rapids in the afternoon for my shift. We were able to take the kids out on the boat and do some tubing before I grabbed lunch and headed north.
I got a dinner break around 7:00. There’s not a lot open on holiday’s and every place I checked had Facebook posts about taking the day off.
I tried to order from a slider restaurant on South Division but their online ordering wasn’t working. I assumed that was because they were closed but I decided just drive down there and see for myself. If they were, I’d find something along the way.
They were closed….and luckily, I found something even better along the way.
I ended up at Tortilleria y Restaurante La Guadalupana. The small restaurant is on Division Street just to the north of Corrine Street south of downtown Grand Rapids. The brightly painted building has been some kind of Mexican restaurant for as long as I can remember, but it looks like this particular restaurant opened sometime last year.
The thing that really caught my eye about this place wasn’t the building. It was a small, sign near the road. Tacos. $1.50. That’ can’t be right….right? And if it was, it couldn’t possibly be the kind of tacos I wanted….right?
I pulled in to the small shop about 7:00. There were a couple of people in front of me when someone from the kitchen came out and asked what I was going to be order. I told her 5 steak tacos. She asked if I wanted cilantro, onions, and guac. I said yes to the cilantro and onions, but I don’t really like guac so I said no to that.
When the guy working the register was done with the people in front of me, he grabbed the handwritten ticket the woman from the kitchen wrote up and rang me up. The total was just under $8. The tacos really were $1.50. I got 5 tacos for the same price I’ve paid for 2 at some places. I almost ordered more.
There’s a little bit of seating in the restaurant but that filled up quickly. I just beat in a large van of people who were dining in. Since I was taking mine to go, I just stood out of the way and let them have the tables. It took about five minutes or so before the bag was brought out. The lady who bagged it asked if I wanted both hot sauces or just the green. I said both but really would have been happy with just the red. I don’t love green hot sauces..they don’t have enough kick. I always take the red.
I was still a little hesitant to believe I would get full size tacos for $1.50, but once again, I was surprised.
The box contained five tacos just like I’d get from anywhere else. Each had two soft grilled corn tortillas, a lot of chopped steak topped with cilantro, onion, and the guac I asked to be left off. I powered through the guac since there wasn’t that much and it wasn’t so bad. The meat was super tender and one of the better steak tacos I’ve had in a while. I was so surprised. These $1.50 tacos were better than some I’ve paid almost $4 for and they were just as big and filling.
Tortilleria y Restaurante La Guadalupana may become my new Grand Rapids taco place. I used to go to Taquiera San Jose all the time but they closed a few years ago and I haven’t really had a place since. I also don’t work in Grand Rapids as much as I used to so it hasn’t been that big of a deal.
I was very tempted to head back to Tortilleria y Restaurante La Guadalupana after I finished these five tacos. I didn’t need anymore but they were so good and at $1.50 a taco, it’s hard not to order a dozen.