111 E. Michigan AvenueI’ve lived in Kalamazoo for 15 years. One of the first places I got a recommendation for when we moved her was for a little taco shop in a small town I still hadn’t heard of.
Over the years, I think I’ve eaten at every restaurant in Augusta except that taco shop.
I took the long way home from Battle Creek one day last week and was trying to think what I would pass on the drive. The taco shop popped in my head.
Nina’s Taqueria is on East Michigan Avenue/M-96 in downtown Augusta. The small yellow building sits on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Canal Street next to Augusta Creek. It’s hard to miss as you’re driving through town. This is one of two Nina’s location. The other is in Battle Creek. I actually ate at that one a little over ten years ago with a co-worker and we both really liked it, so I have no excuse for the dozens of times I’ve driven by this location without stopping.
If you know me, you know I usually pick restaurants because they offer online ordering. Nina’s does not offer online ordering so I had to call it in. I pulled off to the side of the road near Ft. Custer and called in my order for five steak tacos. The guy who took the order if I wanted lettuce, tomato, and cheese on them which took me aback a bit. I said no. Just cilantro and onion.
The entrance to the restaurant is on the Canal Street side of the building. There are two very distinct rooms when you walk in. The first one is the bigger of the two dining rooms. It looks pretty much like you expect a Mexican restaurant to look. There is a Southwest Adobo theme with carved wooden chairs painted brightly to match the painting on the glass covered tables.
I walked in to the second room to find the lone waiter. He told me to sit wherever but I told him I was there for a pick up. He ran to the kitchen and grabbed the bag. The cost was right around $15 which I paid for on my car then headed back to the office in Kalamazoo to eat.
The tacos were pretty standard Mexican style tacos….and I love pretty standard Mexican style tacos. The double corn tortillas were super soft and overflowing with tender chopped steak, cilantro and onion. There was no hot sauce at all in the bag. That’s the second time that’s happened to me in the last couple of weeks….must be a new thing at Mexican restaurants where you have to ask for it? Like I said in that blog post, the tacos were delicious but would have been better with a little red sauce. Maybe I just need to keep a bottle in the fridge at work.
I don’t get too adventurous when I go to Mexican restaurants. I love street tacos. Like, I could live on them if it was an option. I don’t see a reason to order anything else.
Nina’s Taqueria is a simple Mexican restaurant with a big reputation. They offer a lot more than tacos but that’s all I’ve ever gotten from them. Don’t just keep driving like I’ve done for so many years. This place has a ton of charm and some tasty Mexican food.