Tampico Tienda y Taqueria (Spanish for "store and taco shop") has become my new favorite Mexican joint among the many that populate Nashville's White Bridge area on the west side, although I didn't see any signs of a store. Befitting of this part of town, this is a family-run business succeeding since 2023 in a converted auto shop. And they're getting rave reviews! Incidentally, Tampico is the highest-rated restaurant on Highway 70 in Nashville, an odd fact I learned after driving the entire 2,372.49-mile length of eastbound 70 and dining at its best eateries.
The tacos here are authentic and made to order, double wrapped in what seem to be homemade tortillas, served with pickled carrots, sliced radishes, and lime wedges just as they are in Mexico. They're topped with flavorful raw onions and finely minced cilantro (unless you opt to hold those items) and served with both salsa roja and salsa verde.
There are no paper menus, but employees will patiently run through their offerings. Alternatively, you can watch the video screen gradually make its way through all the options. The carnitas tacos with tender pulled pork are beautiful perfection, a five-star dish for sure! The barbacoa tacos with slow-roasted beef are juicy and tender. And the al pastor tacos with marinated morsels of pork are reasonably tasty as well. The complimentary chips and salsa aren't as good, possibly store-bought salsa. But that doesn't overshadow those carnitas tacos! read more