Tacos 4 Life has opened its second location in the STL area this summer in Ballwin, right off Manchester Road just west of Sulphur Springs. Being only minutes away from South, it has the potential to be a new and popular spot to grab a bite with friends and family, leaving one critical question: How good is it?
That’s what we will be finding out today. After a short day at school, I hopped into my dented car and drove down Hanna and up Manchester to get a taste of what this place has to offer. In total we will be reviewing one drink, three soft-shell tacos, and one burrito, with each item chosen to be unique from one another to ensure a balanced and diverse palette.
Let’s dig in!
ITEM ONE: PARADISE PUNCH
Alongside select Coke products and tea, the Paradise Punch ($3.19) was the option that really caught my eye. The drink itself is light and refreshing, which is a theme that continues with many of the food items we will be trying. Its taste, however, threw me for a loop. It was uniquely sweet, and had the flavors of an artificial orange and strawberry. It tasted remarkably similar to a shaved ice treat melted down into a fruit punch.
Overall, an interesting start to the dining experience. The taste certainly wasn’t bad, but it’s not something I’d return to. The main strength of this drink comes from its light and refreshing flavors and consistency. I rate the Paradise Punch an alright 6/10.
ITEM TWO: MANGO HABANERO TACO ($4.99)
Continuing with the fruity theme, this soft shell taco consists of a grilled chicken base and cotija cheese, decorated with cabbage, pico de gallo, and avocado, topped with a delectable diced mango salsa.
As exciting as this taco may sound, I was expecting a bit more. The mango salsa was light and tasty, but had a tendency to fall off the top of the taco. The grilled chicken was solid and had a slight kick to it; very manageable spiciness. The avocado and pico de galo added a pleasant mushiness to the mix. Each ingredient certainly had its own unique flavor and merits.
While this was a solid taco and made for a fun snack, my main gripe with this item is the lack of cohesion; The flavors didn’t mesh and blend in a way that I hoped they would’ve. The chicken and the spice it brings doesn’t complement the delicate mango salsa on top, and the avocado and pico de gallo tasted like they were also doing their own thing. Still a tasty taco, but I think some changes could be made to make this a more harmonious snack. 7.5/10.
ITEM THREE: BUFFALO CHICKEN TACO ($4.99)
Triumphantly standing at the top of the fan favorites list, this Americanized taco is characterized by a fried chicken base drizzled in buffalo sauce, lettuce, and ranch, topped with four fried pickles.
By far this one was the spiciest; nothing extreme, but it certainly took a bit out of me, so if you’ve got a thing for capsaicin, perhaps look into this one. As for taste, the fried pickles on top were milder than I expected, but still a lovely addition to the taco. The taco was also much meatier than the Mango Habanero (I mean duh it’s basically a bbq taco) and much more filling; While the Mango Habanero is comparable to a salad, the Buffalo Chicken is more like a burger.
Now, despite being the token American item in a taco place, it wasn’t “too much.” The flavors were overall pretty mild; the most extreme part being the spice. The American/barbeque theme worked pretty well, although it didn’t really have that classic barbeque taste, but something more akin to buffalo sauce. I did wish the flavors were a little less mild, as I did find the taco a bit bland. It was filling, yet left me desiring for more. 6/10.
ITEM FOUR: CRISPY EGGPLANT TACO ($4.99)
Hidden at the bottom of the menu, this taco definitely feels like an outlier on our list, both in concept and in ranking. Instead of meat, this taco has a base of lightly breaded eggplant, decorated with a cilantro pesto sauce, sauteed cherry tomatoes, and topped with a lime wedge.
To be frank, this taco was absolutely delicious. The eggplant was warm, crunchy, and PACKED full of flavor, tasting like a delicious meat that doesn’t exists. The cilantro pesto sauce and sauteed tomatoes went lovely together with an umami flavor, adding a whole other dimension to the breaded eggplant. The Lime was just a cherry on top of this work of art. And the taco was surprisingly light too! If I hadn’t eaten the other items beforehand, I would’ve gone back to the register to buy another two of these.
Umami and crunchy: Simply a delicious taco. I am hesitant to give this a perfect rating, but it is at least a 9/10.
ITEM FIVE: FRIED CHICKEN BURRITO ($9.99)
Tacos 4 Life’s take on a simple, big ol’ burrito. A foot-long tortilla is wrapped around a conglomeration of rice, crispy fried chicken, housemade queso, and honey and chipotle aioli, served with a side of roasted salsa for dipping. By far the most filling item in this review: I didn’t even get halfway through this beast.
Digging in, an important thing to note was that this burrito tasted surprisingly sweet! I’m not sure where this came from, but it’s not an unwelcomed edition. Now, the first couple of bites were just rice, and that was a bit disappointing. However, as I made my way closer to the center and more and more ingredients started to reveal themselves, this burrito certainly got better and better. The fried chicken was a lovely addition, and, frankly, a wonderful thing to add to a burrito. The rice was nothing special, as rice is a must-have for a good burrito. What really brought this together was the queso, aioli, and roasted salsa. This trio were the heroes that added the flavor that this burrito would’ve needed. The salsa in particular, fruity and mild, added a whole other layer to this burrito, and is something I highly recommend.
Overall, this burrito was all the things a good burrito should be: Filling, flavorful, and satisfying. 8/10.
This small sampler is only a taste of what Tacos 4 Life has to offer, and I think their variety of unique tacos and other items is one of this place’s biggest strengths. If there is one item you don’t love, chances are, there’s another that you will. I will be returning to this place soon to try out some new tacos, and I recommend you, dear reader, do as well! Overall, Tacos 4 Life has a whole lot to offer, and gets a 8/10. For only $4.99 a piece, this restaurant will have a taco you’ll enjoy!
