Chavez Supermarket & Taqueria: Reviews | restaurant info + video | full episode video
Name: Marco
Occupation: Director of Mobile Crisis Team
Location: Castro Valley
Favorite Restaurant: Chavez Supermarket & Taqueria
Reviewed Chavez Supermarket & Taqueria: Thursday, April 11, 2013
As always when you first arrive at the taqueria, you are greeted by the man behind the counter with a big smile. The food there is always great. You wait in line as the people ahead of you place their order. Once it was our turn we ordered a carne asada torta and my friend ordered the carne asada nachos. We then proceeded to the cashier, paid for our food, and were given our food on a tray. The portion size for the nachos is more than enough for two people. The quality of the meat is tender and my torta is just as good. The bread is soft and warm and the carne asada is tender and tasty. The atmosphere is casual as people do their grocery shopping in the adjacent grocery store. There is authentic Mexican music playing in the background and the prices are very reasonable, but what makes it even better is that you get very high quality food.
Name: Rachel
Occupation: Physical Therapist
Location: Corte Madera
Favorite Restaurant: Bistro Vis à Vis
Reviewed Chavez Supermarket & Taqueria: Sunday, April 14, 2013
Chavez Market and Taqueria is easy to find despite all of the construction passing through downtown Hayward. It is a one-stop-shop for lunch and interesting and unusual authentic Mexican items as well as fresh produce and other traditional groceries. There is ample parking in the lot as it is a large Mexican supermarket with a taqueria cafeteria inside. The market is brightly lit and impeccably clean. The floor and walls are made up of brightly colored tiles. The staff members that were cleaning, busing the tables and working behind the food counter far outnumbered the customers. The staff behind the food counter is very helpful in explaining the menu, as there are several unusual items such as tongue, goat and tripe. All the basic ingredients wait in warming trays and bins. Everything looks incredibly fresh with not a can in sight. The pico de gallo salsa is made with fresh ripe tomatoes, serrano chili peppers, jalapeno peppers, chopped onion, garlic, cilantro, and lime juice. The shrimp fajita burrito is filled with lots of fresh grilled veggies including mild red and green peppers and onions that have a nice smoky taste. However it has a bit too much rice and lacked beans. The chile verde taco has excellent flavor with large chunks of tender pork in a roasted tomatillo, garlic and jalapeno sauce served with a variety of toppings to choose from like shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes and shredded cheese. The chicken tamales are wrapped in the traditional cornhusk and have the best masa covering I have ever had. They are not heavy, but rather tender and light, made from masa harina flour, pork fat and chicken broth. There are also a great variety of beverages including an excellent Jamaican hibiscus flower agua fresca. The prices cannot be beat with most dishes ranging from six to nine dollars and the portion size is ample to ensure leftovers. If you were in the Hayward area I would highly recommend stopping by for some shopping and some lunch. They also offer a catering service that would be perfect for your next fiesta.
Name: Teresa
Occupation: Middle School Principal
Location: Daly City
Favorite Restaurant: Live Sushi
Reviewed Chavez Supermarket & Taqueria: Sunday, April 7, 2013