Come hungry and come now. The Taco Temple in Asheville will have your order ready before you know it. Look for the pointy blue roof and your be there in no time.
Car Required But Also Discouraged
We visited Taco Temple during our big Asheville trip. Also known as Mamacita’s Taco Temple, you will find this just North I-240. This location separates it nicely from all the craziness of downtown while keeping it near the action. This is also not far from one of my other favorites, Asheville Pizza and Brewing. You will have no trouble finding the building. It has a very distinct pointed blue roof.
Parking is TIGHT! There are about 10-15 parking spots in total at this place. No joke. The parking is in a close ring around the building. This is made even more complicated by the fact that they have a drive through/pickup window on the South side of the building. This forces traffic to be one way around the back and side of the Temple.
For some reason the parking gods smile on our little Toyota Prius so we found a perfect parking spot. There are some office buildings and other shops directly adjacent to the the Taco Temple. If it looks crowded you may consider using these. Be warned, these are not official parking areas for the Taco Temple.
Its Impossible To Not Look Up
The pointy blue roof of the Taco Temple is one of the first features you will notice. Looking closely, I realized that it is a novel terracotta roof type that adds to the temple esthetic.
We did not do much research before coming so we were a little surprised by the outdoor order window. The line queued up nicely and orders were taken fast. Kaitlyn and I have a deep love for all things taco and burrito (Mario’s Tacos VS Anita’s Restaurant) so we have become accustomed to the walk up order associated with many such establishments.
The inside and outdoor searing area is minimally decorated. The bare brick walls and smooth white, peaked ceiling was more than enough to catch our eyes. Some festive Christmas lights were hanging about too when we came. In true temple style, the stylistic architecture stole the show and had us looking up.
Did I Mention… TACOS!
Most patrons were here for a fast and delicious lunch. We ordered some queso (naturally) to start with. Before we had gotten very far into it, our tacos were already there with our drinks too. We were both surprised how fast they came out. The queso was perfect for the chilly December day and it had a little bit of kick to it too.
The tacos were excellent. The assortment they offer is fairly standard for most traditional Taco shops. They do offer some simple options including an “americana” which is just grilled chicken. We sampled the chicken tinga, Santa Barbara and the al pastor tacos and polished them off with ease.
They do offer breakfast tacos from 7:30-10:30 each day but we did not get a chance to try them.
We also ordered a house Margarita and a Temple Margarita. These had different flavor notes but worked well with the classic tacos. The calm atmosphere made this taco experience on a temple level for sure.
The Pointiest Roof
In the swarm of great places to eat in Asheville, having a very unique physical characteristic helps us remember more about you. The roof was prominent inside and out an gave a great atmosphere to enjoy the authentic tacos.
Overall
The Taco Temple is as advertised. Great tacos worth the journey north of I-240. This is great for a quick stop during your day. It makes sense to have a drive through window when you have their VERY fast service. Check it out!
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