Exciting New Place! Tacos & Beer

I was beginning to think that the restaurants in Las Vegas were tightening up and going away from liberal Happy Hours, but I'm excited to report that I've discovered a brand new place - just five months old - that pairs great food with great prices. Plus - it's seven days a week! Farewell are those Saturdays where there are few options for some cheap eats.

Tacos & Beer is located near Paradise / Flamingo (3900 Paradise Road), in the same lot as Marrakech. If you have ever been to Firefly - well, this restaurant occupies its old space. Get this - it is the same management as Firefly. Interesting...

Happy Hour is 3-6 PM and 11-2 AM every day. Featuring $2-3 tacos and $3 Mexican beers, their authentic tasting tacos will surely win you over. Here's a run down of the tacos:

$2 Tacos

Pork Al Pastor - marinated with achiote and chipotle, with avocado cream, pineapple, onion and cilantro. 

This is a refreshing taco that combines a sweetness with the pineapple and the hint of spice with the chipotle. This was my server's favorite and it's a flavor that I hadn't tasted before.

Puerco Verde - slow roasted pork in green sauce, with onion, cilantro and chicharones. 

This is my personal favorite as it combines my love for green sauce with the tender slow roasted pork. It's juicy and super tasty. You may have tasted slow roasted pork in other restaurants, but this one is at the front of the pack.

Beef Adobada - slow roasted with chili and beer, onion, cilantro.

The beef is shredded and very tender and juicy. This taco has a unique flavor with its chili and beer marinade combination.

Chicken Tinga - breast simmered with veggies, with salsa verde, avocado and pickled red onion.

I've had other chicken tacos before, but this taco combines a lot of flavors together. The chicken is simmered to super tender and then pulled. Coupled with veggies and the pickled red onion, it's a very light tasting taco.

Crunchy Taco - "guero" style seasoned ground beef and mashed potato, crunchy shell with lettuce, pico, sour cream, hot sauce and cheddar cheese.

What really struck me first with this only crunchy taco on the Happy Hour menu is that the shell was so crisp and fresh. You can tell it was just made and the crunch of it was awesome. The seasoned ground beef is super tasty, but coupled with the mashed potato gives the bite a great texture with great flavor. Most have had a ground beef taco before, but this place takes it up a notch, once again, with adding more ingredients to the mix that totally knock it out of the park. This taco is filled to the brim and quite filling.

$3 Tacos

Fish Taco - grilled mahi-mahi fillet with mango-habanero salsa, lettuce, chili-lime cream and guac. 

Baja Fish Taco - beer-battered mahi-mahi, slaw, chili-lime cream, guac and pico.

Shrimp Taco - sauteed with guajillo chili, with cilantro lime slaw, pico and guac.

I haven't tried any of the fish tacos myself, but my friend did have the Fish Taco and he said it was very tasty. That's all I can say for now, but judging on my experience with the other tacos, I don't doubt that any of the fish or shrimp tacos would be any less than great.

Also at Happy Hour, they give you one plate of chips and fresh salsa which tastes very fresh. When your tacos come, they can also provide two bottles of hot sauce. One is a green sauce and the other is a hotter hot sauce. I normally choose to eat the tacos as they come in their marinated flavors but sometimes I like to take it up a notch and put some of that bottled hot sauce on the taco as well.

Maggiano's Little Italy on the Strip Happy Hour

I have been known to frequent Maggiano's quite frequently especially when conventions come to town and I'm starving around the 5pm time slot. So, yes, I am typically recognized by the bar staff. They've always had some kind of a Happy Hour, but it seems as though they've just switched it up again with new offerings. This is the latest info I have on this matter.

Happy Hour is from 3-6pm and is available in the Dining Room, Bar and Lounge. This is great because now you aren't fighting for position at the bar and you can comfortably waltz into the restaurant to enjoy some food and drinks. 

Here is their Happy Hour Menu:

$3 Premium Draft Beer: 

Peroni, Stella Artois, Newcastle, Bud Light

$4 Flat Bread Pizzas: 

Margherita, Pepperoni & Arugula, Italian Sausage, Chicken & Roasted Pepper

$5 Wines by the Glass: 

Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon

$6 Specialty Cocktails: 

Featuring fresh juices and premium spirits...

When it's not Happy Hour, Maggiano's has family sized dishes that are great for sharing. They used to have monstrous portions, but they've scaled it back a little but the items/entrees are still great for sharing. When I go there, I always make some "sharing" agreement with my party because I've seen a lot of first timers order an entree for each person and end up feeling like they want to roll out of there because they are so stuffed. 

What I also like about Maggiano's is that it's attached to the Fashion Show Mall. You can shop before or after your meal, either way, it's good exercise! I also like this restaurant because you have a beautiful view of the Las Vegas Strip from its second floor location. Sometimes it's nearly impossible to find an affordable meal that isn't at tourist prices yet still have that view and ambiance in Vegas, but at Maggiano's you get that!