And Now For Something Different, Part 2: Mema’s Alaskan Tacos
August 28th, 2006
I love tacos. I’ve had them all, Mexican tacos, Baja Fish tacos, Indian tacos and even the American-ized variety, straight from Taco Bell. I will eat just about any kind of meat, fish or vegetable in a taco and thought I had heard it all. That is, until a recent Saturday in Ybor City when I stumbled upon a little roadside joint serving Alaskan Tacos. What the hell is an Alaskan Taco, you ask? Don’t worry, it was my first experience with them and I asked the same question. Fortunately for you, the Tampa Bay area is the ONLY place to get an Alaskan Taco. According to Sean Godin, proprietor of Mema’s Alaskan Tacos, the tacos are Southwestern in nature but perfected by his mother in Alaska. Good enough for me.
We were on our way from La Creperia in Ybor when I spotted the sign for Tacos and it was calling my name. We made a couple stops with the group for drinks, so it wasn’t until later that my curiosity got the best of me. Even though we had just eaten dinner, it was a light one and I had room in my stomach to fit a couple tacos. Being a newbie to Alaskan Tacos, I figured I would play it safe and order one fish taco and one beef taco. It only took about five minutes for me to get my food; a white corn tortilla stuffed with a filling, then deep fried and topped with lettuce, tomato, cheese and sour cream with a side of salsa (it was Pace Picante Sauce). The taco was very similar to the Americanized version derived from the traditional Indian taco served on fry bread, but the golden fried tortilla at Mema’s added a new twist. What I discovered later is that I could have enjoyed the same taco, tucked into a soft flour tortilla with a layer of Mema’s famous refried beans for only a dollar more. It’s on the list for my next visit. The tacos were really good, but paying $5 for two tacos felt a bit steep, especially after visiting many of the Mexican owned Taquerias in town. But it was money well spent for the convenience and the novelty.
I didn’t try out all of the options on the menu at Meme’s, but I figure that will be your job. Besides the unique tacos, the menu consists of the ordinary Tex-Mex and Cali-Mex favorites like burritos, quesadillas, soft tacos and nachos. It’s not enough incentive for me to drive to Ybor, but I’m happy to have found a little joint for good food fast that is open late and open every day. I suspect much of the clientele consists of Ybor foot traffic, so put this place on your mental restaurant card-file next time you are in the area. Many people have already discovered Meme’s Alaskan Tacos and love them, so I guess it is time for you to jump on the bandwagon.
Mema’s Alaskan Tacos
1604 N 17th St (Ybor City)
Tampa, FL 33605
(813) 514-8226
4 Responses to “And Now For Something Different, Part 2: Mema’s Alaskan Tacos”
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May 4th, 2007 at 11:34 pm
I had Alaskan Tacos all the time growing up. But now that I live in the Northeast, I can’t find them anywhere. Thanks for the bit of nostalgia.
May 14th, 2007 at 9:46 pm
[…] Alaskan Tacos. Found only in Ybor City, an Alaskan taco is a twist on the traditional Tex-Mex crunchy shell taco. At Meme’s Alaskan Tacos, they deep-fry the shell and meat, then top with lettuce, tomato and cheese. They weren’t created in Tampa, but instead were a concept that the owner picked up from his grandmother, who created the taco while she lived in Alaska. Go ahead and try and find them outside of Tampa; you probably won’t. I’m not certain that I’d drive across town for an Alaskan taco, but they sure do make for a good street food while strolling around Ybor. […]
May 25th, 2007 at 4:10 am
What’s up, dude. Thanks for the blab. I will tell you that I haven’t seen you too often down at the new place. Like the old location, it has taken time to create kitch. You can’t snap your fingers and have atmosphere - it’s organic. We started with nothing at the shack and we started with nothing here. The idea was to provide some protection from the elements while not becoming too corporate. Well, I am confident that we have succeeded in both respects and hope that you will give us another chance. Hope to see you soon, bud.
Sean
June 25th, 2007 at 8:12 pm
[…] Not to be totally negative in this post I can report that on average the downtown Orlando scene is not as good as Ybor. We have more places playing more types of music, both DJ driven and live, more good late night shopping choices, and more great food than what I saw in Orlando. Maybe I am a bit biased. […]