Downtown Luncher: An Open Letter to Taco del Mar

We think of you, o Taco del Mar at First and Blanchard, as our go-to guy when it comes to lunch. Can't think of anywhere else? Oh, let's just go to Taco del Mar. We always and only order the Number Two, and we giggle every time we say it. You know us so well...that we don't want lettuce on top, that we want black beans. It feels like home.

Except that in our home, the temperature is generally well above 45 degrees. You see, Taco del Mar, your friendly employees are overheated, back there in the steam zone. They need to open the front door to get some ventilation. So your customers wear their coats and shiver up front. Occasionally a customer gets up and shuts the door...and moments later the steamed employee props it open again. Back and forth, a secret, unspoken battle ensues.

Should the customers be cold? No. Should the employees be hot? No. Should Taco del Mar ventilate the kitchen? Yes.

Taco del Mar, with its "Baja" motif, promises a practically tropical experience to the customer. And yet, only the staff experiences tropical temperatures. To the customer, it's more like this: