Why: The Original Taco House was opened in Portland in 1960 by the Waddle family. The Vancouver location opened four years ago in a house-style restaurant which was formally occupied by a different Mexican restaurant. Original Taco House offers family-friendly dining with menu options that cover some basics of Mexican cuisine.
What I tried: I tried the steak fajitas with corn and flour tortillas. The fajitas come with Spanish rice, refried beans, pico de gallo, guacamole and sour cream. The steak, onion, and bell pepper fajita mixture arrived at the table sizzling on an iron platter. The first thing I noted was the lack of traditional fajita aroma from what wafted up from the platter. Upon tasting the steak, my suspicion was confirmed – there was no trace of any special seasonings used on the meat. It tasted of simple salt and peppered beef. Most of the meat was extremely chewy, which was unappetizing. The plate that held the accompaniments was lukewarm, as were the rice and beans that sat upon it. The small portion of refried beans looked as though they had been sitting under a warmer for a while because they had a darkened, dry coating. The rice was lightly seasoned and, like the beans, amounted to a small portion and was rather dry. An adequate amount of guacamole and sour cream shared a small bowl. The pico de gallo did not taste as flavorfully fresh as most which I have had at other Mexican restaurants.
Overall, my meal was a disappointment and did not compel me to want to return. The portions were reasonable for the single fajitas which I ordered, but the $15.95 price did not reflect portion size or food quality.
Atmosphere: Outdoor dining is available on a covered patio, where a potpourri of different tables and chairs add interest to the atmosphere. Within, the dining space is divided into a barroom and a dining room, with most of the seating at generously sized colorfully upholstered and hand-painted booths. Walls are finished in heavily textured stucco painted white, and decorative tiles trim doorways and some interior wall space. The ceiling is covered with rattan. Lighting consists of wall sconces and basket-style hanging fixtures. Artificial flowers, multicolored sombreros and black-and-white photos complete the decor.
