Massachusetts: New South Shore Taco Restaurant Is The Best I’ve Had

These days, there certainly is no shortage of places to grab a few tacos. However, in Massachusetts, there is a relatively new restaurant called South Shore Taco Guy that makes the best authentic Mexican food I've had since living in the area.

About 15 years ago, I spent a decent amount of time in southern California. Specifically, in the San Diego, Pacific Beach area. My two friends and I essentially had the means to grab one legit meal per day.

We snacked on apples, bananas that we scored from street carts, and Costco buckets of pretzels, quite a bit, but a lot of joy went into heading down the hill to the local taqueria. There was just something different about the flavors and passion put into preparing the foods they cooked in this region.

Walking into the South Shore Taco Guy restaurant last night for the first time, one of my first thoughts was that it was the first place I have been to in the area that reminds me of the SoCal style. Then, when the owner asked if we had been there before, he explained he was trying to bring that California style to the south shore of Massachusetts with the cuisine offering.

What started as a food truck around southern Massachusetts has now expanded to a restaurant in Hull as well. It's located at 165 Nantasket Avenue, right across the street from the beach.

The interior is artistic and has a beautifully painted mural of the restaurant's logo. From the variety of Jarritos sodas behind the counter to the dining furniture, the place is colorful and cheerful.

You order your meal at the counter in a similar style to how you craft your meal at Chipotle. At South Shore Taco Guy, you have the following styles to pick from: burritos, tacos, tostadas, taco salads, or nacho platters are all available.

Pick one of those, then load up your plate by adding these options: one of two rice choices, beans, meat or shrimp, three different cheese variations (including queso sauce), veggies, guacamole, and sauces.

Here was my order: a taco salad bowl (that comes in a tortilla shell). The base consisted of Mexican yellow rice topped with seasoned steak, spicy queso sauce, guacamole, lettuce, peppers, and onions.

Then, I had to try a signature item, just a standard taco. It's like a plain slice of cheese pizza. You can have as fancy of a menu as you'd like, but you are a true legit establishment, you have to hit the basic ground beef taco out of the park. That's my test of a great restaurant of this type.

Needless to say, I ate the taco first and immediately wished I ordered another one. The bowl then got better with every bite. The South Shore Taco Guy not only makes their food fresh, they take their flavoring very seriously. So, you can get a mouthful of great taste just by eating a chip or piece of seasoned chicken alone. However, when you mix it all together, they combine so well together, resulting in an unforgettable meal.

"It's so good, I don't want it to end," I send to my son during the meal. I proceeded to then finish his nacho platter.

I couldn't be more thrilled to have a little SoCal influence cooking now on the South Shore. I will certainly become a regular.

I'm a guy who moved from New Jersey to Boston; growing up, Sicilian pizza was pretty easily available. I incorrectly assumed that all Americans enjoyed this kind of pizza selection. However, when I moved to Boston, I realized that it's much harder to find that delicacy here. But there are also a few unique places that are cooking up Sicilian pizza in Massachusetts.

As an expert on Sicilian, I will tell you that it has to be prepared properly in order for it to be worth the calories. Here, I will detail three establishments where you can find great Sicilian pizza in Massachusetts. Sure, you may have to travel a bit, but these places are worth your time.

Before we cut into this delicious style of pie, let’s define our terms. Traditional Sicilian pizza is cut into square or rectangular-shaped slices. The crust is thicker and crunchy. Though this pizza is obviously heavier, it still can be topped with your favorite pizza add-ons. A sprinkle of oregano is a subtle but often important finishing.

Though strip pizza in Rhode Island is similar, one significant difference with Sicilian is that it is not baked on a focaccia style dough. In fact, Palermo Pizza NJ defines what distinguishes Sicilian Pizza and what makes it different from regular pizza. “The dough rises differently with this kind of crust because more oil is used in the recipe as opposed to a regular pizza crust recipe,” they said, when describing how this is made in a rectangular pan.

In Massachusetts, the three locations that are serving up great Sicilian Pizza are quite different from each other, but have this menu item in common. One of them happens to be a favorite of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

Tucked into a quaint New England, Harvard Square street, Pinocchio's is where you need to go if you want Sicilian pizza of all varieties. It's also where you will see Mark Zuckerberg's photo all over the wall. This was the go-to spot for Zuck while he was attending Harvard. In fact, it's a place he still makes sure to stop into when in town. As for the pizza, there are 20 different toppings you can find atop the hot Sicilian pies. These pies come in a 9-slice or 15-slice size option. The 15-slice pie comes in two boxes and can feed up to nine people. During the school months, Pinocchio's stays open until 2 am on weekends.

At 289 Hanover Street in the North End of Boston, Umberto's can be easy to miss. However, once you recognize their old-school sign, you know you are in for a treat. They are old-school: it is a cash-only establishment where the large trays of piping hot Sicilian pies are continuously served. Typically, it's cheese only, but you will not be disappointed as no other flavor is needed. The single line usually reaches the door, but it moves quickly. It also gives you time to decide which arancini (their famous rice ball) you'd like to add to your order.

Leone's Pizza and Sub has been family-owned and operated since 1954. They are located right on Broadway and open seven days per week, from 8 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. Their Sicilian pizza is the standard menu option here. It is available by the slice, in a half tray or full tray. The whole tray also comes in two boxes (16 slice) and costs $40. Their Sicilian pies also come in a tomato basil option and a spinach and garlic. Leone's sub menu contains over 30 options. This includes a fried meatball sub.

Right in the heart of Cleveland Circle, Pino's is a fan-favorite of Boston College students. Though the crust is a perfect combination of pillow and crunch, the secret here is actually in the sauce. Pino's describes it as "delicious, garlicky tomato sauce with in-house seasoning, cooked on a pan." $20 gets you nine Sicilian slices at Pino's. If you want to add variety to your order, they also have alfredo pies, white pies, and buffalo chicken. Like Pinocchio's, Pino's stays open until the early morning hours on the weekend to help accommodate the college crowd.