Last weekend, Sean and Tara invited us up to C-bad (Carlsbad for those of you who are behind on the times) to check out a new taqueria near them. Tara’s twin, Missy, joined us in the adventure too! (So of course I looked like some sort of crazy twin groupie). It’s a cozy little neighborhood spot called Casero Taqueria. Casero hand presses their tortillas and prepares their proteins over an open wood flame. The decor is both funky and cozy. The patio is incredible. Oh yeah, and the cocktails (with special focus on the tequila and mezcal) were fresh and fun.

As I mentioned, the drinks were on point. Since there were so many of us (and TBH we each got two rounds), we got to sample a lot of them! Our favorites were the bourbon drink with fresh rosemary (the Bassett Bros. would drink this all day – Ian) and the tequila drink with blackberries and Jarritos soda. All the drinks were a nice mix of refreshing and boozy.

As a starter, we got the Mexican street corn (elote). It was beautifully charred with nice soft kernels, zesty aioli, and salty cotija. The best part is it is served lollipop style so less corn to remove from your teeth later! The chips and salsa they bring you are top tier. The chips are lightly seasoned and crunchy. The salsa is smokey with the right amount of spice.

Ian tried a few tacos. He got the carnitas, carne, and birria (braised goat).  (The carne asada was smoky and tasted of charred meat.  The carnitas was soft, luscious, smooth, and subtle.  The champion of the the trio was the Birria.  Very well seasoned with a chile type sauce, the goat was salty, spiced, earthy, and gave the diner everything they would want out of a soft braised meat.  Was it a little “goaty?” Maybe.  But if you think you don’t like goat, this will change your mind. -Ian)   I couldn’t tell you what they looked like because he ate them in about 10 seconds. As you can see from the guest writing, he also didn’t offer me any.  I decided to try the torta ahogada. It is a torta made with carnitas, beans, cilantro slaw, pickled onions, and cotija in a dried chile broth. Very beautiful and tasty. Good, meaty carnitas. The sauce was a little too spicy for me, but Ian absolutely loved it. 

For dessert, we all split an order of the churros. They are more Mexican style with cinnamon sugar and served with a side of Mexican hot chocolate sauce. They were the perfect postre to round out the perfect dinner with good friends and family. I told Sean and Tara that if I were them I would go simply for dessert and drinks alone! That is why I have a higher percentage of body fat than them both though I guess….