Serving tacos on Tuesdays is like celebrating Easter on a Sunday or Thanksgiving on a Thursday – it’s pretty much a requirement.
While we’re certainly not strangers to the $2 tacos you can get at Dos Amigos every Tuesday, we had never tried the ones from the Red Blazer, which we see on Instagram all the time. Last week, we decided it was finally time to take a trip up Manchester Street to give these ones a whirl.
The Red Blazer offers the same taco deal every Tuesday: three tacos, hard or soft shell, for $10.99. That may sound a bit pricey, but that’s because these aren’t your typical, run-of-the-mill tacos. These ones are made with local buffalo meat that comes from Loudon. They also come with lettuce, tomatoes, onions and shredded cheddar with sour cream and salsa on the side. They’re one of the few farm-to-table options listed on the menu.
Since we usually just get soft tacos, we took advantage of the options at the Red Blazer and ordered a mixed set – two soft shells and one crunchy, which were served in a cool taco tray. We started with one of the soft ones.
The meat was very tender and juicy, and it blended nicely with the cheddar. The ground buffalo definitely tasted different from ground beef – this was more gamey and a bit less greasy.
The strands of shredded cheddar were a little on the thick and long side, so the cheese flavor was noticeable. There also wasn’t a huge amount of spice, so if you’re not a huge fan of spicy tacos, these ones should be right up your alley.
After downing the first soft taco in about a minute, it was on to the crunchy one.
The worst part of eating a crunchy taco is the inevitable breakdown of the shell’s structural integrity after the first bite, but that didn’t happen at the Red Blazer. The shell had a distinct corn taste, which was pleasant, and it was surprisingly durable. In fact, it never even seemed in jeopardy of splitting, which made the whole eating experience pretty stress-free.
For the final taco – another soft one – we added some of the salsa to the mix to try to kick it up a notch. The salsa didn’t provide the heat we were hoping for (which isn’t a knock on the salsa or the tacos, we’re just obsessed with ridiculously, uncomfortably spicy food), but it did add an element of freshness. There was some cilantro in there, which added a nice Mexican touch to the meal.
We’re not big on sour cream, so that went untouched the whole time.
When it was all said and done, three tacos were downed in about 5 minutes, which was mildly disappointing. There’s nothing sadder than looking at an empty plate and having to get back to the office, but such is life, I guess.
The next time you’re craving some mild, gamey tacos from a place that also offers dozens of beers on tap, you should definitely make a point of visiting the Red Blazer to indulge in a weekly tradition.
Call the Red Blazer at 224-4101 or go to theredblazer.com for more info.
