An unplanned lunch at Coyo Taco

We were almost disappoinited

On a recent Sunday afternoon, we went to the Príncipe Real neighborhood to get empadas at the Quiosque. Mary had recently seen their empadas mentioned in an article about “The Top 13 Dishes To Try in Lisbon”. She wanted to work her way through the list. (We didn’t remember, until later, that we had been there once before, and had an empada, when we did our Quiosque Quest.)

But when we arrived at the location, we found the Quiosque was closed! That wasn’t really surprising, since many businesses here are closed on Sunday afternoons. But the area around the park was bustling with pedestrian traffic and they could have done a lot of business.

So we walked west on Rua Dom Pedro V, figuring we would find someplace else to have lunch. Worst case, we’d end up at the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcantara, which has our favorite view out over the city. There’s also a quiosque there, which might be open.

As we walked, we saw several other restaurants were closed, so perhaps the situation with the Príncipe Real Quiosque was typical.

After a couple blocks, we passed Coyo Taco. I stopped to read the menu. Mary kept walking, but I called her back. She looked over the menu and we decided, “Why not?”

It turned out to be a serendipitous choice.

First impressions were good

The interior of Coyo Taco is long and narrow. On the left side is a row of tables with bench seats along the wall. The prep area and open kitchen are on the right, behind a counter. The finishes are mostly lightly stained or painted wood, with some stone inset in the walls.

The focal point of the room is at the rear – a floor-to-ceiling rack holding dozens of liquor bottles, all lit from underneath.

And the food was great!

We took a few minutes to study the menu and decided on guacamole and chips as a starter. That’s my usual test for a Mexican restaurant – do they make good guacamole?

Coyo Taco did not disappoint.

We got an ample portion of freshly made, creamy guac and a bag of home made tortilla chips. There were also four ramekins, each holding a different molho (sauce). The server told us they ranged from “not spicy” on the left to “very spicy” on the right.

But “spicy” in Portugal is not like spicy anywhere else we’ve ever been. The molhos were tasty, but not very hot. We’ve often wondered how a country that made its fortune in the spice trade several hundred years ago ended up with a cuisine that didn’t use them. Maybe they just sold the spices and didn’t try them. Who knows?

Everything was made to order

We ordered two different tacos for lunch. It took a few minutes to get them, but we didn’t mind the wait because we were fascinated watching what was happening in the kitchen. There was non-stop activity back there. Two men were doing prep work, chopping meat and vegetables. A third was working at a flat top grill, alternately cooking and then scraping the surface clean. At the far end was a woman who assembled and plated the orders.

My order of al pastor (pork) tacos was very good. The meat was firm, but not tough. It had a sauce with a bit of cinnamon in it that gave the taco a slightly sweet taste. There was also roasted pineapple, onion, cheese, coriander, and chipotle salsa in the mix.

Mary ordered carne asada tacos. The steak was perfectly cooked and was complemented by pico de gallo, chipotle salsa, mixed cheese, and coriander. We liked these best.

All the tacos were wrapped in soft, hand pressed corn tortillas. They soaked up the sauce and by the last bit were disintegrating in our hands, but we didn’t care.

Service and ambience

One server worked the entire room. Like her counterparts in the kitchen, she never stopped moving and attended to everyone with a smile.

The feeling in the room was relaxed and laid back. The music playing was upbeat and urban, just loud enough to be noticeable, but not so loud that we couldn’t hear ourselves talk.

We enjoyed an after lunch café before we left.

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Coyo Taco
Rua Dom Pedro V, 65
1250-093 Lisboa
+351 210 529 201
https://coyotaco.pt

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Have you had an unplanned meal lately? Where, when, and what did you eat? Share your review in the comments below or via the Contact Us form.