Restuarant Review: Taqueria El Rincon Vaquero
Taqueria El Rincon Vaquero
517 12th St.
West Columbia, SC 29169
World Cup soccer cheers blazed from a wide screen television at "El Rincon Vaquero" (Spanish for ‘The Cowboy’s Corner’) in West Columbia. The type of restaurant you hear about from a friend of a friend, "El Rincon" serves fresh cilantro atop their tacos wrapped in handmade corn tortillas. At $1.50 a piece, they are a bargain. In fact, the Mexican restaurant serves a range of quality entrées featuring a wide selection of meats including chicken, steak, pork and shrimp.
When I entered the building, I noticed "El Rincon" had undergone several renovations. I made my way through the grocery section to the blue eatery in back. As we sat down in food court style swivel chairs, the head cook greeted us with her warm smile.
In the place to the right of the seating area stood newly-erected walls. She told me that they planned to outfit the building with laundry facilities. The tranquil Tuesday night contrasted with the ruckus of a usual Saturday lunch hour, but the homey attraction remained the same. It was in that moment that I recognized "El Rincon’s” magnetic pull was community.
The restaurant became a gathering of warm faces, mariachi music, cowboy boots, Mexican candy and home-cooked meals all under one roof.
Written in Spanish and English, the menu offered $3 tamale, tostada and gordita appetizers. And for less than $6, quesadillas and burritos were served with side salads. Tortas (hoagie-style sandwiches) came with potatoes while house specials (including stuffed poblano peppers, rotisserie chicken and beef bar-b-que) were served with beans and rice. On the other hand, those craving seafood could indulge in shrimp sautéed with jalapeños in garlic sauce or with ceviche (lime marinade). To drink, alongside myriad juices and sodas, “El Rincon” served agua frescas, refreshing fruit drinks made in house.
Our meal arrived five minutes after we ordered them. We sprinkled our meat with fresh lime juice and hot salsa. I got my usual three-taco meal (two steak and one chicken) while my boyfriend ate a plate of carnitas (pork bits) with rice and beans. Since growing numb to the flavors in my everyday life, the meal was a delicious rejuvenation.
