Fintastic Tacos is Nova Southeastern University’s very own student-run taco shop located in Mako Hall. Their Instagram account, @Fintastic_Tacos, advertises that their food is fresh, convenient and authentic, so I made it my mission to find out if that was true. It also happened to be a Tuesday when I had a chance to go, which made it even better. Who doesn’t love Taco Tuesday?
A friend and I headed to Fintastic Tacos after class, and I admit I went in with pretty low expectations. I was simply going to ask myself after the experience: “Would I come here instead of Taco Bell?” When we first got there, the atmosphere was very relaxed and we were greeted immediately. We took a few minutes to figure out what we wanted to order but no one made us feel rushed and let us know they were happy to answer any questions we had. They even made light conversation with us about the TV show that was playing by the counter.
My friend ordered the Shredded Chicken Taco Plate with flour tortillas while I ordered the Ground Beef Taco Plate with corn tortillas. Both came with three taco toppings, rice and refried beans. We also ordered tortilla chips with guacamole and salsa. Basically, we got the entire menu. They asked us if we wanted limes with our tacos and we said sure, which ended up being a great choice.
We were brought the tortilla chips, guacamole and salsa first. The guacamole and salsa were undoubtedly made fresh. I don’t like avocados or guacamole, but I would order theirs again without hesitation. The salsa was mild but still had a nice kick to it, which I prefer since I like spicy food.
The wait for our taco plates felt a little long, but it wasn’t more than 20 minutes. My friend’s food came out before mine and I feel like a restaurant shouldn’t serve anyone’s food until the entire table’s order is ready, but I also understand there are probably limited hands in the kitchen, and I wouldn’t want someone’s food to be served cold for the sake of bringing out everyone’s order at the same time.
When my food arrived, most of it looked delicious. The beans didn’t look as appetizing, but in Fintastic Tacos’ defense, how attractive can you make refried beans? Besides, what mattered in the end was they tasted good, and they certainly did. I have always been intimidated by how they looked and never tried them, but I gave them a chance for the sake of this review. They didn’t disappoint me, but they weren’t something I felt like I needed to order again. On the other hand, I loved the rice. To my surprise, the seasoning tasted exactly like the one my mom uses at home. I understood what they meant when by authentic when I tasted the rice.
I thought the tacos were small when I first saw them, but that was deceiving because I was full before I even finished my second one. Also, I appreciated the fact that my tortillas were double-wrapped since corn tortillas are usually less sturdy than flour ones. We had no complaints about our chicken and beef being cold and the toppings tasted fresh. The lime set the taste over the top. The tacos were great without them, but the limes added a nice acid that rounded out the flavor profile. No matter how full I got, I just couldn’t stop eating.
All in all, we had a fintastic experience. The customer service was wonderful and so was the food. Fintastic Tacos lives up to the fresh, convenient and authentic claim, and yes, I’d pick them over Taco Bell any day. If every restaurant there is as great, I can’t wait to Gill Out at Mako again.
