• Matthew Schniper
• Salty, chewy carne asada joins the mushy starch of thin french fries, with some mild pico folding into guacamole, melted cheese and crema for a truly creamy bite inside a thick, blistered flour tortilla.

Taco Salsa, 4701 N. Academy Blvd., 344-9150, see Facebook page

I confess I kinda dig the name. Are you surprised when hearing it to learn that the place stays open 24 hours? Of course you aren’t. What about a drive-thru? De rigueur! So I spin through, encountering quite a large and entirely familiar menu of tacos, burritos, tortas, combo plates, etc. I could be at any of 20-something, maybe double that, places in town with the same, catch-all, Tex-Mex menu of affordable gut-bomb fare, especially good as late-night drunk food.

An employee tells me they’ve been open around a year, and that this is the sole location so far (do I detect an expansion plan in that answer?). I pick a California burrito for a cheap $6.45, considering its girth. Salty, chewy carne asada joins the mushy starch of thin french fries, with some mild pico folding into guacamole, melted cheese and crema for a truly creamy bite inside a thick, blistered flour tortilla.

I certainly don’t feel healthy eating it, but I’m admittedly happy. Side rojo and verde salsas exude ample heat and flavor. A colleague who helps me eat half of it pretty much sums it up by saying “this makes me want to be stoned.”