Here’s the 411 on those Chronic 911 Tacos

John Volo

Last Thursday, I received a frantic phone call from my buddy Tony --

his voice trembling with excitement, his words coming rapid fire.

Acting as a 911 operator, I was able to calm him down enough to

decipher these pertinent facts: Chronic Tacos opened its doors for

business two days prior at the corner of 11th & Orange; the new

owners had completely gutted and renovated the inside; Tony and his

wife Rachelle loved the huge carnitas tacos and the potato tacos; and

they had already eaten there three times.

Tony insisted I check this place out soon, if not sooner. So, over

the course of two days and two lunches, I sampled six different

tacos, a burrito, a torta, a quesadilla and taquitos. The majority of

these indeed justified Tony’s emergency phone call.

Nestled in a residential neighborhood, Chronic Tacos ocean-close

location embodies Huntington’s beach lifestyle. One entire wall is a

mural of the pier and surrounding beach area, while the sky-blue

ceiling is replete with white clouds. Here you order like you would

at Subway, customizing your taco or burrito at Chronic’s

thatched-roof counter.

Chronic’s well-stuffed “fatty” tacos come filled with your choice

of steak, chicken, pork, fish or shrimp (I had them all), and choice

of toppings: lettuce, cabbage, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, and

salsa. The carnitas taco with the mild verde salsa (one of three

salsas made fresh daily) is awesome, as are their fish and shrimp

tacos.

The grilled fish tacos are a spicy “Baja” style mahi mahi that are

fantastic with just cabbage. The warm shrimp -- grilled with garlic,

butter and spices -- come alive when squirted with Chronic’s creamy

shrimp sauce, providing yet another excellent choice. The shrimp and

fish are both also available in a Tecate beer batter that sounds

yummy.

Ever since I stumbled upon some down in San Diego, I’ve been a big

fan of potato tacos, though they’ve proved elusive in my searches for

them. Closer to home -- Chronic’s potato tacos come topped with

cheese and a side scoop of guacamole, but are most tasty when dipped

in their hot salsa. The steak and chicken (both grilled with onions)

tacos are standard fare.

My quesadilla was anything but standard fare. I opted for the al

pastor (spicy marinated pork) quesadilla made with a gargantuan

tortilla and a copious amount of cheese. If you’re feeling a little

groggy the morning after a night of revelry, this quesadilla just

might be the perfect resuscitator. It’s abundant, it’s fiery, it’s

greasy, and it’s zestful.

Too bad Chronic Tacos wasn’t here when I lived on 7th Street in

the late ‘80s -- my days of revelry.

The large shredded beef or chicken taquitos are hand rolled to

order, topped with melted cheese and served with sour cream and

guacamole. The burritos are easily customized by choosing your type

of meat, rice (white, lime or Spanish) and beans (refried, pinto, or

black).

The carne asada burrito with black beans and Spanish rice was

plentiful. You would have to be extremely hungry to go for the double

meat option.

I was surprised how pleasing my carnitas torta was. The grilled

roll was exceptionally buttery; the savory pork sat atop a spread of

refried beans and was covered with lettuce and cheese. This sandwich

was splendid. I had planned on trying the tamales on my second visit,

but they were sold out.

Chronic’s dining area only seats about 15, but they have a larger,

adjacent room that houses two pool tables, two video games and a juke

box (so bring your quarters). I spotted some of the overflow crowd in

this room eating standing up at the chest-level, wall-mounted bar

best suited for resting your beer on. Right now they serve four beers

on tap, but will soon be serving bottled beer as well.

If you prefer your spice earlier in the day, head to Chronic Tacos

for breakfast. They serve a variety of breakfast burritos every

morning.

Dispatcher: “911. What is the nature of your emergency?”

Me: “Help. I’m chronically craving Chronic Tacos.”

* JOHN VOLO is the Independent restaurant critic. If you have

comments or suggestions, e-mail [email protected].