What does it take for a taco to stand out in a country full of them?
At Las Tortugas Deli Mexicana, the answer might just start with filet mignon.
The local family-owned restaurant, with locations in East Memphis and Germantown, has earned a place in the national taco conversation after its filet mignon taco was featured on USA TODAY's list of the best tacos in America.
This comes after the taco made The Commercial Appeal’s list of the best tacos in the Memphis area.
In addition to Las Tortugas Deli Mexicana, the other Mid-South restaurants, food trucks and dining destinations included on The Commercial Appeal list were Maciel’s Tortas and Tacos, Taco-N-Ganas, Taqueria Express
#5, Chukis Tacos #2, and Swanky’s Taco Shop.
For the Las Tortugas Deli Mexicana, the nationwide thumbs-up from USA TODAY feels like a well-deserved moment.
The popular restaurant has spent years building its reputation in the Memphis area around fresh ingredients, bold flavors and a particular vision of Mexican cuisine.
With the impossible task of limiting our Memphis favorites to six, the filet mignon taco felt especially intriguing... and so extremely satisfying.
Maybe because filet mignon is more commonly associated with a steakhouse dinner at Folk’s Folly than a casual taco. Yet at Las Tortugas, it has made the choice meat part of its menu.
The restaurant's version features grilled filet mignon served with corn tortillas, onion, cilantro, green salsa and giant slices of avocado.
For owner José "Pepe" Magallanes and his son Jonathan, the restaurant has long been about more than serving familiar Mexican-American favorites. Their approach draws on the Mexico City food traditions Pepe grew up on, with an emphasis on fresh ingredients and preparations that reflect the food they want to share with Memphians.
That philosophy has helped make Las Tortugas a distinctive and very successful part of the local dining scene.
For Memphis-area diners, the USA TODAY nod offers yet another reason to revisit a longtime local favorite or discover it for the first time. And for Las Tortugas, it puts a distinctly local restaurant in the national conversation focused around one of the world's most beloved foods.
Brian Strickland is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. Contact him at brian.strickland@commercialappeal.com.
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This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: These Memphis tacos ranked among the best in America
