Rachel's, 5th avenue, Park Slope

We've ordered from Rachel's before. Giant burritos that were competent but more stomach than mind blowing. But the exterior screams so loudly for attention every time we walk by that we finally relented and walked in on an evening when a taco craving hit us.

Readers should know that we take tacos very seriously in the du Jour household. Even though they are a relatively recent invention in the history of Mexican cuisine, there are plenty of different interpretations. While we are by no means purists, insisting on only one proper way of preparing these perfect pairings of tortillas and toppings, we expect them to be two things: plentiful, and delicious. Like beers, they should never exist in the singular.

It was threatening to storm when we arrived, so when we were asked if we'd like to sit inside or out back, my first reaction was to choose an inside table. Once seated, however, we could see that the backyard "beach" is covered anyway. The overly Disney-fied Mayan statues made it seem like a great place to go H.A.M. on their basic but cheap margaritas, but since we were here to eat and not drink on this visit, inside was just fine. Lots of stuff on the walls (including a flame-painted hammerhead shark and swordfish,) gives this place a feeling of an Applebee's in a SoCal surf town.

Blind yet? No? Maybe there needs to be more lights and flags.

When we sat down, we were handed in order, chips and salsa, menus, and water. (the chips were thick and crunchy just the way i like. The salsa, however, was watery and tomato-y and not very flavorful at all. Wah wah.) The staff was speedy in getting us started, but subsequent refills of water required us to flag down people who were too busy walking past us to eat chips out of the big metal tub at the prep station or get back to their conversation about hitting the gym. You go, girl.

The specials menu had a dish of three soft double corn tortilla tacos with mesquite grilled pork, onions, cilantro, and salsa verde which caught my eye and my lovely companion went for something smaller-sounding: a cheese quesadilla with guacamole.

Half a quesadilla

The guacamole was really good. Lots of chunky Haas avocados, cilantro, lime... Not spicy but really fresh tasting. The quesadilla was actually pretty huge, using the largest flour tortilla they make, and full of really tasty cheese.

One and a half tacos

My tacos looked perfect, but at 3 for $14 I felt they were either too few or too small. I didn't taste any of the mesquite, or indeed any grill flavored at all in the pork, but it was juicy and tender with some nice spiciness.

After two experiences with this place, I think I'm going to put it in the category of drinking-places with food, rather than food-places with drinks. I may give them one more try to test the barbecue options, but ultimately the vibe is better suited for some margaritas with friends or some post-bar food if the kitchen is still open then. There's way better Mexican for cheaper in the neighborhood.

Food: 7/10
Value: 5/10
Ambiance: 8/10 if you're drinkin'
Service: 7/10

-SdJ