Taqueria La Hacienda

A leader among East Lake Street taquerias, La Hacienda is a high-ceilinged, light-filled, tangerine-tinted treasure by I-35. Walk in the door and you’ll be immediately transfixed by a psychedelic orange spit of spiced, barbecued pork topped with a pineapple core, spinning like a gyro cone. (Legend says that this style of al pastor evolved when Lebanese immigrants settled in Mexico.) Order this al pastor any which way and you’ll be bowled over by the sweet, rich, spicy magnificence of super-concentrated pork goodness. Experiencing the football-sized al pastor sandwich, for instance, is kind of like eating the best barbecue in town, and kind of like getting hit by a wonderful bus. On the other hand, the al pastor alambres, in which that spicy meat is fried up on the griddle with onion, bacon--yes, bacon--and green and red bell peppers is kind of like getting hit by a wonderful bulldozer. Is this one of the best Mexican joints in town? Probably. It’s also inarguably one of the best things to happen to the after-bar experience since the invention of the remote control.