THE CORNER KICK
Hoppen Hierarchy:★★⭑
District: Millard
Cantina with Street Tacos & Burritos
Perfect For: Lunch; Casual Dining; Happy Hour
Standout Dishes: Brisket Street Taco; Mexican Burro; Al Pastor Torta
Many restaurants fail because they don’t understand what their strengths are. They try to be something they’re not, often over-expanding their menu or trying to achieve a higher level of ambience that just feels a bit off.
The Corner Kick understands its lanes. It just wants to be taco night, whatever that means to you. Maybe it’s a Taco Tuesday with the family around the dinner table. Maybe that’s getting together with some buddies for brews and a big game.
Whatever your style, The Corner Kick is a good option, because it embraces simplicity, fun, and, above all, great tacos.
Located just off 144th and P St., the restaurant is a mash-up of sports bar and Tex Mex. It’s a bit dark, but hanging Edison bulbs supply light necessary right above the tables. There are TVs of varying sizes everywhere. The Corner Kick tends to favor soccer (hence the name), but you’ll find whatever sporting event you desire on one of the TVs.
The menu is relatively simple. Though the restaurant emphasizes its authentic Mexican flavors, the options are mostly things Americans would immediately recognize: enchiladas, burritos, flautas, and fajitas.
The highlight are the street tacos, which can be ordered with one of six meat options: brisket, al pastor, chorizo, carnitas, barbacoa, or carne asada. They’re served on a pair of tiny corn tortillas, about 4″ in diameter, with white onions and cilantro.
I’ll be perfectly honest: I’m not normally a big fan of street tacos. They’re usually so small that they vanish in just a few bites. As soon as you really start to understand and enjoy the flavors, the taco is gone.
The Corner Kick’s version of the dish is indeed tiny, but the restaurant absolutely loads on the meat. If folded up and eaten traditionally, these tacos rain meat with each bite, as the tortillas can’t help to contain the small mountain placed on them. The tortillas are excellent, as they don’t break at all despite the heavy burden they carry.
And the meats are just excellent. The Brisket is better than you’ll find at many local barbecue restaurants, as it remains moist and packed with flavor. The Al Pastor carries just a hint of sweet after being cooked with pineapple, and the chorizo has a nice bite. Even the chicken, normally a bland meat if not treated right, has a solid spice blend.
The meat flavors stand out in every dish on the menu. Though I wish the Torta (a Mexican sandwich with bolillo bread) had a bit more meat, the flavors still sing. Even a humble item like a quesadilla is upgraded with some of the zesty chicken.
The Corner Kick doesn’t provide complimentary chips and salsa, a fact I’m a bit salty about (I apologize for the terrible pun). But the chips are worth paying for because The Corner Kick offers both flour and tortilla chips.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a good tortilla chip. But the flour version provides a bit more chewiness and texture that I really appreciate, and this version is really good. The Corner Kick’s guacamole is a bit muted, though that’s not a terrible thing, as it allows the wonderful flour chips to be the star.
The restaurant’s speed is impressive. Appetizers arrive within minutes of ordering, and entrees typically aren’t far behind. Part of The Corner Kick’s slogan is, “slow-cooked taco served fast,” and it’s a perfectly accurate description.
I have a small gripe on price when it comes to the tacos. All the other prices are fair, maybe even a good deal. But the tacos are $2.50 apiece, and that’s just too much for a few bites. The prices decrease if you order in larger increments, but I still think the better value lies in the other menu items.
That is, however, the definition of picking nits. The Corner Kick offers very solid Tex Mex cuisine at a fast pace in a casual, fun atmosphere. If you’re craving a simple yet delicious taco night, it’s a very solid option.