EL ALAMBRE

Hoppen Hierarchy:★★★

Authentic Mexican Taqueria

Perfect For: Casual Dining; Lunch; Takeout

Standout Dishes: Sopes; Tacos; Burritos

Most of Omaha’s most renowned Mexican restaurants reside in the southern portion of the city. This area is a hub of great tacos, sopes, and other traditional delights, but the commute can turn off some diners who may live in other parts of the city.

But, as El Alambre proves, you don’t have to travel to South Omaha to find great Mexican food in this city.

With two locations in the West Omaha/Millard area (168th and Harrison; inside Oak View Mall), El Alambre provides the city with standout Mexican cuisine. Though neither location (strip mall; mall food court) offers much ambience, the food more than makes up for the lack of atmosphere.

El Alambre’s brilliance starts with its proteins, which seem to go overlooked at a surprising amount of Mexican restaurants. Because some Mexican dishes have a litany of components (rice, cheese, veggies, salsa, sour cream, guacamole), the meat itself can get lost under a mound of ingredients.

This isn’t the case at El Alambre. Each protein brings a bold, distinct flavor that stands out amongst the other components.

The chorizo packs a spicy punch while supplying a quiet sweetness. The carnitas pack their distinct, wonderful fatty pork flavor. The lengua (beef tongue) tastes like other cow products, but with ever more tenderness. The asada is buttery and juicy with a kiss of smoke from the grill.

The star of the show might be the beef cheek, which infuses each bite with a rich, deep fattiness. And with eight different proteins and several vegetarian options, El Alambre has something for every palate.

Your dining decisions don’t end once you’ve selected which meat you want, however. El Alambre’s menu includes street tacos, burritos, quesadillas, sopes, tortas, nachos, gorditas, chilaquiles, fries, and salads. The tacos, are small, about 4-5 bites, but the double tortillas offer great chew and don’t rip despite being packed with meat. Each taco gets a dusting of cilantro and chopped white onion before it’s baptized with a heap of creamy guacamole. And at $2.50 apiece, you can easily put 4-5 of these down at a very reasonable price.

But the true standout (to this palate, at least) are the sopes. These discs of fried masa are loaded with meat, cheese, lettuce, and tangy crema. A small rim along the edges helps contain the mountain of ingredients, and the fried masa adds a pleasant crunch.

And, in a day and age when restaurants seem to be in an arms race to create a burrito the size of a toddler, El Alambre serves up filling but manageable offerings. Rather than dish out a 1.5-lb. monstrosity (who can—or wants to—eat that much in one sitting?), El Alambre opts for an 8-inch tortilla pocket stuffed with meat, rice, guacamole, sour cream, and vegetables. The result is a delicious offering that highlights the meat and won’t put you in a coma for the rest of the day.

There are so many combinations to explore on El Alambre’s menu that it would take months to dissect every option. This is an absolute win for Omaha diners, especially those who need a quick meal near their home.

I’d highly encourage Omahans to experience South Omaha’s Mexican scene, but El Alambre proves that’s not the only part of town with some killer tacos and sopes.