The Naked Taco in the Promenade at Coconut Creek brought the Executive Chef of the Yes Hospitality Group, Omar Martinez, to revamp things and introduce some really great new additions to their latest menu.
Some dishes are so good that I’m still thinking about them days later.
Full disclosure: Despite it being one of the closest taco and Mexican restaurants to us, we rarely went in the last year because we were disappointed with the menu, which had nothing really standing out, and the music, which was sometimes so loud we couldn’t have a conversation.
This trip was certainly the opposite and very eye-opening. Between the new chef and new manager, they seemed to have fixed issues I secretly hoped they would.
It was a slower night, so we got to talk to John Stevens, the manager for the past year. He’s one of those people you can’t help but root for because he’s grateful for everything in his life. He’s clearly passionate about the restaurant, he takes it seriously, and he wants it to do well, so he was doing everything that night, including making these fantastic new $10 mocktails he personally added to the menu.
Per his design, everything is fresh. There are no preservatives, no syrups, and aoilis are made in-house. Even the creams are aiolis, so instead of dairy-based, they’re egg-based. He won’t use a commissary, so they work with raw ingredients in the kitchen.
He explained he’d added artwork and lighting and lowered the volume of the music so people could hear themselves talk. The corporation that runs this and a bunch of other restaurants is the YES Hospitality Group, and a motto he took from them is “Something you can always give away for free is being nice.” He stressed to his staff to keep that energy, and if our server Brittinie was any indication, they got the message because she was a sweetheart and so helpful in navigating the new additions.
There were recently developed sections of the menu we had never seen before, and we tried to focus solely on that. (There is also a new brunch menu available daily until 4 p.m., but we were there for dinner hours).
From the new “Naked Bar” section, we tried the salmon crudo ($20) and the coconut ceviche ($20). The salmon crudo had some very fresh, thinly sliced salmon sunken in a thicker tart passionfruit vinaigrette. The fats in the salmon and avocado went great with the texture difference of the microgreens and herbs on top. The whole bite went down smoothly, and you could really taste the fish.
The presentation of the coconut ceviche inside of a coconut on a bed of ice raised our expectations, only to let them down. The ingredients were completely muddled by the coconut. Not bursting with flavor or citrus like you expect. It did have some nice heat to it. However the ice succeeded in making ingredients like the corn stiff and stale, and to make matters worse corn was piled all over the ceviche.
The Mexican Cobb Salad ($22) was huge and one of the better salads I’ve ever ordered. The corn achiote chicken was moist. The dressing had notes of lime and citrus and brightened up the salad. The portion is enormous, and the veggies like tomatoes and avocados are perfectly portioned. The Garbanzo beans were pan-fried with garlic and paprika. It’s legitimately a great salad, and I would order it again when I’m in the mood for something extra healthy.
The tostada section was also original. The tuna tostada ($18) was a bit underwhelming. The cubes of tuna were great, but the wonton was slightly bitter and slightly too thick for the ratio to make sense. The soy sauce was too light, but the slices of Fresno chile brought some much-needed flavor.
The bowls ($20) previously were set dishes with queso, corn, rice, etc., and you picked the protein. Now, the base protein selected changes the entire complexion of the bowl. They make their own exclusive barbacoa, and it’s all over the menu. After I got the barbacoa bowl, I understood why.
The recipe is delicious. Apparently, Chef Omar marinates it in brown sugar and a homemade BBQ sauce. The unexpected sweetness was really something, especially contrasted with pickled onions and a really superior chimichurri over a bunch of oven-roasted yuccas. Eating the leftovers the next day was just as fun.
There are four new “Mains” as well, including Ribs, Al Pastor, Salmon, Pork Belly, and Roasted Chicken. Even the mainstay Molcajete with chicken, asada steak, and shrimp now includes barbacoa and chorizo.
We opted for the Pork Belly entree ($28), which was a huge portion and just wonderful. I judge restaurants a bit too much based off their chimichurri, and again this one is great. Since it’s acidic by nature, sweet potato mash was great idea as the base. Combine the crispiness of the pork belly with a moist interior, the pieces of chorizo became the cherry on top of something we would crave and need to come back for.
A fried bag of donuts ($10) was flaky, pulling apart, and heavenly. The three dipping sauces were all homemade: creme anglaise, chocolate, and dulce de leche. The sauces were surprisingly almost watery, which threw me off since I was expecting a more viscous caramel texture. But it worked so much better since the donuts soaked everything up quite enjoyably.
Chef Omar seems to really understand Mexican and American food. It’s to the point for me that the new mains and bowls have eclipsed the tacos. The manager, John, clearly wants to establish repeat customers, and this was a great start.
Food can sometimes be schizophrenic with so many ingredients. There was clearly a miss or two. The dishes that worked, though, felt like they had design and purpose. The execution was perfect. The Promenade seems to have more bar food options than real restaurants, and now I feel like this may have restored some balance.
Naked Taco
NakedTaco.com
4443 Lyons Rd D103
Coconut Creek, FL 33073
Hours:
Mon 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Tues 11:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Wed – Thurs 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Fri – Sat 11:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m
Sun 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
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