Hidden Gems: The best use of cheese I’ve ever seen on a taco at The Taco Spot
Tortillas loaded with cheese on the griddle The Taco Spot on Grafton St. in Worcester.
The Taco Spot in Worcester is the type of restaurant that makes you want to do a victory lap after visiting.
The first time I tried one of their vampiro tacos, it immediately became a cheesy obsession that made me want to spread the word. The people near me needed to know about this awesome taco I’d had.
A beef quesadilla from The Taco Spot on Grafton St. in Worcester.
A low-key restaurant on Grafton Street, The Taco Spot is an easy-to-miss marvel with a small menu, tricky parking situation and owners who are passionate about making amazing tacos, quesadillas, taquitos and nachos.
A quesadilla, vampiro taco and birria taco from The Taco Spot on Grafton St. in Worcester.
But like any great hole-in-the-wall, there’s something special that makes it worth going out of your way to try.
In this case, it’s cheese and broth.
Let me explain.
Massachusetts Hidden Gems | The Taco Spot in Worcester
Outside The Taco Spot on Grafton St. in Worcester.
Let’s start with cheese.
You know how sometimes, when you make a grilled cheese, some of the cheese slips off the bread and goes directly onto the griddle?
That little avalanche of melted cheese quickly gets caramelized and chewy, creating a sort of delicious, hardened cheese lava hanging off the side of the sandwich.
A look around The Taco Spot on Grafton St. in Worcester.
What if I told you there was a taco that was built around that concept?
That’s exactly what The Taco Spot has with the vampiro taco. It’s like an open-faced taco where one side of the tortilla is covered in crispy cheese.
I had no idea these were a thing until I found The Taco Spot. Now I’m mad that more places don’t have them.
A look around The Taco Spot on Grafton St. in Worcester.
Now, let’s get to broth. That’s the key to the birria-style tacos.
A look around The Taco Spot on Grafton St. in Worcester.
Birria is meat that’s been stewed for hours, making it an especially juicy, tender and flavorful centerpiece of the taco.
The broth that was used to stew the meat is used in the taco as well. When you order a birria-style taco, the broth is brushed on the outside of the tortilla as it cooks on the griddle, adding a delicious and crunchy burnished glaze.
A look around The Taco Spot on Grafton St. in Worcester.
The tacos typically come with consomé. That’s a cup of that same birria broth that you can use for a final flourish of flavor, either by pouring it out or dipping your taco into.
While some places only do birria-style beef, The Taco Spot prides itself on doing separate birria broths for beef, chicken and pork.
A look around The Taco Spot on Grafton St. in Worcester.
What’s good on the menu?
The great part about the menu at The Taco Spot is the simplicity. Everything mostly involves the same ingredients, just in different configurations.
A look around The Taco Spot on Grafton St. in Worcester.
The go-to items are the birria tacos and vampiro tacos. Both of them are available in chicken, beef and pork.
For the birria tacos, I recommend getting them with cheese, onion, cilantro, jalapenos and consomé. That’s the baseline “mild” version. You can also get them with habanero peppers if you want. But be warned: Those pack some serious heat.
A quesadilla, vampiro taco and birria taco from The Taco Spot on Grafton St. in Worcester.
The end result is a colorful explosion of savory and herbaceous flavor. It runs laps around your standard taco, hooking you immediately and keeping you wanting more.
The vampiro tacos have similar toppings. But I recommend going all-out and adding some guac sauce to the equation.
The big difference with the vampiro taco is the layer of crispy cheese, which has an unmistakable golden-brown hum. Chewy and flavorful, you get every iota of cheese going full blast when you take a bite.
A look around The Taco Spot on Grafton St. in Worcester.
The heavy payload of cheese and meat may seem like a lot at first glance. But The Taco Spot manages to toe the line between heft and flavor.
It’s a lot like a cruise ship. You’d think something heavy shouldn’t float the way it does. But with the magic of taco science, anything is possible.
A look around The Taco Spot on Grafton St. in Worcester.
If you’re looking for something smaller, you can go for a triplet of taquitos.
If you want more cheese, grab a quesadilla.
If you want to go crazy, then you’re probably going to want some nachos as well. Just like the tacos, the nachos do not skimp on the cheese.
A look around The Taco Spot on Grafton St. in Worcester.
I attempted to learn what type of cheese The Taco Spot uses. The owners wisely declined to share their secret, calling it a “house blend.”
A tortilla topped with cheese at The Taco Spot on Grafton St. in Worcester.
Born out of a love for tacos
The origin story of The Taco Spot is a simple one. The wife-and-husband team of Stephanie Ortiz and Alex Ortiz just really, really love tacos.
“We’re the type of couple that would go three hours just to eat tacos if we heard they were good,” Alex says.
A look around The Taco Spot on Grafton St. in Worcester.
That passion for good tacos led Stephanie and Alex to draw from all sorts of different sources to develop their own style. For example, the vampiro tacos are inspired by street foods they encountered in L.A. and Texas.
During COVID lockdown, Stephanie and Alex tried their hand at making birria tacos and got positive reviews from their families.
“They let us know that we have something and we should pursue it,” Alex says.
The crew at The Taco Spot
“We took a chance,” Stephanie adds.
So far, that gamble has paid off. The Taco Spot is set to celebrate its fourth anniversary in September as customers keep coming back for more.
A quesadilla, vampiro taco and birria taco from The Taco Spot on Grafton St. in Worcester.
What to know about The Taco Spot
Finding The Taco Spot can be tricky if you’re unfamiliar with it.
There are only a couple of spots in front of the restaurant on Grafton Street. Your best bet is to try and find street parking (which is free) on one of the side streets. I usually park around the corner on Mendon Street.
A birria taco from The Taco Spot on Grafton St. in Worcester.
The space itself is pretty small, with only a few high-top spots to sit and eat. For the most part, your best bet is to get takeout.
Customers can order takeout by calling 508-713-1476. The Taco Spot is also available for delivery on UberEats, DoorDash and GrubHub.
What’s the address? — 264 Grafton St, Worcester, MA 01604
A vampiro taco from The Taco Spot on Grafton St. in Worcester.
What’s the parking situation? — There is limited street parking on Grafton Street. More available street parking is available on nearby side streets.
Phone number for orders: 508-713-1476
When are they open? — Here are the listed business hours at the time of writing.
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday: 11:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.
- Wednesday: 11:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.
- Thursday: 11:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.
- Friday: 11:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.
- Saturday: Noon - 7 p.m.
- Sunday: Closed
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Mass Hidden Gems is a series highlighting restaurants and other businesses across the Bay State that we think deserve more attention. You can check out the rest of the series here.
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