Taqueria Y Panadería La Calentana

"They say good things come in threes and that is certainly true of Taqueria y Panaderia Calentana, the latest option for delicious Mexican cuisine in DeLeon Springs. Joining the long-loved La Calentana Carniceria (butcher shop) and La Calentana Panaderia (bakery), the newest La Calentana — as advertised — serves tacos galore, a large selection of sweet and savory baked goods and an extensive lineup of refreshing beverages. That’s just for starters. Its generous menu also offers quesadillas, gorditas, burritos, sopes, tortas and complete, authentic (beans, rice and your choice of meat) platters of Mexican beefsteak, chicken or a mixture of both. For those who walk on the wilder side of cuisine, special end-of-the-week platters include Biria de Chivo (goat), Barbacoa de Res (beef cheeks, a customer favorite) or Barbacoa de Borrego (barbecue lamb with herb and spices), as well as tripe and carnitas. The platters are the most expensive items on the menu, but portions are enough for two or more meals for the average appetite. Speaking of soups, menudo really is a great hangover cure if you can get over the idea of eating entrails, which you will after one savory sip. A special weekend treat is the restaurant’s signature Caldo de Camaron, a traditional Mexican shrimp soup made with vegetables and shrimp bathing in a rich broth. Along with the fresh ceviche, those dishes pay tribute to the owners’ native State of Guerrero, Mexico, most famous for that beautiful jewel of a city, Alcapulco, on the shores of the mighty Pacific Ocean. Fridays, Chef Rosa rolls out her special enchiladas and Marcos, who opened the shop two years ago, says he is always eager for special requests from what is becoming his loyal following. Chicharrones (crispy fried pork), mole and pozole rojo (a rich Mexican stew of pork shoulder, red chilis and hominy, topped with shredded cabbage and radishes) are some possibilities. The complete menu is not offered every day, so be sure to call ahead or make note of what days feature your favorites. Even if the item you desire might not be available on a certain day, you cannot go wrong ordering “regular” tacos or burritos. Actually, there is nothing ordinary about these either. On two occasions — unable to drop in on a Friday for enchiladas, always my number one choice — I opted for the marinated tacos al pastor and on another afternoon, sampled the ginormous chicken burrito. Tacos come complete with radish and cabbage toppings and the big fat burrito was stuffed with chicken, cheese, rice and beans. In fact, I will be eating the other half burrito for dinner tonight if I ever get hungry again today. For all the rico items on the menu, a restaurant is nothing without hospitality. La Calentana is clean, bright and friendly, thanks to the oversight of owner Marcos. Roughly translated La Calentana means “woman from the hot land” or Tierra Caliente, a cultural and geographical region in southern Mexico including the states of Michoacan, Guerrero and Mexico. La Calentana is also a famous art form of the region that combines musical instruments, dance and folk poetry. The hot woman of this Calentana reigns over the restaurant’s open kitchen. There, Chef Rosa makes her magic for all to see, so there are no dark secrets waiting to be discovered by the health department. Which is always reassuring in this post-pandemic era. Speaking of which, the only problem La Calentana has is exposure. The timing of its opening two years ago was difficult due to the pandemic and its location has been hard for locals to fix on their GPS. Situated next to La Vincente food mart, people often mistake it for the stop-and-shop and not the full service restaurant it is. Still, word of mouth is getting around, so best hurry down before more, like me, discover this hidden jewel. It’s the best-kept culinary secret in DeLeon Springs now, but that won’t last."

"I cant say enough good things about this place! It is very clean inside with a lot of seating, glass bottle cokes, homemade thick fresh tortillas that are the BEST i have ever had. We got the steak and cheek meat tacos, both were amazing! The cheek meat was so tender and juicy, we will DEFINITELY be back!"

"By far the best tacos I’ve ever had! They were hot and fresh, the tortillas were perfect and amazing and every other good word that could be used to describe something awesome! I will be back probably every day if I can. This is now my favorite restaurant!"

"Great place to get authentic tacos and drinks. .plenty of dining room space for larger crowds and outside booths . Bakery inside as well."

"Place looks like an old convenience store from the outside. Once you go in though, the place is very nice. Easy to order, super friendly staff, and the food was excellent. They even have an on-site bakery that makes treats that look fantastic. I will be coming back often."