From The New Orleans Menu Daily By Tom Fitzmorris Originally published April 13, 2007 Taqueria Corona 1$ Uptown: 5932 Magazine; 897-3974. Metairie: 3535 Severn, 885-5088. Harahan: 1827 Hickory Ave., 738-6722. All: Lunch and dinner, seven days. AE MC V When Taqueria Corona opened its first restaurant in a seedy space on Magazine Street, it taught us a few things. First, the word "taqueria." A place that makes and sells tacos. We now have many taquerias around town, but this was the first to use that descriptor. More important, Taqueria Corona it showed Orleanians that there's more to Mexican food than corn tortillas, ground beef, salad, and shredded cheeses rolled up in enough different ways to make a combo plate. The tacos here are the style eaten in most of Mexico, and very different from the crunchy bordertown things we're accustomed to. The involve flour tortillas, rolled around chunks of marinated and grilled beef, chicken, pork or even fish. The grill is hot enough to give an exciting crustiness and smoky flavor. The hot plate is finished with beans so hot they bubble, and tangy pico di gallo and grilled green onions. That was in the beginning. I don't find Taqueria Corona as exciting or as consistent as it once was. This is particularly true at the Metairie and Harahan locations; the Magazine spot has remained more solid. The crunchy border taco has appeared, a sop to the timid palates. The menu includes the cheesiest enchiladas on earth and a handful of those California-style burritos (the ones filled with rice and beans and all that). A great appetizer is the celollitas--grilled green onions. The guacamole is crushed a bit too fine but tastes good. And the flan is well made. The ingredients all are of more than decent quality. Although it's lost some of its sizzle, Taqueria Corona remains one of the best Mexican places in town. It's certainly truer to real Mexican food than most of the fakey Tex-Mex place. And it's  certainly a bargain. It's a job to get your check over ten dollars here, and you can eat well for much less than that. This was a restaurant in the 2007 Top Sixty Ethnic Restaurant Countdown. To view the entire list, click here. Click here for an index of all restaurant reviews. © 2007 Tom Fitzmorris. All rights reserved. news@nomenu.com.