Cap N' Taco

Have you ever even heard of Cap'N Taco? It is this teeny little Mexican place on Brookpark Road.

Apparently "R's" dad used to take him there for dinner after his bowling league, and the image of a California burrito has been ingrained in his memory. We were randomly in the area one night, and needed a quick and cheap bite to eat. On memory alone, from over 20 years ago, he found it.

There was plenty of parking in the small lot in front of the building. When you enter, there is a large counter to place take-out orders, or you can choose to sit in the small dining room off to the right.

Not very far from the airport, the interior is decorated from floor to ceiling in photographs and memorabilia of planes. There were only eight tables in the dining room, and three were occupied. My bet is that most of their business is carry-out.

There were quite a lot of options on the menu, but of course "R" had to have the California Burrito.

You had your choice of beef, chicken, or crab, and the price of each ranged from $2.99 - $3.99. Incredibly cheap. It was light and crispy, and probably the best thing that we tried, but it didn't live up to "R's" memory of them. It was also the most expensive thing that we ordered. Dining Deals Alert!

I also ordered a Cheese Enchilada. I'm convinced that it was a microwaved enchilada. It arrived in what appeared to be a pre-packaged container that probably had a plastic film on it to start. It was mushy and flavorless, with an odd texture to the tortilla that could only come from a microwave.

The only thing that really saved this meal were the three house-made sauces. For 50 or 60 cents each, you had a choice of Jet (hot), Nitro (spicy Ranch), and Firecracker (hot, hot, hot). Also, notice the packets of salsa that were served with our meal. Sigh.

"R" also ordered some tacos, which were hard shell only and 79 cents each. For an additional 30 cents, you could upgrade them to "elite" with more toppings.

They offer draft beer (Bud Light and Yuengling only), and Margaritas. Served in red solo cups. All food and beverage is served in paper or plastic, which I actually kind of enjoyed. In a setting like this dive Mexican joint, it was perfect.

Okay, so the food itself was pretty lousy and I don't think that I'd go again, but the place was so fun and such an experience. Dirt cheap, too. While there are much better tacos and such out there, this place was worth the excursion, just to say that we did. A return visit, not so much...

Cap'N Taco
16099 Brookpark Road
Cleveland, OH 44142
216-676-9830