Cheap Eats 2012: R&R Taqueria

Yes, it’s an hour’s drive from down-town DC. And yes, it’s in a gas station. But we can’t stop thinking about our meals here.

Owner Rodrigo Albarran-Torres is particular with his sourcing (you’d swear his corn tortillas were homemade), and his sauces owe their complexity to being made the time-honored way—from scratch. Tacos, sopes, posoles, huaraches, chiles rellenos—it’s like a quick trip to the streets of Mexico City. Would it be nice to sit on something other than a stool? Sure. But that’s also part of the charm. And a small price to pay for flavors this deep and true.

Also good: Chilaquiles, a tortilla casserole with red sauce and crema; chorizo, cochinita, and carnitas tacos; chicken-Milanese sandwich.