Taco Hell

I'm the type of person all-you-can-eat deals are wasted on, though I keep trying. Problem is, no matter how hungry I am, I really can't eat a lot in one sitting. I get full really quickly, but hungry often.

Despite this, I decided to finally make a visit to neighbourhood restaurant, OddFellows, for their weekly all-you-can-eat night, Taco Hell.

The setup at OddFellows is a unique one, to me at least. It's a small space with one long communal table running the length of the restaurant. When I arrived, it was nearly full, but I managed to grab a single seat. For Taco Hell night, you prepay $15 for your plate and then help yourself to the wide array of taco fillings set out on another table behind the main dining table.

There were three types of shells on offer, and I definitely preferred the whole wheat, as it was the lightest and softest of the three. For fillings, you could choose from a fish ceviche or ground beef. I found the beef to be a bit dry, so enjoyed the fish taco more. The choice of fixings are almost too numerous to mention, but besides the usual guacamole, refried beans, cheese, salsa roja and lettuce, there was pineapple salsa, salsa verde, coleslaw, green onions, mole sauce and more.

My most successful combo was fish, guacamole, coleslaw, salsa verde, sour cream and green onion. It just had a nice level of acidity and freshness. Surprisingly, using the pineapple salsa with the fish was kind of a dud. I found the taste to be completely flattened. I'd say the beef was a pass altogether, but I'm not sure if it was the meat itself, the beans, or the salsa I didn't like. It could also be because they had run out of the guacamole by the time I assembled that taco, an element I find essential in a taco.

Overall, I'd say Taco Hell is worth a visit, especially if you're a bigger eater than I. (Not difficult, I know.) I managed to pack away 4 tacos, which was an accomplishment for me! The concept of the night is a fun one. I did enjoy putting together the different combinations of fillings and toppings to see what worked best. Kind of like a meat sundae bar. It does fill up (starting at 7 pm on Sundays), but it seems like the kind of thing that would be fun to do with a group of friends. If I do it again, I may try not eating at all that day, and maybe go for six!