Although it's mainly a takeaway restaurant, there is a small dining area at Solecito Tex-Mex's Old Town location. The vegetarian tacos with spicy salsa verde are a favorite. (Heather Benit/Stars and Stripes)
Good Mexican food is hard to find in Germany, so when I first saw the words “Tex-Mex” on the neon sign above Solecito restaurant in the old town, I made plans right away.
Solecito is more German-Mex than Tex-Mex, but its tasty tacos and spicy salsas fill the city’s noticeable void in Mexican cuisine.
The restaurant does primarily takeout service, but there are six small tables for two with stools for dining in. The colorful desert mural on the wall, the location and the friendly service tempted me to dine in during one of my recent visits.
Solecito Tex Mex is a recent addition to Kaiserslautern's Old Town. (Heather Benit/Stars and Stripes)
What I discovered is that the secret to Solecito’s food is in the salsa options. The menu doesn’t advertise them, making this spicy side extra easy to miss when you order through Lieferando, as I had previously done. When the staff prepared the food in person, they asked about spice level and suggested salsas accordingly. There’s a mild red, medium green and hot habanero.
I had already tried Solecito’s tacos, quesadillas and nachos when ordering online. The basic quesadillas and classic nachos were bland without salsa, just chips and tortillas filled with cheese and tiny bits of red onion and jalapenos.
I was eager to try the tacos again with my salsa discovery, so I ordered three vegetarian tacos and my lunch companion ordered a burrito.
The veggie tacos, a burrito with salsa roja and the spicy salsa verde at Solecito Tex-Mex in Kaiserslautern. (Heather Benit/Stars and Stripes)
The burrito is a classic overstuffed flour tortilla wrapped in tin foil. The vegetable option for 13.50 euros is filled with rice, refried beans, sour cream and freshly grilled peppers, onions, carrots and broccoli.
I strongly object to carrots and cruciferous vegetables in Mexican food, even more than corn on pizza. My German-born companion, on the other hand, commented enthusiastically on the crunch of the carrots in the burrito.
We did agree that tacos are our favorite menu item.
My veggie tacos were made with wheat tortillas and were topped with cheese, rice and lettuce. The vegetables were freshly grilled and smoky. The salsa roja the tacos came with was bland, though, so I asked for the salsa verde, which added a kick.
Specialty tacos on handmade corn tortillas are 13.50 euros at Solecito Tex-Mex in Kaiserslautern's Old Town. (Chrissy Yates/Stars and Stripes)
A meat-eating friend, who had just returned from Texas, added her opinion after eating an entree of three specialty tacos with handmade corn tortillas. She said the chicken tinga was good but improved with salsa verde.
The birria beef tasted slightly sweet and could have used more salt and a sharper onion flavor, but the chicken on the asado was seasoned just right. The single corn tortillas were not strong enough to hold all the wet ingredients, making it a messy meal.
Solecito sells tacos in hard shells or with wheat or corn tortillas. It also includes an assortment of rice bowls with chicken, beef or veggies.
To drink, there is bottled water, Fanta, Mexican cola and other soda. No alcoholic beverages are available.
The tacos are worth ordering again, so next time I’m downtown and craving Tex-Mex, Solecito will be my go-to taco spot.
Stars and Stripes’ reporter Chrissy Yates contributed to this report.
benit.heather@stripes.com
Solecito Tex-Mex
Address: Steinstrasse 23, Kaiserslautern, Germany
Hours: Opens at 11 a.m. Wednesday-Monday; opens at 3 p.m. Sunday. Closes at midnight on Friday and Saturday and 10 p.m. the rest of the week. Closed Tuesdays.
Cost: Prices range from 7 euros for mini nachos to 42.50 for 12 tacos. Three specialty meat tacos are 13.50 euros and veggie tacos are 11 euros. Drinks 2.50 euros to 3.50 euros. Cash only for in-person orders.
Information: Phone: 0631 31164204; online: instagram.com/solecito_tex_mex/?hl=en
