El Primo Taqueria in Banks Food Hall eatery in Columbus stands out in barbacoa

Located in Banks Food Hall right off the Columbus Riverwalk,El Primo Taqueriaserves up some of the most delicious and fresh mexican food your heart can desire.

I ate here for the first time during my first week of work with the Ledger-Enquirer and was thrilled when I saw Barbacoa tacos on the menu. For those not familiar with barbacoa, all I can say is “bless your heart.” Barbacoa is a gift from the heavens in the form of slowly roasted marinated beef that pulls apart like string cheese. The beef is incredibly juicy and filled with flavor in each bite no matter how tiny.

Barbacoa means barbecue in Spanish, but don’t confuse it with the pork you get from your favorite local BBQ restaurant. It is traditionally made with beef, goat, mutton and lamb meat and cooked in fire pits in the ground and covered with agave leaves.

I applaud the owners at El Primo Taqueria as I can taste the care they put into the meat. The result ranks first in my all-time list of barbacoa I’ve had.

The first time I had the barbacoa at El Primo Taqueria it sat atop a corn tortilla with fresh cilantro and onion accompanying the immense flavor. The cilantro added a fresh taste while the onions added a sharp contrast to the taste of the beef.

I squeezed juice of a lime wedge over my tacos for a little acidic flavor, and topped it off with the fresh made hot sauce. I stuck with a milder sauce that day which was vibrant with the taste of tomatoes, cilantro and the slightest hint of spice.

Returning the other day to try a burrito stuffed with not only my beloved barbacoa but rice, lettuce and queso, the burrito had to be at least a pound. After they folded up the monstrous burrito, it was still longer than my rather large hand.

I topped each bite off with the hottest sauce I could ask for, and man did they deliver. I was given a bright orange sauce that could almost burn off the hair in your nose when you smell it. I believe it was a habanero-based sauce.

This sauce is not for those with weak tongues who shed tears while putting Crystal hot sauce on their fried chicken. Though I am used to spicy foods, I still found myself constantly sipping my Dr. Pepper to help douse the fire in my mouth.

The rice was incredibly well seasoned, the lettuce was fresh and the queso added a creaminess to the burrito that helped make it all go down easier.

So when you’re in the area, I definitely recommend you check out El Primo Taqueria in Banks Food Hall.