For years, people lined up at the TA-PAS truck for a taste of their coveted secret sauce.
Dunking tortillas full of bits of smoky tri-tip into the lime green sauce transformed the taco into something magical. A creamy, peppery and bright citrus flavor hits your tongue, bringing life to everything itβs slathered on.
TA-PAS' secret sauce had those in downtown Tucson addicted, with many asking how they can buy a bottle of it to help curb their cravings. In fact, one customer even dressed up as a squeeze bottle full of the green sauce for Halloween.
What many might not know is that this particular sauce is a must when it comes to Cuban food.
Whether youβre dipping tostones or croquetas in it, this secret sauce adds another layer of dazzling flavor to an already flavorful dish.
Now, TA-PAS is bringing that sauce and other tasty Cuban dishes to midtown Tucson with their new spot, The Cuban Corner, making us all addicted to not only their secret sauce, but also to their pork, ropa vieja and cortados.
A tostone topped with ropa vieja, pickled onions and avocado from the Cuban Corner.
Gonzalo Vera has been in the restaurant scene ever since moving to Tucson from Bolivia in 1989, starting out as a bus boy at Little Anthonyβs Diner. In 2018, Gonzalo and his wife, Yilen, decided to take a leap and start their own food truck, TA-PAS.
You could find TA-PAS parked in downtown Tucson, serving all the classic Mexican dishes weβve all come to know and love like tri tip tacos and bacon-wrapped burritos.
Since Yilen is Cuban, she always wanted to add some of her favorite meals to the menu, but itβs hard to cook up authentic Cuban food in a food truck.
Thatβs when the couple had a lightbulb moment: They could look for a brick-and-mortar where they could serve Cuban dishes as well as the fan favorites from their truck.
Directly next to the Sahara Apartments was a vacant spot, complete with a spacious inside and a cute little outdoor patio. This corner was the perfect place to house all their vibrant flavors.
The Cuban Corner, at 919 N. Stone Ave., officially opened up earlier this month. They were able to transform this corner into a colorful scene, like something youβd see walking through the streets of Havana.
The walls are painted a bright turquoise color as photos of various Cuban landmarks are scattered around. The patio has hot pink accents and their fridge is always stocked with fresh juice and cans of Latin American soda. (Pro-tip: get the Inca Kola, it kind of tastes like bubblegum!)
When your plate of food gets served, itβs like an instant ray of sunshine. Yilen, who is in charge of the Cuban food, makes sure every ingredient and seasoning that goes into each dish is the best of the best, ensuring every bite is as authentic as it can get.
You must first start your meal with a couple of their appetizers. Perfectly fried sticks filled with gooey cheese and ham (croquetas), crispy balls of buttery, cheesy potatoes and ground beef (papas rellenas), empanadas stuffed with juicy, seasoned ground beef, and fried plantains topped with ropa vieja, pickled onions and an avocado peeled to resemble a rose (tostones) will take your breath away. When you dip them into their coveted secret sauce, youβll hear angels sing with every bite.
The Cuban Corner has appetizers like tostones, papa rellenas, empanadas and croquetas.
Their entrees include plates of ropa vieja, vaca frita and pernil asado and they also have a variety of Cuban sandwiches to choose from. But what caught my eye was their Cuban tacos.
Gonzalo and Yilen fused their two cooking styles together to create tacos that feature classic Cuban flavors. I had to try a little bit of everything so I got their ropa vieja, pork and tri tip tacos.
First up were their Cuban tacos, which come with a blue corn tortilla, marinated pork, sweet potato fries and pickled onions.
Just by reading the description I knew it was going to be love at first bite, and I was right. The marinated pork may be the best Iβve ever had. It was zesty, bursting with a bright, citrus flavor that complimented the subtle sweetness of the pork. Then you get a little bit more of a sweet taste thanks to the crispy sweet potato fries. Itβs a tropical tasting taco, perfect for the summer.
Next to try was their ropa vieja taco. Ropa vieja is a classic Cuban dish made with shredded beef, tomatoes, bell peppers and spices. At the Cuban Corner, they take this tender, flavorful shredded beef and put it in a blue corn tortilla, topping it all off with pickled onions.
The rich, savory beef mixed with the tanginess of the pickled onions was divine. It was like a milder birria, and I couldnβt get enough of it.
The last taco I had on my plate was their tri-tip. While this isnβt a Cuban delicacy, I did want to give it a try since itβs a hit on their food truck. Gonzalo grills the tri tip on a mesquite grill, making the outside air smell like mouthwatering carne asada.
No surprise: this taco was also a hit. The meat had a great smoky taste to it and there were no super fatty or chewy pieces included. Mixing the smoky steak with the creamy secret sauce was like a match made in heaven.
Itβs been days since Iβve eaten there and my mind canβt stop thinking about their delicious tacos, urging me to get up and drive straight there to get my fix.
While they are working on a breakfast menu, you can stop by and get a cortado. Theyβll serve you the cutest little jar of coffee but be warned: it packs a punch. The espresso mixed with condensed milk not only tastes great, but itβll have you wired for the rest of the day.
If youβre looking for a meal thatβll brighten up your day and your tastebuds, the Cuban Corner is the place. Before you know it, youβll be their multiple times a week, dunking a crispy papa rellena into a pool of lime green goodness.
