62    |    VIPDestinMagazine.com

W

ith its fresh, airy spaces and an abundance of 

massive windows with views overlooking the 

Gulf, when you walk into Rockin Tacos, the 

name is immediately apropos, as this place 

is a hotbed of energy, a constant bustle of fun and festivity 

brought to life in the glow of colorful Mexican Moravian-

star lights and vibrant decorations. Set to the live music of 

a DJ and the beat of Mexican drums, this family-friendly 

taqueria doesn’t merely sling out the run-of-the-mill, 

quote-un-quote “authentic” tacos so often found in chains 

across the country. 

¡todo lo contrario! 

Here, they live up to their name and truly rock the tacos, 

making fl our tortillas fresh from scratch each day using 

house made dough that’s pressed through a tortilla machine 

and fl ipped until bubbly on a massive fl at-top that grills 

more than 1,000 taco tortillas a day. And little wonder is 

it that they run through so many, as that fresh taste makes 

them all the more irresistible, all the more…

authentic? 

And while that’s certainly a point worth heralding, the fact 

remains that those tortillas are just one of the many ways 

that Chef Sixto Martinez keeps his kitchen creating fresh, 

vibrant food, making everything in-house from the sauces 

to the guacamole to the hand battered and fried gator bites 

that have gained them such wide acclaim. 

Naturally, their tacos are a thing not to be missed, 

offering every type of protein you might imagine, from the 

famous fried gator to juicy, marinated shredded chicken; 

tender, slow-roasted pork; beer battered whitefi sh; grilled 

or blackened fi sh; plump golden fried shrimp; marinated 

skirt steak; and ground Angus beef. Each seasoned and 

topped with a unique blend of ingredients whose fresh 

fl avor profi les sing with the tastes of Mexico, it’s that 

unmistakable mix of herbs and spices, creaminess and 

acidity that fairly transports the taste buds to the coast of 

our neighbors south of the border.  

Much as they might easily take a siesta and simply rely 

on the success of their tacos, the rest of the menu is equally 

craveable, from starters like the fresh guacamole prepared 

fresh to order right at your table to their sweetly authentic 

Tres Leches cake. Looking for something unique to get 

Rockin’ the Border

story by

 

Liesel Schmidt 

photos by

 

Zhalman Harris

62-63 CoastalCuisine - Rockin Tacos.indd   1

8/29/18   10:58 AM