Taco trek

Mo & Sluggo’s is an institution in Carson City. If you’ve ever been to the Nevada Day Parade, you likely ended up in Mo & Sluggo’s at some point. I remember Mo & Sluggo’s as a bit of dive bar, but within the past year or so, the place has been given a makeover and is now clean and inviting. Don’t worry—the character is still there even if it’s just in the form of the patrons. Pictures of Carson City’s older days still adorn the walls along with slogans like, “Drink like a champion today.” I try to drink like a champion every day, but I appreciated the encouragement. Mo & Sluggo’s is split into two sections, with the bar area in front and a large dining area in the back. There’s also a pool table and darts.

Mo & Sluggo’s has a full bar and several beers on tap, but in case you’re hungry, you can order food from Tony’s Taco Truck, which is not really a truck, but a stationary eatery set up in the kitchen.

My parents live in Carson City, and on a recent visit, we headed over to Mo & Sluggo’s to grab lunch. We were warmly greeted by the bartender and a waitress who advised us to sit wherever. We ordered some Alaskan Ambers ($4.75 on draft), which were quickly brought along with some menus. Tony’s offers some typical Mexican food choices but many with a twist, like the Tijuana dog, which is a bacon-wrapped hot dog that’s fried and combined with jalapeños, queso fresco and pico slaw.

We decided to start with some chips and salsa ($3). The chips were fresh and crispy, and we were brought five types of salsas, ranging in heat and color. One was a runny orange and burnt my tongue, while another green one had just a hint of fire. Between five choices, there is something for everyone.

For my entrée, I decided to go with the pozole ($7), a stew made with hominy and your choice of meat. I went with carnitas in mine. When the bowl arrived, it was more like a cauldron filled with tons of meat, chilis and topped with crispy tortilla strips and pico slaw. The pozole was rich, warm and had some serious spice. It reminded me of Mexican chili. Every bite had a ton of pork in it, and even with my parents taking some of the stew, there was more than enough left over to take home for dinner.

My mom went with the mission-style chicken taco ($5), which is like a regular taco but with this amazing chipotle cream sauce, cheese and black beans. I was again impressed with the amount of meat piled into the taco. The chipotle cream sauce was wonderful, rich and creamy. The taco was also filled with fresh tasting cabbage that gave it a little crunch. My dad went with the carnitas burrito ($9), which could have easily served two people. The burrito was packed full of tender meat, rice, beans and cheese.

Service throughout was friendly and efficient. Our waitress checked on us frequently to make sure we didn’t need anything and always kept our glasses full. There were quite a few customers inside, but she handled it all with ease, smiling and chatting with each table. That’s Carson City hospitality for you right there. Even though Nevada Day has come and gone, do yourself a favor and come check out Mo & Sluggo’s and have some food from Tony’s. The combination of good food, large portions and friendly people is more than enough reason to make a trip to Carson City.