Madison Review: Fuzzy's Taco Shop

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop recently opened next to the Starbuck’s on University Ave and from the conversations of the few in attendance; they are already building a loyal customer base. After my first meal I’m ready to join.

Food wise this is decidedly more of a baja taco joint than say a taqueria and again that’s fine as that’s their goal. We started off with the chips and queso. The cheese was a good consistency but a little bland. I would rank it above Panchero’s but slightly below Qdoba’s. Chip wise though Fuzzy’s has no peer in the chain ranks. They were fresh warm and had just the right amount of salt. My partner tried the pork and beans appetizer which turned out to be pinto beans topped with shredded pork, a little cheese, and salsa. It was an odd dish but tasty. My partner said she’d order it as an entrée in the future. She also tried the shredded garlic beef burrito. The beef had a great taste to it and certainly was true to its moniker. The tortilla was again the best I’ve had at a chain shop and was nearly as good as some I’ve had at taquerias. The rest of the ingredients were very fresh, although the guacamole got lost a bit. I opted for a trio of tacos. I started with the aforementioned garlic beef in a crispy shell. I strongly advise avoiding the crispy shells, it was almost to the point of stale and had no redeeming qualities. The filling again was top notch though and I especially liked the additional garlic sauce that came on all the tacos. The two soft tacos I had were outstanding. The same pork that came on the beans was housed in one and I opted for the shrimp tempura in the other. Shrimp and fish can be a risky proposition at times but the shrimp here was fresh tasting and the batter was great. Lastly I think I fell in love with a new condiment last night. Fuzzy’s habenero salsa, which technically I’d call a taco sauce, was a revelation. The vinegar based sauce had some heat but not overwhelming…until I drank one almost on its own.

The service was very cheery, almost to the point of overkill. I did really appreciate that when I ordered the aforementioned pork and beans, the counter, who initially told me it wasn’t on the menu, followed up with the kitchen and found that they could make it. It was a nice touch from a new place.

Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, 3519 University Ave, Madison, WI 608-232-1479