We weren’t supposed to be at Del Campo a la Ciudad on Tuesday afternoon, but sometimes the food gods smile down on you and an unfortunate situation turns into a game-changing eating experience.

My buddy, Rango, and I originally headed to another restaurant for lunch, in hopes of knocking out our latest installment of Rango & Rib. Unfortunately, neither of us bothered to check if the place was actually open for lunch. Spoiler alert, the restaurant, which will remain nameless, was not open.

Defeated, disappointed, and starving, we headed back to Little Rock (we were in Alexander) in hopes of salvaging our latest debacle. As we approached the corner of University and 65th Street, Rango motioned to a spot he was told made good food … Del Campo a la Ciudad.

Neither of us had ever been, and mind you, we were a stone’s throw from one of my favorite taquerias in town, Taqueria Karina, so going to Del Campo was a risk. But hey, we like to live life on the wild side.

It ended up being a brilliant decision.

For first-timers, like us, just through the market part of the building and head towards to the back where you’ll see several tables and an order counter. We both got the same thing: one al pastor taco, one carnitas taco, and one barbacoa gordita.

Minutes later, the food was brought over to our table and the chow down commenced. At first glance, these looked like your standard issue tacos … small in size, ample in meat filling, and topped with a heavy hand of cilantro and fresh onion.

But, oh no, these weren’t your run-of-the-mill tacos.

Why?

The made-to-order corn tortillas are what separate these tacos from the rest. Believe me, I’m generally a flour tortilla guy, but Del Campo’s corn version are just so damn delicious. Thick and pillowy soft, these tortillas absolutely shined and were a far cry from those typical bland, dry corn tortillas you see at so many restaurants.

Oh … and the meat, let’s not forget about the meat. The barbacoa and pastor were big hits, both tender and not over seasoned, although the carnitas was a little fatty and bland. It certainly wasn’t bad, but probably not something I’d get again. Also, do not, I repeat, do not, miss out on the orange and green hot sauces. The orange will light your tuchus on fire but forgetting to include some on your taco would be a mistake.

The bottom line is this … please go check out Del Campo a la Cuidad.

I’m glad we did.

Del Campo a la Ciudad
6500 S University Ave
Hours: Monday-Saturday 9a-9p, closed Sunday
Phone: (501) 562-1281