I’ve gotten flack for calling Mema’s tacos “late-night alcohol sponges.” Sure, that’s what I use them for, but only because they are really, really good. At this little taco shack, fried fish and alligator and good steak get piled with salsa and veggies into tasty tortillas until 3 a.m. for most of the week. Owner Sean Godin even plans to open a sit-down restaurant up the street on 8th Ave., which will keep the same hours, increasing the opportunity for tasty late-night Alaskan-Mexican fusion cuisine. 1604 N. 17th Street, Tampa, 813-514-8226.
This article appears in Sep 13-19, 2006.