RESTAURANT REVIEW: Buy 1, feed 2 at Tacos 4 Life

Tacos 4 Life, with two locations in Conway and one in Fayetteville, is a company with a cause that I can get behind.

For every meal sold in the restaurant, the business donates to the nonprofit Christian hunger organization Feed My Starving Children. What it comes down to: 22 cents for each meal bought will buy a scientifically developed rice pack designed to meet the needs of hungry children in Swaziland, Africa. And patrons can donate more at the restaurant or through its website.

Upon entering the Dave Ward Drive location (there's another on Oak Street) in an attractive strip center, customers veer to the left and head toward the order counter. Booth and table seating are to the right and there is a small second dining room in the back. The decor is tasteful and comfortable, and the overall vibe is relaxing (though the place was packed when we left). There is also an outdoor patio with picnic-table seating.

Tacos 4 Life has more than just tacos. There are burritos, quesadillas, nachos, salad and rice bowls, a few appetizers and desserts. But tacos were what we had a hankering for that day.

We started our Saturday lunch visit by ordering chips and queso (personal order $2.72, table-size $5.12).

There is a varied selection of chicken, beef, steak, pork, fish, seafood and vegetable tacos. They are served on specific types of shells, but diners can choose flour, corn, fried flour "puffy" or steamed corn tortillas or lettuce shells.

I'm fascinated by the puffy shells, so we went traditional with a basic beef version ($7.40 for two with rice) that comes with lettuce, sour cream, jack cheese and pico de gallo.

Craving something nontraditional, we ordered the Cuban Pork ($8.79 for two with rice) and the Ono Shrimp ($10.09 for two with rice) versions too. The Cuban comes on a flour tortilla and is topped with bacon, sweet pickle, gouda and a secret sauce. The Ono Shrimp was also served on a flour tortilla and topped with a pineapple sauce, green onions, lettuce, pineapple and toasted coconut.

Side orders include cilantro lime rice, refried black beans, Mexican cream-style corn, a Mexi side salad and Southern-style coleslaw. Because rice came with two of our selections, we asked to substitute slaw; it cost 75 cents.

Other taco flavors include Mango Habanero, Buffalo Chicken, BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger, the Korean-influenced The Counselor, Sweet Chili Shrimp, Magic Tofu and Mexiterrean Chickpea. There are options for customers who are dairy- and gluten-free.

After ordering, customers receive a disc that vibrates to signal an order is ready. We got our cheese dip right way and headed to a table to nibble and wait. The dip was served in a to-go foam container; it and the chips were on a metal tray that was convenient to tote to the table. All the tacos were served on metal trays as well, and the sides also came in foam containers.

The dip was creamy and well seasoned without being too spicy, and the chips were thin and crisp.

The beef taco was my favorite of the three, with a lightly seasoned ground beef filling that went well with the jack cheese. The Cuban pork taco had an adequate amount of bacon and cheese, and the pickle added the nice hint of interest found in some Cuban sandwich recipes.

I also enjoyed the Ono Shrimp version, but it was sweet. There were several medium-size breaded shrimp that managed to hold their own when joined with pineapple sauce, pineapple and toasted coconut. I'm not sure I would order it again.

We were both a bit disappointed with the side dishes. I dug into rice with gusto at first, but was sadly underwhelmed. Served in a little foam dish with a lid, it seemed that it had been prepackaged and left to sit. It wasn't warm, and was dry and underseasoned. The slaw was a little better, but the "creamy" housemade dressing seemed acidic and really not very creamy at all.

Overall our visit was pleasant; the food was good and the service was friendly and efficient. Although the prices do seem steep, we realize that by eating at Tacos 4 Life we are doing some good in the world.

Weekend on 01/28/2016