Rock Hard Taco
561-393-Taco
891 E. Palmetto Park Road
Boca Raton, FL 33432
Open 7 Days – 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Average Meal Pricing: $-$$
www.rockhardtaco.com

Welcome to Rock Hard Taco – where just a few steps from the beach in Boca Raton, South Floridians can get a little taste of southern California’s unique style and true Mexican fare rolled up into one.  Founded by extreme sport enthusiast Steve Miller and business partner, Elizabeth TenHouten Dobson, Miller describes his goal for the restaurant as, “Incorporating all of the things that we love about the taco places in California and bringing it here to South Florida…our vision was to create a west coast ‘vibe’ with great Mexican food.” And Miller does just that. Holding true to Miller’s desire to steer clear of typical “beach” and “cantinas” themes, Rock Hard Taco delivers both a unique feast for the eyes and a celebration to the taste buds. The restaurant is lined with attention-grabbing photographs of surfers and skaters in action, gorgeous Hawaiian landscapes (many from Miller’s private collection), and waves that would make any ocean enthusiast drool. A big screen TV allows guests to view some of today’s greatest athletes in action while fast rock music keeps you in motion.

Miller delivered on his vision by first introducing a starter of Steak Salad that not only tasted great but had a colorful, eye-catching presentation to boot. Rock Hard Taco’s “Rockin’ Salads” (7.95) can be prepared with four different types of meat: shredded beef, Carne Asada (steak), shredded chicken or Carnitas (pork). The meats are accompanied by crisp lettuce, vegetables, Mexican cheeses, pico de gallo, cilantro lime dressing and some of the crispiest, thickest and tastiest tortilla strips this side of the Mexican border. Rock Hard Taco’s steak is tenderized, rubbed with a selective blend of spices and marinated overnight – lending to its incredible flavor.  Complementing the Steak Salad was a side of crunchy chips with fresh salsa, sour cream and cilantro and onion infused guacamole that was so light and delicious, I would have walked to California myself to get ahold of more.

Next up was an incredible display of various hard and soft shelled tacos, piled high with mouth-watering meats including, pork, shredded chicken and beef. Rock Hard’s Taco shells are well…rock hard (unless you order the soft shell, of course!), and it doesn’t matter if you order the corn or flour shells – both are quite tasty. Topping off the meal was a platter of Mahi-Mahi Tacos Rock (8.50) – two  tacos filled with Mahi-Mahi, rice and cumin, infused black beans and topped with a sour cream, lime and cilantro sauce that is sure to please.

Other menu items at Rock Hard Taco include: nachos, burritos, quesadillas and even an appealing breakfast menu. Though the inside offers limited seating, don’t despair as additional seating is available in the front of the restaurant as well as behind. Several aspects make Rock Hard Taco stand out from other local Mexican eateries – the portions are extremely generous, all of the food is exceptionally fresh and the menu offers many healthy alternatives not available in your typical restaurant. Added bonus – it’s only a short stroll away from the beach. Who needs to actually go to California when you have great Mexican food and a taste of the SoCal sports scene combined with gorgeous South Florida beach scenery all in one? So, if sand, surf and fresh Mexican fare are calling out your name, head over to Rock Hard Taco. The casual atmosphere, ideal location (for both tourists and locals) and inventive menu items are sure to please even the toughest critic out there.

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Smoothie King
Locations throughout South Florida
Average Meal Pricing: $
www.Smoothieking.com

Smoothie King is one of those sweet little corners of the world where taste and nutrition are combined into perfect wedded bliss. Way back in the 1960’s, Steve Kuhnau was on a mission to relieve his problems with allergies and low blood sugar. He started by mixing up various fruits, proteins and nutrition in a blender thus creating his first smoothies. After drinking nutritious smoothies for a while, Steve noticed that his health problems had improved. This was the beginning of his adventure and mission to help people make better food choices to enhance their health. In 1973, Steve opened his first Smoothie King store offering up delicious and vitally nutritious Smoothies and also selling vitamins. Today there are 600 Smoothie Kings in the continental U.S. and Seoul, Korea.

Smoothie King offers its patrons an exciting variety of choices to explore from among its “Seven Functions” which are: Stay Healthy, Trim Down, Get Energy, Shape Up, Snack Right, Indulge, and Kids’ Kups. The amazing variety of Smoothies is too vast to list here but some of the luscious and healthy titles that are sure to entice your palate are: (Stay Healthy) Blueberry Heaven, Immune Builder, Mangosteen Madness; (Trim Down) Angel Food, Muscle Punch, Low-Carb Chocolate, the Shredder Vanilla; (Get Energy) Acai Adventure, Green Tea Tango, Super Punch Plus; (Shape Up) The Activator Strawberry, Gladiator, Power Meal, High Protein Pineapple; (Snack Right) Banana Berry Treat, Grape Expectations, Light and Fluffy; (Indulge) Banana Boat, Coconut Surprise, Malts; (Kids’ Kups) Berry Interesting, Smarti Tarti, and Choc-A-Laka.

Another great offering on Smoothie King’s menu are the Fit N’ Crunchy Bowls. If you are in the mood for a delicious and healthy snack, try one of the many choices which include but are not limited to: the Acai Mate Bowl made up of organic acai, banana, Yerba Mate, tart yogurt and granola; or the Strawberry Tart Yogurt Bowl which is high in antioxidants, includes 80% RDA Vitamin C, 25% RDA Calcium, and 9 grams of protein along with scrumptious strawberries, banana, tart yogurt, milk powder, soy and granola. The nutritional information that is easily accessible on all Smoothie King products lists the serving size, calories, total fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrates, sugars, dietary fiber, protein and vitamins.

Smoothie King also allows you to customize your Smoothie with their nutritional Enhancers to address your specific needs. The list of Enhancers includes: Bone and Joint Health, which is a special formula of calcium, magnesium, vitamin D and MSM to promote and benefit your bone and joint health; the Pre-Workout, which is a great combination of L-Arginine (which supports damaged tissue), Beta Alanine that decreases muscle fatigue and the added benefit of caffeine to stimulate your mental and physical capabilities; Probiotic is the Enhancer that includes the “friendly bacteria” of probiotics which help promote and maintain a healthy digestive tract and also aids in digestion while supporting your immune system. Antioxidant is another Enhancer choice that protects your cells from free radical damage. It is a superb blend of pomegranate, goji, acai, selenium and vitamins A, C and. E. If you are in need of a quick supply of energy then choose Caffeine Charge, which will boost your mental clarity while providing a sustained energy boost. Diet Down is perfect for the dieter because it contains chromium to burn fats and carbohydrates. It also has green tea to increase fat metabolism, L-Carnitine to enhance muscle mass and reduce fatigue, 5HTP which decreases appetite and fiber to slow down digestion and keep you feeling full for a longer period of time. Other great Enhancers are: Energy, Immune, Multi-Vitamins, Muscle Builder and Fiber Blend.

So, skip the fast food drive-through today and do something great for your body! Treat your taste buds and health to a smart choice at Smoothie King