Next I headed to Cambridge, MA. A friend and I went in search of a sandwich shop he was anxious to try after seeing it on a Food Network show. We walked past a tavern on the way that struck me as a place that would have some seriously piled high nachos and one glance at the menu confirmed my suspicion. After watching my friend devour his highly praised pastrami sandwich, we marched on back to the tavern and he watched me evaluate nachos with the precision and seriousness of a skilled food critic.

Bukowski Tavern nachos

I wasn’t quite as enthralled upon first laying eyes on these nachos but I could instantly assess that there was once again no liquid cheese and this gave me hope. Again there were tasty chips, loads of melted cheese, black beans and sour cream. No guacamole, black olives, or lettuce, much to my disappointment. But they did contain some pickled jalepenos that added a nice spicy flavor to various bites. My one main complaint – a serious enough complaint that it potentially tainted my whole experience – jarred salsa. People, I implore you. Please, please, please cut up some tomatoes and onions, toss in a little garlic, cilantro. A splash of vinegar. Perhaps some ground pepper. Keep it on hand for when you serve nachos. It won’t add much effort and frankly, may even be cheaper than jarred salsa although that’s an uneducated guess on my part. Here’s what I do know: Soggy tomatoes and tasteless limp onions in some type of red liquid do nothing but ruin an otherwise perfectly good plate of nachos.

Overall, I give them 2 out of 5 smiling nachos. If they had used fresh salsa they would have received at least 3, if not 4. The next time I’m in Cambridge, I’ll be seeking out another option to satisfy my always intense nacho craving. Can anyone out there recommend a good nacho place in Cambridge, MA?

Bukowski Tavern: 1281 Cambridge St., Cambridge, MA 02139