As you drive up Ash Street and cross over Five Mile Road in north Spokane, it feels like you've entered the land of juicy patties and cheesy pies. You have Fatburger and Burger King to your right, Five Mile Heights Pizza to your left, and Zip's Drive-In and a newer, sit-down pizza restaurant, the Boiler Room, just a block over.
In the midst of all this, the owners of Tonicx recently opened Ash St. Tacos. The new street-taco-style family restaurant is in the space attached to Tonicx, the full-service bar and patio they opened seven years ago.
"We're surrounded by pizza and burgers everywhere, so this gives us a good option for Five Mile," says Jonathan Sorrentino, who owns Tonicx and Ash St. Tacos with his wife, Shalan.
The couple previously owned the Pita Pit next door to the bar, but decided to close it to open something that suited the beer-and-cocktails vibe.
"It just complements the Tonicx side better," says Shalan.
A doorway connects the inside of both, so the owners consider the two to be one restaurant: Ash St. Tacos is the food and Tonicx is the bar.
Because they now own a non-franchised eatery, Shalan says they're enjoying the fact that they can do things like buy ingredients from local farmers, make their salsas daily and have a constantly changing fresh sheet.
Customers order their tacos, nachos or quesadillas at their table, restaurant-style, but the small kitchen, in full view for anyone sitting at the food bar, gives it a quick-service feel.
You can choose from four traditional tacos: chicken, pork, beef and fish, each $3, gluten-free and with their own distinct flavorings. For example, the fish taco comes with tilapia topped with their Chile Margarita Rub, sweet roasted corn and black bean salsa.
Four global tacos are on the menu: Greek, Jamaican Jerk, Korean and Hawaiian ($4 each). The latter two can be ordered as three sliders on buns for $6. For a light-tasting choice with some sweetness mixed in, try the Hawaiian, which has pork flavored by Hawaiian barbeque sauce with grilled pineapple, slaw and cilantro petals. ♦
Ash St. Tacos • 6314 N. Ash • Mon-Sun, 11 am-10 pm • facebook.com/tonicx.ashstreettacos • 474-9331
