Ceasar’s Tacos turned me off a long time ago because I didn’t find the taqueria clean enough to be worth the mediocre tacos.

But a friend recently told me she’s “addicted” to the chicken gorditas at Ceasar’s, so I tried again Saturday, ready for some unhealthy food after rehydrating from the previous night.

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Ceasar’s No. 1 is quaint as a roadside stop in Mexico. A few picnic tables line the patio of the building, painted the local chain’s trademark yellow. Peering into the kitchen, all I could see were a few soda coolers, and a cook doing something with a big bucket of lard. Mmmm. Animal fat.

The gorditas came out hot after a few minutes. I liked the shredded chicken inside and the spicy brownish-red salsa. But the gorditas themselves disappointed. They were stiff like little hockey pucks and too chewy for my taste. I noticed the gorditas were made ahead of time and warmed on order.

Ceasar’s is open 24-7, and that is the real draw of this place. If you’re picking up lunch or supper, there are better taquerias in Oak Cliff. If you want tacos in the middle of the night, it’s Ceasar’s or Jack in the Box.