A couple of months ago, we were rolling down Columbia Pike in Arlington trying to find an Ethiopian bakery that was mentioned in a Washington Post article about unlikely Redskins fans. As we were stressing out about possibly overshooting our destination, we noticed a stand-alone shack perched in front of the Adams Square shopping center. San Vicente looked like it had been a Little Tavern or an Ollie’s Trolley in a previous life, but the present day signage purported to offer the mix of Salvadoran and Mexican food that is common along the Pike.

Still, we were intrigued enough to add it to our short list of places to investigate. Perhaps we were simply hoping to experience the bizarre ambiance resulting from such an unusual mixture of Americana and immigrant culture, a sort of Nighthawks at the Pupuseria. But we got distracted over the ensuing months, and in the interim, Steve Siegel, who easily ranks as the most intrepid and adventurous among the regular posters on the D.C. Chowhound message board, beat us to it.

In his post unveiling this latest find last week, Siegel proclaimed that San Vicente’s chorizo taco “is the second best taco in the area, after Taqueria El Charrito Caminante’s goat taco.”