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1.) Unlike other fast food franchises with "Taco" in their title, this place actually serves something resembling Mexican food. They also freshly make their tortillas and serve them to you hot off of the machine so they don't taste like cardboard. Some of the food, such as the enchilada's, are not bad but do remind you that you are in a fast food restaurant, but other offerings are of a quality you would find at a sit down restaurant. For example:

2.) Breakfast: Breakfasts are outstanding. They have excellent breakfast tacos here. I have had a "fajita and eggs combo" once (to try something other than breakfast tacos) and it was pretty good but I still order breakfast tacos everytime I go there now for breakfast (I am a regular). They have other things for breakfast that may be good, but I wouldn't know. I think they have pancakes there (but I don't know why you would go to a taco place if you want pancakes).

3.) The salsa bar: There is a lovely little seasoning buffet in the middle of the place which offers various seasonings including fresh pico de gallo and three different salsas (red, green and brown). The salsas are wonderful and actually have distinctive flavors--not just a nebulous "mild salsa, medium salsa, and hot salsa". The brown salsa is the best--but it is also the spiciest (It isn't the best because it is the spiciest. The spiciest one just happens to have the best flavor)

4.) The Margaritas: How many fast food franchises in Americal serve alcohol? I think they sell beer here but again, I wouldn't know. I always have the Margarita--that is when I choose to drink. I don't have them for breakfast of course (apparently it is against Texas law to serve alcohol before 11 am). They are really good margaritas with premium Cuervo tequila and they only cost $2.50 for a 10 oz. or $3.50 for a 16 oz.

5.) They are open 24 hours and at four o'clock in the morning, they sure beat their competitors (like Denny's).

Yes, the mission is very old and it is beautiful, but, to be honest, I have toured Europe extensively and I have seen a lot of old churches and, after a while, they all start to look the same. However, what strikes me about the mission (and also the Cathedral in downtown San Antonio) is that, not only do you see an old building that has seen a lot of history and is filled with old art and artifacts, but you see church bulletins strewn about and bulletin boards with a note about the upcoming church bake sale or a camping trip for the youth group tacked to it. Most old European churches are sterile museums left to tell us of a culture that has long passed (except when they are occasionally used for weddings). These churches are as alive and thriving as they ever were and are a tribute to modern culture as much as they are a tribute to the culture of centuries past.

There are various services that are given every Sunday morning at various times in the mission San Jose. Some are in English and some in Spanish. However, the most interesting service is the Mariachi mass given every Sunday morning at noon (in English).

I am not Catholic (but have attended mass on several occasions) and have always been under the impression that mass was rigidly ritualized and well...boring. So I was really surprised to find a large troupe of singers and musicians singing and dancing throughout the service to Mariachi music. It was every bit as lively as an African-American church with a gospel choir.

This may not be for everyone, but it is a good way to learn something about not only the history of San Antonio but the modern hispanic culture thriving there currently as well.