My buddy comes down from Truckee every couple weeks for work, and last night we hit up 5 Tacos & Beers on College Ave (Elmwood) for Taco Tuesday. Everything was excellent. Warm chips and homemade salsa to start. Then we dove into the tacos: grilled rock cod, shrimp, octopus, and the Costilla De Res (short rib) - all on fresh corn tortillas. The presentation matched the flavors - colorful and inviting. It's family-owned and you can feel it. Great service, a welcoming vibe, really high quality food. Planning my next rainy day visit for a bowl of their homemade Pozole. Highly recommend. read more

It's so hard to be honest and positive at the same time, right? I want to support small, independent businesses, especially when the restaurant industry is so brutal. So let me try some ground rules (for everyone) to avoid getting in the way of your own success: 1. At a Mexican-style sit-down restaurant, endless chips & salsa should always be included at no extra charge. 2. Rice & beans should always be included with any plated entree. A la carte can have a section of the menu, but it shouldn't be the whole menu. 3. The universal appeal of this type of menu is offering yummy, familiar flavors along with good value. One "street" taco should not cost $6 -- even if it's the best taco ever. 4. Recognize your customer base. Competition is high, rent is even higher, and most of your audience is feeling the same financial pressure. Volume & repeat business is key. If you give us good food for a good price, we will stay longer, order more, spread the word and come back. I must point out that the vibe and service were on point, which is are huge positives that are missing from a lot of other restaurants. With some strategic, realistic adjustments this place could be a winner... read more

I was happy with my meal. The Quesabirria was the highlight. But I also enjoyed my Taco de pescado. We also got a chips and Guacamole as a starter - it was a healthy portion of guacamole. The two items plus the starter was enough food for being medium hungry. They had a decent beer selection - had to go with the Berryessa cause I don't see it very often! Also got a white sangria, and it was a little less like sangria in my mind and a little more cocktail like - I guess I generally like my sangria on the winey side. Large open space, with lots of big windows, and ample seating. read more

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I agree with the other recent reviews -- the worst service I've experienced and expensive, bland tacos that hardly justify even their discounted taco Tuesday prices. Would overall recommend you pass. read more

Went for happy hour. Tacos were pretty good. Service was horrible, servers disappeared, then they were just talking amongst themselves. They only gave us one napkin each and we ordered 5tacos. The guy only came around to give us the check, motivated by a tip he didn't earn. They should train the employees better. read more

The Quesabirria was exactly what I didn't know I was craving! The desserts are fun with great flavor. I loved their renditions of them. read more

5 Tacos and Beers Berkeley - Tacos Near Me - Berkeley, California

The food is well prepared and tasty but when I went to the restaurant in the Elmwood Distrct there were serious problems with the service. I was initially served someone else's meal before I got what I had ordered. When I went up to the front counter to pay, no one was there to accept and processs my payment. I could have easily walked out. The food was great; the service had serious problems. It wasn't that busy; I don't know what was going on. read more

I tried this restaurant in Albany and had a good experience. We decided to try their newer location on College Avenue for Mother's Day lunch. I made reservations ahead of time over the phone for 11 people. We were all seated right away. Our waitress was phenomenal! I think her name was Jessica but I am not 100% sure. She was super friendly, recommended great options for drinks & food and she was attentive the entire time but she wasn't obnoxiously attentive. I wanted a margarita and I checked with our waitress to see if they had strawberry. She suggested a raspberry margarita that was fantastic! I ended up ordering two and I'm not a big drinker! Then for my meal, I ordered the chicken flautas which I would definitely order again! I added their green salsa on top which gave it a little kick. Our entire group was extremely happy with the service, drinks & food. I will for sure be coming back! read more

5 Tacos and Beers Berkeley - Flautas de Pollo minus the sour cream - Tacos Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I've been meaning to post a review for a while, having eaten here maybe 30 times now. My partner and I come here for lunch on the regular. I was honestly surprised to see that it wasn't 5 stars, but digging into the reviews I think maybe some folks aren't sure what to do with this place. Is it inexpensive? No. Are there endless chips and salsa. No. Is the food all at an extremely high level of quality? Yes. This isn't a strip mall taqueria (though the genre is so near and dear to my heart). This is a higher end Mexican restaurant with super quality ingredients, really spot on flavors and spice levels, and excellent beers and cocktails. I've had most of the menu, including the breakfast items, and literally everything I've had was spot-on. read more

Visually appealing, but ultimately flavorless food, make this place not worth revisiting. This is the Bay Area, with millions of awesome places to get tacos. This place just doesn't happen to be one of them. My partner and I stepped in here on Valentine's Day. We loved the fun, casual ambiance that makes you want to hang out with a group of friends and catch up with each other. The drinks menu is creative and diverse, with awesome names: ciders called "Cherry Seinfeld," beers called "Dark Sarcasm", even non-alcoholic drinks with Seedlip alcohol-free spirits like the "Brujeria." Service was good. We ordered the mixto ceviche, and one each of the following tacos: carne asada, carnitas, fish, and "vegetarian quesabirria with cashew cheese." We loved our drinks, but found the food bizarrely flavorless. I have no idea what made the vegetarian item a "quesabirria" beyond the name. This arrived tasting like undercooked vegetables devoid of flavor in a corn tortilla with cashew cheese that tasted very much like dairy cheese. While the fish and carnitas tacos weren't completely terrible, they were very bland, and the carne asada was also devoid of flavor. The ceviche, while beautiful looking, colorful, and fresh was also almost devoid of any flavor of all. They serve your tacos with a side hot sauce, which was also underwhelming. No fresh salsas or pico de gallo or anything else is offered to give the tacos a lift. All very weird. I'm weirded out by it really... how can anyone serve a taco and hot sauce, or a ceviche, so devoid of flavor?? We loved our drinks though: I had an Ojitos Lindos, and he had a Blood Moon. As a Mexican-American who loves Mexican food, I really wanted to love this place, especially when they have such great sounding and great looking vegan offerings and alcohol-free drinks for the people in my life in recovery or just trying to be healthier. But we were disappointed. If you have to come here, stick to the drinks, avoid the food. read more

5 Tacos and Beers Berkeley - Tacos Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I randomly ordered 2 chicken tacos via DoorDash from this place during my lunch break today and I was really surprised how good the food was. It was so good I came back this evening to eat dinner with my partner. I'm super picky with my Mexican food bc I'm Mexican but the meat and tortillas were superb! The tortillas are hand (makes all the difference) made and also the meat is really tender. I specifically got the chicken and fish tacos and chicken quesabirra. The fish could have been seasoned better but it was still good. Also the place is in Berkeley so people there may not like their food extra seasoned. But the chicken was amazing! It was juicy, tender, and well marinated. We accidentally got a pork taco and that was really good as well. The meat was very tender. I also ordered a cantaloupe drink that was really, really delicious and I ordered the plantains which were good. It was more of a dessert dish so the preparation was different from the usual sweet plantains you'd eat. I finished up my meal with the flan, it tasted really healthy. It tasted like it did not have any type of preservatives in it, but I could be wrong. It didn't taste like a Safeway type dessert or the type of desert that would have white sugar in it. It had a particular cinnamon taste that wasn't too heavy. Also, the service was pleasant! Our waitress was very friendly her name is Jamie and she was a doll! She deserves a raise, good customer service makes all the difference. read more

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With a massive number of beers on tap, including one of my favorites, Chismosa, I got a good vibe just walking in the door of this place. The tacos are quite good. The carne asada was fine, conchinita pibil better, quesabirria the best. My only beef (ha!) with the quesabirria was that the soft corn tortilla was just a little bit too soft to stand up to the consommé - but the flavor was excellent, so they get a pass on this. I'll be back for sure. read more

5 Tacos and Beers Berkeley - Quesabirria, conchinita pibil and carne asada tacos - Tacos Near Me - Berkeley, California

We were in the neighborhood to see a show at the nearby Berkeley Playhouse, and decided to try this place -- it was a great choice! We had the weekend brunch, and I got the chorizo con huevo. Excellent taste, and a pretty generous portion. The home fried potatoes were nicely done as well, and I really enjoyed the Acme bread that came with the order. Service was awesome -- I suspect the gentleman who was greeting and seating customers is the owner, and he was very warm and welcoming, clearly proud of maintaining the quality of the establishment. The restaurant itself is large, with plenty of options for large groups. There's a large rotating beer selection that I'll have to try some time in the future (brunch wasn't exactly the right time!). There's a convenient paid parking lot behind the restaurant. read more

5 Tacos and Beers Berkeley - Chorizo scramble - Tacos Near Me - Berkeley, California

ALL ABOUT THE CORN TORTILLA I came here last Monday for a company Christmas lunch. I never been here before, but my co-worker who reserved this place stated the food is really good. On our table chips and guacamole were served. The chips had that oily-restaurant texture I love. The guacamole was chucky. I ordered three types of tacos: ribeye, short rib, and pork belly. The size of tacos served at 5 Tacos and Beers Berkeley is similar to other Mexican restaurants. The main difference is the corn tortilla. At other Mexican restaurants the corn tortillas tend to have a rough texture, but not the corn tortillas I ate at 5 Tacos. They are soft yet you can still taste the corn. I liked the first two meat tacos I ordered. The ribeye had a smoky aroma. The short rib had a cabeza texture. The pork belly taco was too salty. I'm glad I ordered one because if I had ordered more pork belly tacos I might have had a gout attack. However there was one item I noticed that looked appealing. The co-worker who reserved this place for our company's Christmas lunch ordered quesabirra. I've eaten quesadilla multiple times, but never a quesabirra. I knew if I was coming back to 5 Tacos and Beers Berkeley again I was going to order the quesabirra. That's what I did five days later when I came here last Saturday for brunch. Since I enjoyed the chips and guacamole the first time I ordered that item for myself to start. I mentioned that I like the oily texture of the chips, but at 5 Tacos the chips aren't too oily. There's a crunchiness of these chips that aren't delicate like glass nor too hard. Chips served at a Mexican restaurant is my guilty pleasure like bread served at restaurants. For my main meal I ordered two quesabirras - chicken and beef. The shape of the quesabirra looked like taco from Taco Bell. However these quesabirras at 5 Tacos taste much better than those tacos from Taco Bell. The fried corn tortilla had that crunchiness of the chips I ate. I was wondering if the cheese in the quesabirra would be too heavy, but it wasn't. Dipping the quesabirra into the consommé enhanced the flavor of the filling. I was planning to order the churros with ice cream for dessert. After the chips and quesabirra I was full. There was no way I wanted to bloat myself when I already enjoyed my meal. I got a new understanding regarding the importance of tortillas at Mexican restaurants when I ate at 5 Tacos and Beers Berkeley. When eating pizza the crust is more important than the filling. When eating tacos and quesabirras the tortilla is more important than the filling. read more

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We had been eagerly awaiting the opening as neighborhood residents. Came to the grand opening! Love the space, energy and everyone is really nice! Note though - for now, your margarita fix will not be taken care of, as they are waiting for their liquor license (today is May 7, 2023). Guac was excellent! Got the 5 tacos - all flavorful. Michelada with spicy cucumber was on Happy Hour for $5. Hooray! So happy to have this big space and good vibes in the neighborhood! We have been needing it. Can't wait until the margaritas are ready!! read more

5 Tacos and Beers Berkeley - Michelada with spicy cucumber and guac to get us started! - Tacos Near Me - Berkeley, California

After trying the Walnut Creek location, I was eager to see how to Berkeley location would compare. To start, I ordered the chips and salsa. Both salsas had a great flavor and were perfectly spicy. The chips were thick and crunchy. The beer selection here lives up to the name. I tried the chismosa and my boyfriend got the mexincanta (which was only 5 dollars!) I had the pollo and carnitas tacos, which were just as tasty as the walnut creek location. The tortillas are handmade which makes the tacos even better. I favor the carnitas taco as I find it to be a bit more flavorful and juicy than the chicken. We also tried the quesabirria de carne which was the real star of the show. Juicy, delicious, and a good portion for what you are paying compared to the tacos which are on the smaller side. We came midday on a Monday, so the place was pretty empty. The interior is really spacious with bar seating available as well. I really wish that there was outdoor seating available, because this made our experience at the Walnut Creek location all the more enjoyable. The service was good and food came out fast. Will be coming back! read more

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Delicious chismosa beer and quesabirrias! I'm not a beer drinker, so I'm impressed that I was able to finish & relish the chismosa beer.

I came here after my other plans were busted. It happened to be a Tuesday so I was able to order from the Happy Hour/Taco Tuesday menu. The taco of the day was chicken, so I got 2x and a margarita. The food came out quickly and served on a wooden board, along with two lemon wedges. Though the chicken was moist, I found it to be bland. The tacos came with salsa and onions but no additional bottles of sauce/salt/pepper available. I squeezed the lemons liberally onto my tacos and still felt like it needed some more salt and heat. The margarita was fine. After eating and someone had already cleared my table, it took a long time to get my bill. I got tired of waiting and flagged down a waiter, but I think they just forgot about me in the corner. Overall the food was okay, it was a good deal, service was okay. read more

My new go to spot in Berkeley for weekend brunch. I do believe they only serve brunch on the weekend, so be aware of that. The drinks are really good, probably my favorite micheladas. I've been trying different things on the menu but the chilaquiles has to be my favorite. As with anything in the area prices are a little up there, but at this point that is the norm, with the nicer restaurants. Service is always fast and great, never had to wait here almost a hidden gem. read more

5 Tacos and Beers Berkeley - Cinnamon Currant French Toast - Tacos Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I saw the sign from across the street and I was intrigued. I didn't know if it was a spo / Happened upon this great spot. It's a fun spot with friends and family as well as comfortable to eat/drink and enjoy by yourself. I came on Taco Tuesday during Happy Hour. What a combination. Check out the short video and pics of my evening at 5 Taco and Beer. read more

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This restaurant just opened at a prime location in Elmwood, but it's unfortunately wasted on this mediocre place. The service was good, but the food was just okay and prices were exorbitantly high. Here's everything we got: - beef birria taco (4/5): one of the best tacos we had. Decently sized and the beef was super tender and juicy. Went well with the consomme but definitely not worth for ~$8 each. - chicken birria taco (2/5): I guess there's a reason most places don't have chicken birria tacos. The shredded meat was very dry and bland and also costed $8. - fish taco (1.5/5): this taco was literally the size of my palm and had maybe two pieces of grilled fish in it. It was also really fishy, I had to wash my hands twice before I could get rid of the smell. - carne asada taco (4.5/5): best taco we had here probably -- the taco, although still tiny, was loaded with meat. Everything in it paired really nicely together, but still not worth the $7. There are plenty of far more reasonably priced Mexican places around. - ceviche (3.5/5): came with a pretty generous portion of shrimp, but was not what I expected at all. Nothing was cut into small chunks, making it really hard to eat. It came with shrimp, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, avocado, and three tostada halves. Everything was fresh, but I was not impressed overall read more

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Delicious tacos. Fast, friendly service. Frequently order takeout from them. Highly recommend.

I can't think of anything to complain about. We went on a Friday night at 6:30, and there were plenty of tables. Service was fast and attentive. The waitress also explained ingredients and also gave recommendations. I ordered the ensalada de casa. I normally don't like salads when I go out, because they are boring, but this definitely wasn't! The rice was also interesting. It was green due to the cilantro and jalapeños they mixed together. My partner had the tacos the waitress recommended, and they didn't disappoint. This restaurant is also in a cute neighborhood, so it's a great spot to have a date before or after walking about. read more

5 Tacos and Beers Berkeley - Ensalada de la casa Rice - Tacos Near Me - Berkeley, California

Soooo, my coworkers and I have come here and also ordered take out from here at least 4 times in the past few weeks and we're all people who normally just bring our lunches to the office.. Anyways, that's because this place is incredible!! The food is insane and absolutely delicious, the staff are always incredibly helpful, fast and friendly. Also, their decor is modern and somewhat minimalist, but also bright and cheerful !! Cannot say enough wonderful things about this restaurant and I highly recommend it..! Since I am Dairy Free, I never thought I would get the chance to try Birria, but their vegan birria tacos are to die for..! I'm obsessed and i think my coworkers are too.. everything is packed with flavor and I can really tell that each ingredient is made with love and care..! Absolute heavenly deliciousness!! read more

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Decided to give this place a try on Saturday with my family and was very pleased with the outstanding service received by our waitress Diana, super friendly and knowledgeable on the menu. We ordered guacamole and chips as a starter, which were fresh! I ordered chicken quesabirrias and the tabla de 5 chicken tacos- hand made tortillas and the flavors are amazing. Love the variety of margaritas and lager they have. Will definitely be visiting again! Great costumer service read more

The food is fine. I got the flautas and they were a little dry. Unfortunately, the service was unpleasant. The server made little effort. I had to wave her down for water twice, she didn't offer any napkins or ask how our meals were, and she had a general bad attitude. The restaurant wasn't even very busy when we went. I asked for a side of sour cream and she brought me very little, then tried to charge us without telling us there was a charge, nor was it on the menu. When I asked her to remove the charge, she was very rude about it. Overall, not worth going. There's so many great Mexican and other restaurants on that same block. read more

5 Tacos and Beers opened where Shen Hua was. infrastructure similar to before with customized adjustments. offerings: tacos, breakfast, brunch, vegan menu, quesadillas, sides, desserts. no drinks seen on menus given. menu changes monthly. eats: 5 different tacos (28), 'rooms taco (5.25) with house made corn tortillas pescador taco -fried mahi mahi pieces mostly dry, tasteless, quac salsa interesting, accommodates inadequate to remedy deficiency. costilla de res taco -grass fed beef short rib meat was juicy, the adobo flavor subtle. salsa verde, red onions, cilantro were visibly present but not olfactory inducing. carnitas tacos -meat bland, jalapeño noted for it's accommolative spiciness, red onions cilantro a side show. carne asada taco -thin flank steak dry, bland. "also" ingredients didn't make a difference. pollo al pastor -marinated chicken pieces In al pastor adobo was dry, flavoring too subtle, grilled onions, cilantro, salsa not enough to rehabilitate taco. cantaloupe aqua fresca (4) -wasn't listed on menu,. had to ask for it. did get a big booze menu though -slightly sweet, had authentic fruity taste. worthy. good value take outs: -associates surpassed patrons at lunch time. many of former on floor, only 2 seem to have distinct duties. others just floaters who "checked in". -doubtful repeat, descriptive menus didn't fulfill expectations. Unami sensors wondered: "is that all there is?" 3.5 stars: cute menu, nice plating with some sparklers, many duds. -beer aficionados may see some favs on tap. other booze may be their buzz. -parking available at meters or on side streets. read more

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The food was good here and I am always looking for a place that has crispy tacos. The place was an open space to the outside so it felt airy. And the service was good. read more

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Service was friendly and pretty good considering they have just opened Really enjoyed my cucumber cocktail - forgot the name! Very delicious! A little spicy! we got the 10 taco platter to split among 4 people. My faves were the carne asada, chicken and the short rib. I don't get the pork bone in and the fish texture was slightly over cooked. I wish it was battered and fluffier. We also got the ceviche of the day (shrimp) which was good, chips guac and salsa which was good too. I would come back for sure but at $6 a taco it's a splurge, since I could easily eat 3-4. Will be back to try brunch! read more

5 Tacos and Beers Berkeley - Tacos Near Me - Berkeley, California

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So glad there's this new location opened up closer to where we live! Stopped by on Easter Sunday and so glad we did! Tried the chilaquiles-- 4/5 Very tasty! It's more like a 4.5 out of 5 haha. This version is a bit drier than I prefer, but still amazing, as every chip is still coated with so much flavor! And the crunch factor is ON POINT! Fish tacos-- 5/5 Grilled fish tacos were delish and well balanced. The acidity in the green salsa is amazing and I love the hint of mango to brighten things up. All wrapped up nicely in a warm, fresh, homey vibe corn tortilla. YUM! Micheladas-- 8/5 lol Hands down...when I go to a 5 tacos or Los Moles, THIS is what I'll get lol! The drinks are already amazing but I love how open and flexible the bar is if you want to try something with your own spin. We ordered the cucumber one and asked if we could pair it with the watermelon beer...dang was that tasty! And I asked if I could have one that's a mix of pineapple and tamarind... They were more than happy to customize. Service-- 10/5 ! Genine...Jenine (sorry, I'm not sure on the correct spelling) she was the best!!! Super warm, friendly, and helpful. She has the vibes of a long time friend, yet quick, attentive and professional. We'll most definitely be back! Cheers! read more

5 Tacos and Beers Berkeley - Chilaquiles, fish tacos, cucumber michelada, pineapple/tamarindo michelada! - Tacos Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Amazing service, very good salsa and the fish and shrimp tacos I had were good. I'm not a big taco person nor beer but if you are I definitely recommend trying this place, the green rice I tried was also very good. Very open restaurant, you're not on top of people which I don't like because I regularly dine alone. Manager/owner is a sweet guy!! read more

WOW JUST WOW!! Where to start! This place took over shen hua and brought a cool new vibrant design to the space!! The food was spectacular! Quesabirria Flautas Mocktail 10 Taco Platter Churros ..everything was amazing !!! Service was equally as good as the food, our server often came to check on us and everything she recommended to try was spot on! GREAT addition to the neighborhood, we will definitely be back!! read more

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Kid friendly, great food and a variety of craft beers and mixed drinks! Definitely worth it!

This place is really inviting and a great space to dine with friends or family and enjoy a beer or two. The It wasn't busy at all on the Saturday afternoon that I went and the service was fine. Nothing special or memorable. I had the grilled cod and carne asada tacos. The tortillas were really really good otherwise for my taste I found the tacos to be extremely bland. Not enough flavor for me. I couldn't believe I was at a Mexican restaurant. If you like your Mexican food packed with flavor and spiciness you might be disappointed. I might go back given the nice atmosphere. The fun of eating out is the experience and I found that 5 Tacos and Beers gets that right. Food is just OK read more

Friendly greeting, quickly seated. Fresh chips and salsa. 15 different Beers. 3 Crispy Tacos (Pollo & Carne Asada). Wife ordered the Shrimp Cheviche; done in an Augachiles style. Little spicy for her liking. Overall a good meal read more

Some of the best Mexican food I've ever had. Service is great. Food is delicious. Nice casual ambience.

While strolling down the street, I couldn't resist the brunch sign! French toast had been on my mind, so that's what I ordered. I enjoyed my meal at the bar and treated myself to a mimosa flight for $15. The staff was friendly, and the venue was roomy. I'll definitely return to sample the lunch/dinner menu! read more

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Wanted to try this new place although I was somewhat dubious of its authenticity. I was a little confused about the drink offerings and asked if they had tequila but was told no, they only had beer. But then one of my fellow diners came back with a margarita. Clearly there was a mix-up in communication because they do have tequila so I exchanged my beer for a mango margarita which was very good. The food itself was surprisingly excellent. I ordered the chicken quesabirria which was probably the best example of this particular item I've had. I've been to that place in Richmond which has something of a cult following and frankly found that place quite disappointing. Also had an excellent carne asada taco. The guacamole and chips were quite tasty also. My party was quite pleased with this experience and we plan to come back once a month. read more

5 Tacos and Beers Berkeley - Mango margarita - Tacos Near Me - Berkeley, California

Beautiful Decor Inside, Great Service and very friendly staff, drinks are spectacular! read more

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[Vegan reviewer] this place was absolutely amazing! Best tacos ever, especially if you like spicy tacos. I ordered the vegan quesabirria and the vegan De Hongos. I told the server I'm a vegan, and they were super knowledgeable about which options were vegan and not. Vegan Quesabirria - spicy tacos with lions mane mushroom (or veggies if you don't want mushrooms) and vegan cashew cheese + a spicy birria sauce. Crispy tacos too! Vegan de hongos - regular tacos with lions mane mushroom and veggies. Soft taco! Service - super knowledgeable about vegan options Def a place to bring your non vegan friends and eat some good tacos read more

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