Coastal Vibes and Incredible Tacos in North Hills Bartaco in North Hills, Raleigh, is easily one of my favorite dining spots. It perfectly blends the feel of a refined fast-casual restaurant with the versatility for occasions like reunions or date nights. The coastal-chic decor inside is stunning, with dim, cozy lighting that creates an inviting and relaxed atmosphere. Whether dining indoors or outside (as I did for the first time on this visit), the experience is always enjoyable. Being gluten-free, I usually order my tacos lettuce-wrapped, but I've also tried the corn tortillas, which are fantastic. While I can't eat the flour tortillas, they come highly recommended by friends. This time around, I ordered the cauliflower, oyster, and cod tacos, and let me just say--each was a masterpiece. The cod taco deserves special attention. The fish is battered in what I assume is a gluten-free rice-based batter, and the result is nothing short of magic. It's buttery, crunchy, and utterly addictive, reminiscent of a high-end, elevated take on the classic Long John Silver's batter--but so much better. The texture and flavor are perfectly balanced, and it's the kind of taco you'll find yourself craving long after the meal. The cauliflower taco stood out with its perfectly roasted veggie base topped with a rich, smoky romesco sauce. The nutty, slightly tangy flavors of the sauce elevated the taco, making it anything but ordinary. The oyster taco was satisfyingly crispy with a fresh, briny bite, and the Falafel taco was so warm and crunchy! One of my favorite aspects of Bartaco is their open kitchen and expo line. Watching the chefs prepare your meal adds a sense of connection to the food and a reassurance of the care put into each dish. read more

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We stumbled upon here after the movies and decided to give it a try. All the tacos are a la carte, which is great because you now have a variety of options to try. There's not much descriptions for each taco except the protein. Everything seems precooked as they come out very quickly. We tried the fried fish, pork belly, duck, grilled shrimp. The fried fish was hard. Seems as if it was cooked and stored under a warmer. Pork belly was flavorful and so was the duck. The grilled shrimp was spicy! Overall it was a nice experience. Service was wonderful. read more

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I dropped in for a midweek and mid-day lunch. The NH area has grown. The parking was effortless. There were no long wait times. I put myself on the wait list before arriving. When I got there my table was ready. The highlight here was the bowl of Porksole. It's a pork stew simmered with guajillo chilis, hominy, and garlic, topped with a salad of cabbage, jalapeno, lime, and onion. Think spicy pork soup. I enjoyed the savory and spiciness of this on a cool afternoon. So much warmth! I enjoyed two tacos. The Pork belly and Brussels sprouts tacos were pretty good. I had a classic Margarita for my drink and that also was very good. The service is hands-off here. You order everything from the QR Code at your table. There is a card you can place in a holder when you need your service. Everyone was nice, smiling, and happy to answer questions. There is not much else to say here. read more

Bartaco - Tacos Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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The food was gringo Mexican. Fun, clean, friendly and very well managed. There is a magical whirlwind going on in there. You should not miss this one. read more

I absolutely love that I can order a variety of tacos! The margaritas are freshly made. The ambience is cool. read more

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Bartaco is a fun, hip, and tasty spot. I've been to a Bartaco before in a different city, and my experience was good but this one was better! This location is particularly nice because it's located in a shopping center where you can satisfy your hunger after or during shopping at the nearby businesses. Parking, however, can be a little tricky, but we were lucky enough to find a spot in front of the stationary store across the way. My friend and I stopped in on Saturday afternoon for lunch. It was hopping! We got lucky and got a couple bar seats. Our bartender was slammed, but quickly took our orders. We each had a cocktail - a Margarita and a Reviver. Both were fresh and tasty. My friend also had a Watermelon Smash and it looked divine! Ordering at Bartaco is seamless, you grab an ordering card and mark down what you want. Hand it off to your server or bartender and the rest is history. I can't believe how quickly we got our tacos! We each got 4 tacos. If you're starving, definitely order at least 4, maybe more, as they're pretty small, but mighty! We had the Pistachio Cauliflower, Chile Lime Shrimp, Crispy Shrimp, Sesame Ribeye, Falafel, Baja Fish, and my absolute personal favorite - Seared Pork Belly. YUM!! They were all delicious, but I could seriously eat 5 of those. Outstanding. Highly recommend this spot, it definitely hits...the spot! read more

Hubby and I were recommended to try this place simply on the tacos, and I get it! Simple in portion, but full of flavor! I ordered the ahi tuna bowl and added avocado and baja fish, and honestly the avocado really brought the dish together. The restaurant is cozy but also open due to the outdoor seating. There's even a fireplace! This along with the great service, we were happy campers. Plus the ordering process being all on your phone was different and very cool! But I have to commend them for making the BEST key lime pie I have ever tasted!!! The lime zest and the custard were the perfect sourness. The vanilla whipped cream was delicious and the graham cracker crust tied everything together. I'll definitely be back for this pie (in the cutest mason jar)!! 8/10 - simple dishes, but super delicious!! read more

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Highly disappointed in this overrated place! Very limited menu, mostly tacos and rice bowls! I didn't think 5 tacos would fill me so I ordered a Korean bbq bowl, after the waitress said it was "dinner portion" size, what I got was a small bowl with 80% rice, steamed kale no flavor, and old kimchi with very little beef! Needless to say I was disappointed and still hungry! Sucks when you spend a lot of money, are not satisfied and are basically paying for the overrated reputation and "hype"! Not worth it never going back to this dump again! read more

Sat outside on the little porch patio for a drink and enjoyed sampling a couple options on the street style tacos. There are a ton of options in this area so if you enjoy this style of cuisine good choice! It's a great patio to sit and sip on. read more

What has secret tacos, cool vibes and amazing drinks? One of my favorite spots ever - BarTaco. Food and drinks rarely disappoint. And I've been to BarTaco in another state and they are quite consistent. Service was amazing. Our server was attentive and helpful. I'm we ordered the kale salad elote, guacamole, Baja fish (don't skip this one) and pork beef tacos (delish). The elote was a miss this time. It was spicy but lacked the crema and the corn was a bit chewy like it wasn't fresh. Otherwise food was good. I forgot the name of my drink but it was delish and the ginger mint carafe of tea is always a favorite. I forgot to take pics because we're too busy venting about our first week back to work. They have indoor and outdoor seating. It's usually pretty busy but the bar is first come first serve. We waited about 10 minutes on a Friday night. We were seated by the patio and the door to outside constantly swings open so as we were dining we did see a cucaracha crawling on the floor. I spent the last 10 minutes with my feet on the chair . We told the server and she looked for it but didn't find it. It caused a bit of a tizzy in my section because it wasn't small . I will still come back though because I believe it anything can come in from the outside when the door is constantly open and as we walked around that area afterwards to get ice cream we saw cucarachas outside in the plants in front of another establishment. So this North Hills area may have a cucaracha problem and an exterminator may be needed. And I mentioned it for awareness sake. I believe in being totally honest in my reviews. I don't personally believe the restaurant is nasty but something I noted while there. But I'll be back just sitting a bit higher. . The server gave us and the other table a free taco token for our inconvenience. read more

Our first time to this bartaco while visiting Raleigh - greeted by friendly Cali who was so helpful. Easy to use bar code ordering & payment system. Made it easy to order more tacos as we went. Ok, the food: we ordered guac & chips (delicious!) then an assortment of tacos- warm buttered lobster, pork belly, mahi & sesame ribeye. It's hard to pick a favorite they were all amazing! Just to end on a sweet note we ordered the churros for dessert - perfect end to perfect meal! Cannot say enough about the staff & their combined efficiency & great service! Our new fave stop when we visit! read more

Bartaco - Churros w/dipping sauces - Tacos Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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This location has potential, but they need to work on a few things. Firstly, it took 10 minutes to get our drinks... which came out wrong! After more discussion between our server and the drink deliverer, it appeared the bar is disorganized. The unnecessary part of this experience is that the server came by no less than 4 times while we were waiting asking if there was anything else she could get for us?? Yes, our drinks please! The food also took 30 minutes. It was good, but our appetizer of guacamole & chips was long ago consumed! The guacamole was excellent, the "chips" not so much. They were really just circular-shaped pre-made and over salted stale hard corn tortillas! I'm giving 3 stars because the tacos are excellent and very tasty. There are insufficient ingredients in the tacos, especially when you compare them with the pictures on bartaco's website, where every taco is stuffed! There are too many other good Mexican-style restaurants in Raleigh where 4 people can eat for less than $120 and get more than 2 beers, 2 non-alcoholic bevs, a single app, and 8 tacos. Sadly, we probably won't come back. read more

We came as a group in the evening but there was only a short wait. You order off their site so there is no wait staff for ordering. The food came out fairly fast, I ordered several types of tacos including the tuna, chicken, chorizo and fried avocado. Tacos are on the small side with 3 bites and you're done. It was a busy place and everyone said they enjoyed it including me. read more

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OMG this place is amazinyg good. You sit and pull up their app and start a food account and order tacos or rice bowls, etc. I got the citrus shrimp rice bowl and it was so comforting and fresh. The group loved their tacos, they had pork belly, fried avocado, Tuna, chicken, cauliflower, etc. Beautiful complex flavors in their tacos. The place was beautiful inside like a farm nautical vibe and it's a nice idea to order food from your app, a few at a time enjoy your company, talk, get a drink and maybe if u feel like it...order a few more tacos if you're still hungry. It's an easy going way of dining and we really liked it. read more

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Slow service, took forever to get drink orders, food portions small and quality of food is "meh."

I was super excited to try this place. It has a cool ordering system but it just not worth the hype or the cost. Mid tacos and mid experience read more

Cool spot next to the hotel we stayed at that me and my wife came to for lunch. It had an indoor and outdoor seating area but we just decided to sit at the bar area. The bartender was nice and attentive, taking our orders pretty quick. The Mezcal flight was great, loved everyone that I tasted. And all the tacos were very tasty. Glad we got to give this spot a shot. read more

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It is disorganized. We didn't get our drink orders until we asked and the server forgot to put them in. The food is the phenomenal once we received it. The ambiance is weird. I didn't get it. A lot of the decor wasn't needed. The food can carry the restaurant. Service was mid. read more

Everything about this place rules. Food is incredible. Service is super friendly and helpful and attentive. The only draw is the wait can be long depending on when you go but just keep that in mind and you're good. Love the half roasted chicken, tacos are kinda bite sized but quality over quantity so it's all good. Also, the kids meal is massive! Plus the first time we ever came here one of the owners came out multiple times to check on us and even gave our toddler a Gabby's playhouse coloring book and crayons to occupy her. read more

Food was really good quality and also a very good price. Staff was attentive and helpful with recommendations. There are a lot of diverse options. I also really enjoyed the drink menu. read more

This place is definitely beautiful inside. It makes you feel like you're on vacation. They seem like they are always pretty busy too so maybe make reservations, we ended up just sitting at the bar. For being a popular restaurant in North Hills, it is not overpriced either. It is fairly priced and the food came out quick and hot. There is options for everyone here! We always look to make sure restaurants have good vegan options. For appetizers, we got guacamole and street corn. Both were amazing- especially the corn. I wish the chips with the guacamole were just tortilla chips instead of two big crispy shells. We tried both vegan and non-vegan options. Tacos we got: baja fish, shrimp, sesame rib-eye, falafel, portobello mushroom, and cauliflower. We also got the duck birria because our server was raving about it. The best taco was immediately the crispy fish. The cauliflower and mushroom came tied in second. Third place goes to falafel. The rib-eye was just not tender or really appetizing. The shrimp was okay. The duck birria lacked flavor. They did good on the vegan options though. We got churros which ended up being not hot and moist like the best churros are. They were kind of just stale. We sent it back and got tres leches instead but it was also okay. Our service was wonderful, the restaurant is nice, and they have a great menu. However the food isn't anything amazing or worth going back to. Great vegan options though! read more

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Really good. Great location. Get the pork belly tacos. They are great. The guacamole is amazing. Great staff. Order from your table. Really good drinks. Go here read more

Bartaco - Tacos Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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I loved this place so much I had to go back. Some new thoughts I wanted to share: It was super busy but I was able to grab a seat at the bar. I ordered my drink and tacos and the drink came fast. The margarita was spicy with a sugar rim. It was very good and I love they squeeze the juice fresh right at the bar for every drink. I highly recommend the spicy margarita to those who like spicy sweet combos. I waited much longer than last time for my food. However, one of the servers at the bar noticed I was waiting and came and asked me what I ordered. He said he would go check and not much longer the food was out. That's a big plus for me! As for the tacos, they were delicious, however I believe they gave me the short rib instead of the pork belly taco. Still 5 stars even with the mix up on my taco order and the wait. I'll definitely go back! read more

Bartaco - Chicken verde taco, shrimp taco, pork belly taco - Tacos Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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I went there three times recently, the service was always excellent. I really like the size of the tacos. Always tasty. The first time I went in, I wasn't very hungry so I just ordered two tacos and a beer and it hit the spot perfectly. They have a good kitchen line, so the turnaround time for orders was 10 minutes max. The ambience is predictable, generally a younger crowd, but everyone was incredibly friendly. read more

Service was AWESOME, food was great, try the posole! Really good and on point. Caylah was our server and she was super friendly, attentive and professional. My wife and I really can't recommend enough. Definitely nice twist of Asian and Mexican front facing. Despite being busy, food came out quickly. read more

Gosh, I really wish giving 2.5 stars was an option...great atmosphere and pricing, but today's overall experience was not ideal. The first person that greeted us at the table was a bit over the top in making it known that she was a part of the leadership team. The QR codes would not work for myself or my friend(and we both have different cell phone providers)-idk what the deal was with that. Then we had a male server come and take our "paper orders" for food and drink. He returned to the table with our alcoholic beverages then asked us for our ids, and this same guy also spilled the craft of water as he refilled my water glass. I totally get that accidents happen and he was super apologetic and quickly cleaned everything up. I was EXTREMELY annoyed with how many times and how many staff checked in on us as we ate our food. There were at least 5 maybe 6 people that were constantly checking in. My tacos tasted amazing-one chorizo and two pork belly tacos and I also ordered esquite. Tacos were out of this world, but the esquite was awful. The esquite had so many hard pieces of cob and husks that it made it really tough to eat. One of the many servers was kind in offering us more to which we declined and thanked them for the offer but they graciously took it off the bill. I don't have many reasons to be in North Hills so if I'm in the mood for Bar Taco again, I'll stick to the location closer to home which would be in Chapel Hill! read more

Bartaco - Tacos Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Excellent...everything! It was busy, but they were handling it great and we found a spot at the bar quickly. The place has great decor and a really upbeat vibe. Every staff member we encountered had a big smile. The food took a few minutes, but not too long. I love the ordering system. You just check off on the menu card what you want and how many. With the reasonably low taco prices and the ability to just check what I wanted and ordered away. Chicken verde, ribeye, chorizo, and pork belly. The pork belly was game changing levels of delicious! Best taco ever. read more

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I've been to bartaco several times now and it's so good and definitely has gotten better since my first impression years ago. Most recently went here yesterday and got the street corn, oyster taco, tuna taco, and Baja taco. All were just incredible. Each bite packs a punch of flavor! My one critique about this place is you're paying a lot at the end of the meal for 3 tacos especially if they're a little fancier. But with the taste it's pretty worth it! A la carte style means you can get as much or as little as you want. I also got a margarita which was good and only half the rim was salted which I like better than a full rim salt. Great service here too! read more

Bartaco - Tacos Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Top notch food, service and ambience. Bartaco never fails! Tacos were gone too quick for a pic! read more

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Service was very, very slow. Ordered a cauliflower taco and there was a very, very hard piece and I thought I chipped my tooth. Very small portions for the price. read more

We sat at the bar as it was a 40 minute wait for a table, the bartender we initially had was attentive but left without saying anything, end of shift maybe. The bartender that took over didn't say anything to us, offer us another beer (they offer beer in cans only) or ever fill our waters. We probably would've ordered more food if they'd asked but oh well, we were satisfied! The food was pretty delicious! A ton of different flavors, good mixture of spice and cooling. The shrimp tacos are SPICY, they meant it when they put it in the name. The plantain bites were probably my favorite! The aioli they're served with was delicious and I'm normally not a cilantro person at all. It's definitely a bar feel inside, fairly noisy even over by the tables I noticed when I went to the restroom. I'd come back again to try other things on the menu as it all sounded good. read more

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Tiny tacos so you'll need at least three and maybe some sides. Flavors are OK and maybe too sweet for the tacos and the elote was a bit too cheesy for our taste. Best taco was the fried fish. Some meat was tough, the shrimp was tiny, and the mushroom taco lacked flavor Fried plantains are the best, but also the most basic thing. Trio chips and salsa is good and interesting though I wouldn't say any better than regular chips and dip besides being freshly fried chips that aren't too salty read more

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I love bartaco !!! Great experience dining in and delivery as well ! I have ordered delivery for the 3rd time this week. My go to order is the pork belly tacos and street corn omg so delicious !! I usually only get the 4pack but I splurged tonight and got the 8 I really don't regret it at all ! read more

My massage therapist told me about bar taco and I finally got there to try it. It was pretty busy for a week night, but they did have one section closed off. The outside area is very nice and I love they have a fireplace out there. We got a small guacamole to start. Not a huge guacamole fan, but I do like trying fresh made. It was really good. Also had the chorizo, mushroom, Chile lime shrimp, pork belly and baha fish tacos. All were very good and had a good mixture of flavor. The house made sangria was yummy and refreshing. Our server was attentive and answered all our first time visit questions. We enjoyed our visit and would go back to try other items. read more

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First off, way overpriced. Second, you cannot charge those premiums if we have to order on our phones and cannot even find a person for suggestions. Next, think what it takes to fill up here, maybe 2 tacos, some nachos and would be about $23 w/tip and NO DRINK. It's just not worth it. read more

I've been wanting to try this place for awhile. Had some errands to run and North Hills was my last stop so I ordered 3 tacos and esquites to go. Ordered a fish taco, pork belly and chicken taco to try. This fish taco was great. I loved how crispy it was. The slaw was great complement to it. The pork belly was ok. A bit too spicy for me. Unfortunately, I didn't receive the chicken taco that I ordered but instead the ribeye. I tried it but didn't want it so it probably impacted my thoughts on it. The esquites was delicious. I'll probably return to eat in and to try the chicken. read more

Every trip to Bar Taco feels like a mini party in my mouth, especially with their pork belly tacos leading the dance parade. If those tacos were in a band, I'd be front row at every concert. And let's talk about those margaritas - pristine, no salt. They're the purest form of liquid happiness in a glass. Now, their chips and salsa? Guacamole to the max. Think of them as the energetic backup dancers to the main taco show. Crunchy, zesty, and leaving you wanting an encore. Can't leave without mentioning the frames on their walls. It's become a ritual - a visit to Bar Taco isn't complete without my mandatory frame photoshoot. Might even start my own gallery at this rate. (Dumb I know) it's kinda become a joke with me.. Solid five stars for Bar Taco. Food, drinks, and ambiance - they've got the whole package. If they ever roll out a VIP list, I expect to be at the top! read more

Bartaco - Pork Belly Baby!!!! - Tacos Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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A solid 4.25!! This restaurant is one of our favorites in the North Hills area. I know there are plenty but this ranks towards the top for us. We stopped in last Saturday for a pre Spider-Man movie dinner at 5:30pm. My wife put us on the pre-waitlist and we were seated right away when we arrived. There are no paper menus and you scan the QR code on the table to view the food and drink menu. We started off with guacamole and chips. The chips are different here and they are in a saucer shape and you break them up yourself. The guacamole was definitely fresh made. Next we split several different tacos. I had the fried oyster, chorizo pork belly, and carne asada tacos. They were all awesome. For a cocktail I went with the Old Thymer which is a take on an Old Fashioned with Ancient Age bourbon, Cocchi Torino vermouth, orange, lime and angostura bitters. It was tasty. My wife went with the Paloma Fresca and she enjoyed it very much. The teenager went with a root beer. The deserts looked good but we skipped it this time. There are two locations in the Triangle, this one and in Chapel Hill. Definitely check them out. read more

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We have been to bartaco in Colorado but not here before. I'm so excited they brought one here. The service was fantastic and the place is clean. Our server was Harrison and he did a great job! The food was just as good as we remembered and the new things we tried were amazing too. The cucumber salad amazing! We will definitely be back again. Thank you for such a great dining experience read more

This place is a joke. Yes, it's in NH but the portions you get for how EXPENSIVE it is, is crazy. You need to order 4-5 tacos to get satisfied. Each taco is eaten in 2 bites. The rice bowls? Kid portions!! $13 for very little rice & baby shrimp if you get the lime shrimp. Never again. Two stars only because of location. read more

Bartaco - Shrimp rice bowl - Tacos Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina