I'm gonna knock it back a few pegs compared to everyone else and also give you guys a review based on actual taco shops I've been to in the area but also tell you about the highlights of this place because it does have plenty!
The bad: The tacos are very small, a little disappointing because you truly can't come in here with a big appetite and leave with a cheap bill. The tortilla chips they use aren't home made, which is shocking for a place that seems to make everything else from scratch. The margaritas, not good... Maybe it was the bartender I had, maybe it's my desire for high quality ingredients in a margarita... But for $10, I was expecting something better. It had a strong taste of sweet and sour mix, if they're using fresh lime juice, I can only figure they aren't using any kind of sweet liquor or even agave in it. Overpowering.
The mediocre: I hate to say mediocre, because there were very high points but some pretty average points in them and sadly, it's the tacos. The flavors are great... You get a lot packed into a small bite size taco. However, the pork belly is unreal and one of the chefs hooked us up with a new taco that was fresh white fish(don't recall the name) but waboosh that thing was awesome. The tortillas weren't super impressive but not as bad as one review made them out to be. I tried 5 different tacos the night i was there and I was only impressed with the two I mentioned. I had a few others and honestly I don't even remember what they were because it was just a bit lackluster. The meat flavors are a bit hidden behind the twist they like to put on them. They keep extra salsas in caddies on the tables, there were three and by far my favorite was the habanero... However the red was good! They aren't anything crazy and they come in jars, aka factory bottled and made elsewhere which for me is bleh... Can always make better ones in house. They do sell the bottled salsas though if you like them enough to take home.
As someone who loves street tacos these aren't it, they are impressive in their own right. But do not come here looking for tacos al pastor and tacos the lengua(cow tongue). You won't get that and Chef John made that clear to me after I tried a few and talked about it with him. I wish they would blend it a bit, some street, some twist... However the company has a business plan that's working so I can't blame for having a cauliflower taco on the menu.lol. Acapulco tacos on MacDill is a true street taco place and if you want street tacos go there... If you want to class it and twist it up a bit, go to Bartaco.
The good: The tamales are unreal. Best I have had since I was a kid, I grew up in mexico so my standards for certain mexican foods are very high. These knock it out of the park and in a twisted fashion too! Corn and pork with salsa verde! What?! Corn inside of a tamale?! Yes, ad my god did it work. The shocker was the mushroom and mole tamale which was unreal because it had so much flavor from the mole I thought it had pork in it. It was still fatty tasting and rich. The guac was good! A nice kick with the jalapeños, I usually like tomato in mine but they keep it simple. How about the staff? Incredibly friendly and if I didn't mention it enough, chef John was a class act. Really cares and knows his stuff. The bartenders were very attentive and wanted to make sure you had everything you needed! Almost forgot, the mexican street corn had me feeling acute nostalgia! One of the high notes of the whole meal! Highly recommend it! As a last note on the good, it wasn't good but the best chocolate pudding I have ever had. It was to die for, I don't even like chocolate all that much but this knocked it out of the park! It was topped with whipped cream, hazelnuts and granola... Perfect!!!!
The wait has been long from what I hear, try to snag a spot at the bar if you can, there is full service there and again... That's the best seat in the house, I don't care what anyone tells you.
Overall, I hope my review makes sense. They're their own brand, their own twist, and it's working. I can't give it 5/5 because of the lack of size in tacos, the disappointing margaritas(which I would be glad to help you fix, it's simple). I am 100% going back, they have earned it by far... I will be trying new tacos and hoping to find at least a half a a dozen that I like in total. One last bit, a lot of their food has a kick(spiciness) so tread with caution, I however loved it.
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