Love the food. Love the drink options, including milkshakes. Is it a bit more expensive than I would think based on the ambiance and electronic ordering? Yes. Would I return? Yes and have several times. The fish and roasted veggies in a bowl is my favorite dish. read more

Always good and consistent with quality. The menu has changed fairly recently. Entrees used to include rice and beans. Now they are an add on. Margs are always great. The tomatillo salsa is great - could have downed a vat of that! Service is quick and the staff is attentive. read more

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Used to be amazing with the selection of unusual meats and high quality ingredients. That is no longer the case. Very limited menu and food s nearly inedible. Got some tacos and nachos and were absolutely disgusting. "Nachos" were just cold cheese sauce over tortilla chips and looked disgusting and it was. Chips soggy. Tacos dry and no flavor. Do not up here. It's only the same name. Nothing else is the same read more

Road trip. Recommended by a local that lives nearby. Good call. Good food, plentiful, tasty. Had a quesadilla... rotisserie chicken. Little juicy and greasy but good. Friends had burritos. Huge. Chips and salsa were good. Not greasy. Could have used a smidge more salt. Nothing fancy inside. Outdoor dining in good weather. Would return. read more

As a Californian, I was worried about finding good Mexican food in North Carolina, but this place is pretty amazing. It's a step up from your food truck but still classic Mexican food. My favorite are the nachos as they come with a white queso that's absolutely amazing. The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating and the staff are pretty attentive. read more

NuvoTaco - Tacos and nachos - Mexican Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I used to love Nuvotaco back when it was Nana taco. I haven't been back in a while but thought I'd check it out again! It's a casual restaurant to grab some tacos but still more upscale than it was before. To order, you scan a QR code and order on your phone at your table. We got free chips and salsa, the chips were fresh and the salsa was tangy but not spicy! I ordered 2 chorizo tacos and 1 grilled shrimp taco on flour tortillas with a side of rice. I didn't really like the chorizo tacos, the meat was too salty for my liking and almost reminded me of public school lunch. I did like the grilled shrimp taco though, I think it could've used more mango salsa to balance out all the shrimp in it but the flavor was good! My side of rice was smaller than the other side of rice that our table got which was interesting haha. Overall I would come back for a casual bite when I'm craving tacos since I think NuvoTaco is one of the better taco places in the area, but wouldn't get the chorizo again. read more

NuvoTaco - Chorizo tacos and grilled shrimp taco - Mexican Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Now that I've finally had Nuvo Taco, I'm wondering what took me so long to visit in the first place. Went on a weekday afternoon and the restaurant was moderately busy. You seat yourself and you order from a QR code and everything is brought out to you hot and fresh. I like that they have a technically unlimited salsa and toppings bar, you can order as much salsa and pickled onions as you like free of charge from the digital tab/menu they have. It was interesting and fun and everything we got was delicious. I went for the three tacos and got the carnitas, steak and chicken. I also got a side of their queso which was really delicious as well. My sister had their empanadas and while they were pretty tasty, they weren't my all-time favorite. All in all, it was a decently priced meal with good service. Would definitely visit again! read more

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First time visitor and a big fan. We were greeted quickly and offered chips and salsa while we ordered using the QR code. Food arrived quickly (seriously, like 4 minutes) and was hot and delicious. Guacamole was also fresh and ample. Cool environment. Definitely coming back next time I'm in the area. read more

NuvoTaco - Pork tacos with beans and rice - Mexican Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Pleasant servers, quick service. I had fish tacos- they tasted fishy, wouldn't recommend. My daughter had chicken tacos that she loved. The salsa is great. read more

This place is PHENOMENAL. They have a beautiful patio with a nice indoor seating space. I ordered the Chorizo Tacos and they were some of the best tacos I have ever had - the waitstaff were also amazing, and were super nice when I tried to practice my spanish with them! I also got an horchata milkshake and it was amazing; it was very unique and tasted outstanding. This is one of the best restaurants I have been to around here and I highly recommend showing this place some love. read more

So been trying to find a good burrito since moving from Texas. Tried some building you own chain places, but it fell so far short. Nuvotaco is my new burrito places. Great portion with great ingredients. Really hit the spot. Ate lunch and was very full at dinner time. Next time I will take half home instead of stuffing myself. Service was on point. It was airy and light inside. Gave a very open place making it feel bigger than it was. The only downside was parking was rough. I drive a full size truck, so I need more room than many. This is an issue to most of Durham. Even with this challenge, I will be back. read more

Ate lunch here recently and enjoyed myself. We were a little confused at first about how to order, but our server explained the online ordering system to us and it became pretty easy after that. I decided to get three tacos because of the variety (a different meat in every taco - nice!). Overall, the tacos were pretty good, but I generally prefer more toppings and the corn tortillas were decent but not amazing. The chips and salsa served to the table were also pretty tasty - I've maybe had better, but who can really complain about free chips and salsa? The vibe was definitely family friendly and I can imagine coming back here at some point. read more

Yes excellent taco options. So creative. They have duck tacos! Seriously. Duck. and it's good too.

I've been to this place before and during Covid and it's been solid the entire time. I was happier when the Tacos X 3 came with rice and beans BUT they still give you so much food it's worth it. I got the garlic beef, fried shrimp, and the grilled fish on flour tortillas. My husband got the two garlic beef, and a chorizo on corn tortillas. I wish they gave an option of ordering some corn and some flour tortillas, but I get making it easy for to go orders...I'm not normally a huge fan of corn tortillas but these we excellent. Our favorite was definitely the garlic beef although everything was delicious. Their order/pickup process was super easy. Make sure you get some chips and queso...SO YUM!!! read more

NuvoTaco - Fried shrimp, grilled fish, garlic beef on flour tortillas - Mexican Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

So delicious!! We made a special trip to Durham to try these tacos and they were worth it. The taco game at NuvoTaco is strong. I recommend the corn tortillas for your taco. The calamari was amazing with really delicious sauce on top. The shrimp was so good and I loved the mango salsa in that taco. The chips are spot on with really fresh salsa. We loved everything. It was very easy to order online and they have curbside service. read more

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Nice ambiance but the food is a bit bland. I had the chorizo and shrimp tacos. They both tasted healthy, which is great, but I think they needed to spiced up a bit. Maybe, some chopped onions and different sauce may help give them more flavor. I would still come back here...maybe for the Mexican corn, which I have not had the chance to try! read more

NuvoTaco - Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Have been going here since undergrad. Consistently yummy and always new things I want to try each time. I had the C.B.D. Burrito, which was tasty and filling. Was also got the chorizo fondito that was a also delicious with a bit of a twist given the meat with it. We ordered takeout, and you can drive up to one of the marked spots, pull up their website and chat them with your parking space number and they deliver it to your car in less than a minute. read more

NuvoTaco - C.B.D. Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

It is packed with locals on Tuesday night, so it must be good. The portion is good and the flavor is good as well, especially the pulled pork taco and quesadilla. read more

NuvoTaco - Taco Duo and free chips - Mexican Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Every time the ownership changes, the food gets worse. It was much better when it was Nana Taco. Just gross.

NuvoTaco was one of my better taco experiences in the RDU area. The chips were fresh and tasty. The Afterburn margarita definitely hit the spot. The shrimp taco w/mango salsa was amazing. The pork taco was decent. The chorizo taco was highly over-salted. I ate 2 bites of it and chose to not finish it. Overall, it was a good experience. Food and drinks came quickly. You order from the QR code on the table so it's minimal interaction with the staff. I definitely see myself returning. read more

In Durham and craving Mexican food, after reading the reviews I was so excited to try it out. Ordered a few plates to share. I was excited about the Frose drink but I didn't like the flavor. Loved the chips and salsa. You are seated and have to place your order by scanning the QR code on the table. I was excited to see fresh pressed tortilla being prepared. After a quick browse thru Yelp and Instagram, I ordered a shrimp quesadilla and was given the the wrong quesadilla. I tried the taquitos while I waited for my food. I was really hoping for authentic Mexican food. The food was ok but the staff was really attentive. read more

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This a good place to go for an early dinner after working out. One thing I really appreciated was the friendliness of the staff. The happened to be a staff member outside who noticed I was confused about which door to ho into, who helped me out, and then we were kindly greeted by another staff after coming inside. This is a seat yourself establishment and very casual. I had a frozen margarita to drink, followed by nachos. I enjoyed the margarita a lot. The nachos were alright but they could have used a tangy sauce on top to add some flavor. If you're worried about COVID sanitation, rest assured that this restaurant has virtual menus and you can order and pay from your phone. It also appeared very clean inside. It would have been nice if there were booths available, as opposed to only tables, to add some comfort. read more

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Ambiance: 4/5 Food: 3.5/5 I think NuVo Taco is a great place to meet up with a group of friends. I like the ambiance - everything from the music to the sports played on all the TV's around. The quesadilla I ordered - The way they cooked the chicken definitely feels authentic, as does the sauce. I'm giving this a 3.5/5 of the food because it was a little too cheesy for my tastes (and believe me, I love cheese). It just felt a little too chewy / rubbery with how much was put in the quesadilla. However, with how the protein was cooked & how much I liked the salsa I would pretty much trust most things on the menu to be pretty authentic, and I would give Nuvo Taco another visit. read more

NuvoTaco - Chicken quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Great deal for the amount of food you get! Although these aren't too tier tacos, they were still really good and with the beans and rice, it was an incredibly great deal! And of course the addition of the complimentary chips and salsa made the experience great. I also loved their ordering process, since you do it yourself through your phone once you find a table. Great casual restaurant. read more

NuvoTaco - Mexican Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I couldn't believe I haven't heard of this place earlier! I came on a Saturday afternoon and it was pretty busy so parking was a bit tight. They have a daily lunch special for 2 tacos with rice, beans, chips, and a drink for just under $8. Their standard all-day menu with three tacos, rice, beans, chips, but with no drink was a little above $8. If you want their special meats, it'd an additional cost as well. I wanted water so I thought the latter was the better deal. You can also pick between corn or flour tortillas. You order at the counter, receive a buzzer, and they bring your food out to you. Their tacos arrived promptly and they do not skimp out on anything! Their tacos had meat filled to the brim. They also have a sauce/topping bar so you could load your tacos up with cilantro, pickled onions, pico, etc. Get the green sauce and their pico!!! I thought three tacos was a bit too much for me because these things are HUGE. I only finished like 2.5 tacos and had leftover chips, rice, and beans so this place is definitely worth your money. It's the perf place for lunch/dinner if you're craving tacos, you'll leave satisfied and FULL! read more

NuvoTaco - Mexican Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

If you have a hankering for some authentic Mexican food, then look no further! It only took one trip to hook my wife and I! The food is stupid good and so quick! They've got some great vegetation options. We got the grilled veggie nachos. They were huge! I love that they didn't skimp on the queso. Even with splitting, we had to take home our fundido, which was also vegetarian. It was a soy chorizo fundido. read more

NuvoTaco - Grilled veggie nachos - sooooo tasty and fresh. - Mexican Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Since I moved to the Durham area everyone has told me about NuVo Taco and all I heard was it is soooo good. But when friends would be looking for a place to eat and I suggested it people would say that's good but let's try blah, blah, blah... So I took my damn self! Outside - it's a little tricky to figure out where to park and the street was boppin' but eventually I pulled in on the side of the building. They have lots of parking for pick up - apparently they went completely take out during the height of COVID-19. Inside - to the left is setting for those waiting for food, to the right a long table to with To-Go orders and seating inside and outside, it has an easy breezy vibe, with an industrial look. Someone was at the kiosk ordering and a lovely employee walked up to me immediately and asked if I needed to be seated. I told them I was getting togo but had never been here and wanted to know if they had recommendations. The employee started to rave about several items and then people waiting started to join in giving me recommendations. Ultimately it became apparent - everything is good! I ended up with the following; 3x Tacos 1. Green tomato taco - this one is a seasonal so it basically a few days until it's gone and that is sad! It was crispy, flavorful and had beautiful arugula goodness 2. Fish taco - because a fish taco is my favorite, it was grilled and flaky with a a spicy sauce and mango salsa 3. Chicken taco - because like my friend said - while basic - it's a good chicken taco I also tried the vegetarian chorizo fondito - which at first bite was an ok cheese dip but once I mixed the beans and veggie chorizo the flavor was more and more. Overall NuVo taco is bussin' - I get it and I'll be back! read more

NuvoTaco - My Tacos (left to right) Fried Green Tomato, Fish, Chicken - Mexican Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I can not hype this place enough! Food: carnitas are amazing, I always get the nachos to go and eat twice. Service: quick and friendly staff Ambiance: friendly read more

We are longtime fans of NuvoTaco and still regularly visit. This is definitely one of our favorite casual Durham eateries! We love the laid back atmosphere, convenient location, and ease of ordering via Toast. Whether you're taking it easy and unwinding or in a bit of a rush, NuvoTaco is a great choice. We often bring our friends and out of state visitors here. The bottomless chips and salsa are a great start, and we typically can't resist the queso as well. My go-to order is the fried shrimp taco, but I've tried most items on the menu and have honestly never been disappointed. The ropa vieja tacos are savory and delicious as well. I believe there's a little bit of something for everyone, including littles. We would definitely consider this place kid-friendly and often see families with young kiddos dining in. The only potential con is the parking situation as it's a shared lot with the neighboring BBQ joint (also a great spot!) and it is relatively pretty small, however, there have been very few instances when we weren't able to snag a spot and I wouldn't let this deter us from getting our fav tacos in town! read more

Great Food! Get the Tuna Bowl for a Healthy Option. We LOVE the Shrimp Tacos Grilled or Fried. The BEST Chip x Queso!! NuvoTaco has perfected the to go orders... read more

We came in for a brunch in late spring, after driving by for years and saying "Y'know, we really need to eat there." When I saw the Calamari and Arugula, I knew I'd have to have it. The lovely Bride got grilled shrimp tacos. Both were tasty and well-prepared. The mango salsa on the shrimp tacos is amazing. We have been here several times, and can't move from the items we started with. Not that the others don't seem interesting, but the ones we get are SO GOOD that we make our way back for those flavors! If only the weekends were longer and we could come here for several meals a week! I did have a chance to eat here a few days in a row recently, and tried the house chicken, the garlic beef, and the Ropa Vieja. As good as these flavors are, none compare with the grilled shrimp. For libations, nothing can beat their house made Margaritas, unless it's the Jamaican Frozen Mojito. Imagine your childhood Icee, but with booze. Fantastic! read more

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Came with a party of 4. The place was packed but there were a couple tables available. I ordered the 3 tacos combo- ordering the chili rubbed pork butt, house made chorizo, and local hog jowls. The tacos arrived in less than 10 minutes. Ambiance: 5/5 Service: 4.5/5 Service was great but I didn't give 5 because it wasn't overwhelmingly amazing especially given the setup. Food: 5/5 I was surprised by the generous portions of meat. There are many great complementary options in the salsa bar- especially the pico, pickled cucumbers and salsa verde- which complemented the tacos well. My favorite was hands down the hog jowls (cheeks). The portions were great too- I couldn't finish all 3 tacos. I definitely see why this place is one of the top taco places in Durham. read more

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We have to stop with this "putting lightly tinted mayo on everything and calling it aioli" nonsense. This stuff being liberally poured onto my fish and calamari tacos ruined them - well, if the calamari hadn't been tough and rubber bandy and the fish being grilled to a tasteless crisp hadn't already done that. There were other things in my tacos, but honestly I couldn't taste them. I SAW some tiny mango specks in the fish one, but they were microscopic and sadly couldn't stand up to the aioli. Rice was crunchy and black beans were decent - they were the only thing I wanted to finish. read more

OMG! OMG! OMG! So good! My friend works in Durham and decided to take a few of us to check it out and oh am I glad he did! This is definitely more of a Tex-Mex type of place, but the food is fresh and good! The portions for the price are also phenomenal as well! My visit was on a Saturday afternoon so it was a little busy, but not too crowded. Parking directly in front of the restaurant is limited, but there is parking all around. When you arrive, you go to the counter to place your order. There are menu handouts right near the front entrance, but the menu is also written on the walls near the order and pickup windows. I found the menu written on the wall to be overwhelming and a little much to look at, but having the menu in my hand was convenient. Once we ordered we found a seat inside for our group of 4. There's seating inside and outside. I did not go to the outdoor seating area so I'm not sure of the layout or size. After ordering we received a buzzer to put on the table to get our food delivered to our table, which was extremely convenient! Me and another one in my group of 4 decided we wanted to order 2 different entrees and split them. We ordered chips and guacamole as an appetizer, the nachos with queso and rotisserie chicken, and the Tacos x3 (chorizo, pork butt, and beef) with black beans. Our other friend ordered the chips and queso to share as well. It was all so good and we ate it all! They have so many great options and I can't wait to return and bring people with me. All of the food was so good. I don't have a single complaint! The staff was friendly and welcoming. read more

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I love Nanataco! The atmosphere is super cute and the food is always fresh and tasty. There are a dozen or so meats to choose from, as well as grilled or fried fish, fried calamari, and a couple of vegetarian options- something for everyone. The three taco plate is plenty of food and comes with your choice of black or pinto beans, rice, and a few tortilla chips. I really enjoy their nachos with ropa vieja; the meat is tender and perfectly spiced and complements the creamy, mild queso. Only downsides: this place stays packed, which means parking in the already tiny lot can be tricky and it can get really loud inside. read more

NuvoTaco - Ropa vieja nachos! Messy and delicious - Mexican Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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I love this restaurant the food is so good.my family gets the make your own taco meal and that is delicious because I have a family with very mixed taste buds so it is perfect for us.we usually get take out and the service is great they basically never forget anything we order which I have experienced at some places. read more

We've been going to NuvoTaco (formerly Nana Taco) off and on for at least ten years. I'm finally compelled to write a review because I missed so many things from the old place during our last visit. While the new-ish interior is more open and pleasant than the previously cramped, darker quarters, the new digs are clearly being paid for through shrinkflation: the tacos, burritos, and bowls are SO much smaller than they used to be and the prices are higher (is this what is meant by "modern Mexican eatery"?). The seared yellowfin in the Nuvo Tuna Bowl ($16) is tasty but my serving was small -- and, most surprisingly, there were hardly any greens at all. We went home hungry. On top of this, a 20% tip is automatically added to each bill, which surprised me (I didn't see this stated when we ordered -- I hope it is a living wage fee). We all miss the fresh salsa bar from the old place... :( The next time a friend suggests NuvoTaco, I will likely suggest another Durham restaurant. read more

First, it's weird that Yelp emailed me soliciting my review of this place. While I have eaten their tamales, which I'll review in a bit, I didn't place the order or accompany my wife when she picked them up. Am I being spied on? We got six each of the chicken verde tamales, chicken mole tamales, and pork tamales on December 23 for the Christmas weekend (only eaten microwaved following their instructions). With them, we were given some salsa verde (delicious), crema (quite good), a reddish brown sauce (bitter and unpleasant), and some crumbled cheese that looked like parmesan but neither smelled nor tasted like it (tasty, whatever it was). The chicken verde and pork tamales are basically the same, but with different meats. The pork ones were a little moister, but overall, both were kinda bland. The masa was really nice, so I'm surprised they would drop the ball on the filling. The chicken mole tamales were worse, though still edible. They weren't bland, but the flavor of the filling wasn't pleasant. I mixed the salsa verde and crema to put on all the tamales. It brought them all up to acceptable for me, though the mole ones were still worse than the others. This sauce raised my review from a 2 to a 3. My wife actively disliked the chicken mole tamales and didn't eat any more after trying one. She liked the others and didn't put anything on them. All-in-all, I'm disappointed as this place was recommended specifically for tamales by multiple people in a local foodie group on social media. read more

Tried this place out while visiting Durham and while satisfied- because I was on the verge of hangry- the quality of the food wasn't great. I got three tacos and so did my mom, guacamole and queso. The tacos were cold and we had to reheat them which was sad, and queso wasn't giving freshness. The flavor of the chorizo and shrimp were good but having to reheat is disappointing if not previously indicated. The pork belly was not rendered enough. Overall quantity was really good like so much food for each dish, which really just leads me to believe this is tailored for the college crowd. Also really appreciated the quick service and efficient curbside pick up for COVID safety. read more

NuvoTaco - Mexican Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I came here last summer and had three tacos: calamari, chorizo, and pork butt. My favorite of three was probably the calamari, but the chorizo was a close second. I wouldn't order the pork butt again. Loved that they have a salsa bar with a great range of options. I also ordered a watermelon rose sangria, which came in a small to medium sized plastic cup with lots of ice. Definitely was not worth $9. You have to get lucky with parking. Their parking lot is very small and you'll likely end up parking on the street. Taste | 3.5 Atmosphere | 4 Presentation | 3 Service | 3.5 OVERALL | 3.5 read more