I am not sure what may be going on with El Balcon Express. We have been here several times and…read moresimply love their food. It always seems popular too. But in the last few weeks we have gone passed it they aren't open and there is a sign on the door saying they are closed for seep cleaning. I never owned a restaurant and neither do I know how long a deep cleaning could take. I suppose it varies depending on what is being cleaned. But as of 5/9/26 the restaurant remains closed. The last social media post from Facebook was January of '26. The website associated with this profile on Yelp doesn't seem to be working and neither does the website associated when you Google them which is very concerning. Hopefully they will be open again soon and none of this is subtleties amounting to a permanent closure.

There were a few reasons I tried Balcon Express. 1) never had El Salvadoran food, 2) close to my…read morehouse, 3) was recommended by a colleague, 4) Yelp reviews were very positive and saw that the restaurant responded to reviews which doesn't happen often - definite a plus! So, I parked - I found a street parking around the corner. It's a small establishment with an ADA bathroom. You can go and order with the staff, or you can order with a kiosk. I happened to do both! I asked the server who told me later that he was the cousin of the owner and el Salvadoran, what he would recommend. I ended up getting Combo 2 which is two tacos and a pupusa (which I've never had). Both I got pork and pupusa he said to get pork and cheese. I liked it ALL. Although the puousa is made of corn and tasty, I prob wouldnt order it again. I really, really liked the two tacos. The seasoning and taste was delicious!!! I am craving it right now as I am writing this review. They gave me condiments - 3 different hot sauces which I liked the avocado one which was a great creamy sauce. And there 3 pieces of lime and cut radishes. Plus, there were pickled onions which was tasty! I asked a lot of questions because I wanted to eat them all the way he would so The server told me to put the pickled onions on the pupusa. Oh, that made a huge difference. So delicious!!! Next time, I am just going to get 4 tacos - yep 4! lol and may try a burrito just to see how that is. I ended up getting a Jarrisco with Tamarind flavor. Oh it was a sweet and perfect complimentary drink. I will def be back! Really enjoyed it.

Food: the food was delicious! I ordered the awards burrito and the carne asada fries. What I like…read moreabout the fries was that it came with jalapeños! Usually you either have to ask for it (which I always forget) or they don't so it was a pleasant surprise. The cheese is also nacho cheese which was yummy! Service: we walked in and was greeted with a hello. The ordering was quite easy and quick. Ambiance: casual restaurant

As a south Texas native, these tacos were good. I would come here again. Friendly service too!read more

Such a good dinner spot! The food here is hands down my favorite for tacos in the entire PNW. The…read moreservice here is always the most friendly and kind, they make great food recommendations if you need them. We ordered the guacamole appetizer, I'd get this every time! We also ordered street tacos and a burrito. The barbacoa here is to die for. The interior of the restaurant is nice and clean and sleek but they add just the right touch of Mexican flair meets Tacoma with their giant glass heart sculptures! Love this spot.

Sunday evening visit…read more.. Guacamole is smooth and tasty. Served with beans that are smooth and so delicious... dare I say tastier than the guacamole?...everyone at the table loved both. It was a quiet night here- although seems they are busy with take out orders. We ordered: Taco Toreado, Torta de Asada, burrito pollo, bistro con papa y chili poblano and birria tacos. We loved everything! We hope they are busier during the week.... It was a really great meal. Our hostess/waitress was super.

What a fabulous place. Casual, authentic Mexican food. Service is fast and friendly. You order at…read morethe counter and they have a great great salsa/sides bar (think pickled veggies and onions, slaw, limes for garnish, jalapenos) and if you're eating in, they give you chips while you wait; your food is brought right to your table. I'm making it my goal to try everything on the menu but it's going to take a while. The burritos are huge and delicious and loaded with fillings and they don't skimp on the meat. Birria and Chile Colorado are my favorites, chicken is plentiful but tends to be a tiny bit on the bland side so the salsas come in handy for that. The platos are HUGE. The refried beans are the best I've had anywhere. Tacos are also great. Have not tried the fish ones yet but I have a friend who's currently addicted so I'm assuming they're good as well. I have not encountered a miss on the menu yet. Looking forward to my next visit!

Finally tried this taqueria after hearing so many good things about it and I was a little…read moredisappointed. We had adobada, asada and chicken tacos, added a side of fried onion and serrano pepper. The adobada meat was ok, chicken was good and our favorite was the asada. I didn't like the default salsa they put on the tacos, would've preferred just onion and cilantro. In fact I didn't like any of the salsas they offered, the green salsa was the only decent one and I'm sure the orange looking salsa was on its way out, it tasted and smelled funky. Customer service was great. We might come back just for asada tacos but maybe not.

I am going to bump up a star for Red Star Taco Bar. They have the Sunday Sip here which is a drag…read morequeen show along with brunch. Sunday Sip's were previously at a different venue but just recently it started here and it's a great place for this event. I have always liked the food here and we have gone here twice now in recent times not only for the Sunday Sip but also for a meal with friends. The mixed cocktails are great as is the food which I have always been partial to. Out of the recent visits I had an amazing torta, something I haven't had in a long time and a bowl with their tequila chicken for the meat which was also excellent. The more I come here the more I like it having it come at five stars at this point and time.

What a glorious day! I am visiting Tacoma again to see my sister. I was able to get a tattoo,…read morewhich will be another review in itself. My sister suggested we get something to eat post tattoo at Red Star taco bar. I always get a bit sketchy about eating tacos way up here, as I am from Austin, but I was hungry and this establishment was close to the tattoo shop. So we went. What a chill place, great music, and a very interesting menu. Blake, the bartender, was nothing short of amazing. He suggested a great beer and I began reviewing the menu. There was the usual this and that of tacos , two stood out and sounded pretty damn unusual and delicious. I ordered two, one being the sriracha honey tofu, with cabbage, cilantro and pineapple and second being the kara'age fried chicken with sesame seeds, chili garlic sauce, and cabbage. Both on homemade corn tortillas. Both were absolutely phenomenal and pretty damn unusual. We struck up a great conversation with Blake on his adventure from moving from Philly to Tacoma. What a sweet guy! When we were leaving he said we made his day, but you know what, he made ours. If you get the chance please give this place a try, you will not be disappointed!

What a nice little Mexican restaurant that is hidden in this little corner of Tacoma. Not often you…read morefind a place that has great beer and great coffee and great Mexican food. That is three greats, I know I just said that. But this little hole in the wall place provided great atmosphere cozy area to be able talk very easily to my sister and experience an amazing lunch. You do order at the cashier/order taker and then they give you a number and when your food comes out, you get the food delivered to the table with the number. When you are done, you have to buss your own table and do all that stuff besides wiping off your table. I thought the environment was awesome and I would highly recommend again and again to anybody that wants to come great place. And they do put the taco in Tacoma.

I was craving a breakfast burrito on my way to work. Looked for a good option from Gig Harbor to…read moreRenton. To think I almost settled for some premade coffee shop microwaved brk burrito I got the carne asada BK Burrito... with the habanero carrot hot sauce Pure heaven. The meat is tender and ZERO gristle which is almost impossible lately anywhere u go. Then I indulged and got churros. Nor disappointed but pleasantly surprised- not greasy or dry but so so perfect. Also combined their homemade agua Fresca w ice tea and it was DELICIOUS I'll be back here soon for a date w my hubby. He'll love it! (Great customer service too!!!!)

I've been here twice, getting the fish dinner and later sides of rice and beans…read more I thought the rice had lots of flavor, and I'll go back for more. The beans weren't my favorite at first taste, but they grew on me. They are flavorful too, and a tiny bit spicy. I'll order them again too. The fish was fried (not deep fried), straightforward, delicious. I love that there's a fish option with all the other meats. The price of the fish was on the menu, but I didn't see prices for the rice and beans sides. When the sides' cost was told to me, I was somewhat surprised ($9.44) as it seemed a little high. But I realize costs are going up for everyone and these folks planned, purchased, and cooked the ingredients for my tasty meals, plus they need to make some profit doing it. So, I'll pay it. They deserve it. The parking is awkward if not dangerous. It's worth parking on a side street half a block or more away. The location is great, very convenient, however.

Was looking for a place with authentic Mexican food and I'm glad I came here! Ordered 2 mulitas de…read morelengua and it was so flavorful! Also love that the salsas are actually spicy, everywhere you go now the salsa always lacks spice. Definitely will be coming back!

Owners said everything is the same just switched names to Taqueria Bravo but everything is the…read moresame. In same parking lot as the gas station with a few parking spaces. Great beans and food!

Way overhyped. Food…read moreis mediocre at best Ordered 5 asada tacos, burrito, quesadilla. Total damage was $42 after tax and not including tip. Tacos were very disappointing based on the initial pics I saw in reviews. Not bite-sized but the smaller, street-sized tacos with mediocre asada meat sprinkled with a little cilantro and onion. Burrito was ok, absolutely nothing special. Quesadilla was actually a little overly greasy and I had to damp it before giving to the kiddos Spicy sauce was kinda ok. But definitely some of that watered down red salsa and that's the only kind they offered Serviced was friendly and fast but I won't be stopping by again .

OMG This is a restaurant I WANT to gatekeep. Loved it so…read moremuch. ALL food and drink was top notch. Flavorful meats, fluffy rice, fresh hot sauces, airy Tres Leches cake, dangerously good cocktails. Great decor and vibe. Mix of indoor and an outdoor seating. Companion rated it a 9.8/10 and only knocked it down due to the waitress to be very attentive.

I am going to make it simple: Under staff…read moreFood was cold Place war dirty Long waiting I went on 4/18/26 around 3:00 pm . This place is overrated . Don't GO!!!

Back with a review update yearrrsss later and happy to report a five star upgrade! We'e been back…read morequite a few times but our most recent visit was with a larger group and we had an awesome time. First off, service here is always great. Bartenders are always nice and food always comes quick. We started off by sitting in one of the larger booths and kicked our visit off with some drinks and an app. They have a great local selection of beers and tasty sounding cocktails. I tried a sip of my friend's spicy marg and it was TRULY spicy but it was absolutely delicious. For our app we tried the Corn Queso and it was super good! Definitely recommend. My husband and I split a couple of entrees to try something new as we always get the same stuff. This time we got the Holy Burrito with steak, and the Monster S'Mash Burger. The Holy Burrito is MASSSIVE. Easily able to share this and only this between 2 people. Stuffed with all the same usual goodness of a burrito, but topped with a luscious chorizo gravy, pico de gallo, and guac. Absolutely superb, can't recommend enough. The burger was also good but I wouldn't quite call it a smash. The fries are super crispy and yummy! After we wrapped up eating we went into the other half of the building where they have pinball machines, a pool table, and a photo booth. It's a fun spot to vibe and wrap up with another drink. If you haven't been to this Tacoma icon yet, you're seriously missing out.

Visited on a Saturday around 8pm and walked in just before the rush. As a first timer, I really…read moreenjoyed the food and drinks. I ordered the mojo pork bowl and every part of it was flavorful! I think I can speak for my group, that they really enjoyed their food and drinks too! The ambiance is moody and gothic, don't let the name fool you. The bartender and waitress were very friendly, and while ordering at the bar was way, the central area did get pretty crowded later in the night. After reading other reviews, I see I missed out on the photobooth :(. Oh wells, I'll try it out next time!