After doing some shopping at the Tanger Outlets, I suggested going to The Taco Stache (TTS) to my husband as I had heard it had opened recently. I'm always in the mood for a good taco, I mean, aren't you? TTS is located in The Commons at Savannah Quarters.
- Parking -
Center lot.
- Vibe -
The store front is unassuming. Nothing fancy, just the restaurant logo. Very simple and clean. Then, you open the doors and the first thing that catches your eye(s) is the bar which is the centerpiece. The bar is tiled with a cool, black and white design and they have barstools in bright red, my favorite color! On the back wall of the bar, right in the center, is a bright, neon green (mou)stache hanging on a faux microgreen panel as its background with flat screen TVs everywhere. There are high tops in the middle and tables on either end of the restaurant. While we were there, there was some construction going on which was nothing major or loud. I think the guys were finishing up what looks like an outdoor seating area. That will be nice once this heat goes away!
- TLC -
On the way to the restaurant, I saw that TTS has a waitlist option on Yelp, but opted not to use it as the wait was less than 5 minutes. Upon arrival, we were greeted immediately and seated right away. Bailey was our waitress and she was a sweetheart. She gave us a quick intro of their offerings and explained the difference between the Lunch and Dinner menu. She came back to check on us often and made sure our waters and drinks were always filled.
- Eats/Bevvies -
I ordered a Sweet Tea, but they also offer Coke products. My husband had one of their beers on tap. They seem to have a good drink list.
Lunch - I got the Taco Mix & Match, 3 for $11. There is a 2 for $8 option, but what's one more taco? Besides, I was hungry. The difference between the Lunch and Dinner menu, by the way, is that they have limited the taco choices down to six kinds at lunch, while offering the full selection of 12 kinds at night. Here's where the stache comes in. All their tacos are named after a stache. I was kind of disappointed that none of the staff members were sporting one haha. They've kept the menu simple which I appreciate (especially since I get so indecisive and FOMO is real for me) and limited to other things like different quesadillas and a few bowl options. Nothing worse than reading a booklet and then being bombarded with too many options and then not being able to make a decision, all while getting hangrier by the minute.
My 3 choices were:
Fu Man Chu - I read "Korean BBQ" and being Korean, I'm always intrigued, so of course I ordered it. Nothing Korean about it, neither the name nor the taco. However, I still enjoyed it. The flavor was good and I'd order it again. It was a good piece of brisket and the slaw added a good crunch to it.
El Bandito - Both my husband and I ordered this one and I think we must have gotten a fatty batch, but there was more fat than pork. I didn't mind the pork fat because there is a lot of it in Korean food. It's great flavor and I'm used to it, but my husband was disappointed with this one. I thought that the pineapple was a great combo with the pork.
The Swashbuckler - This was just a solid, shrimp taco. It had grilled shrimp, salsa, cilantro, chipotle crema and cotija cheese. This was a great choice!
Husband had El Bandito, Fu Man Chu and the Cowboy and his fave was the Cowboy. It has Fried Chicken and pimento cheese among other things. Basically it was all Southern. I didn't even get a chance to taste it, so you'll have to take his word for it or check it out for yourself.
All tacos come by default, on corn tortillas, so if you want them on flour tortillas like I did (gasp, I know, I just can't do corn unless they are fried), make sure you mention that to your server. The Mix and Match comes with one choice of side, so I chose rice and Husband chose salad and the Tabasco vinaigrette upon Bailey's recommendation. The salad was great with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, sliced red onion, topped with cotija cheese. Wow! We both agreed the Tabasco vinaigrette was awesome! It was not really spicy, but so flavorful! I didn't care for the rice as I thought it was a bit dry.
- Kiddos -
For the restaurant being a sports bar atmosphere, it's nice to know that TTS has fully acknowledged the potential for families to walk in and there were many that Sunday afternoon. There is only one Kids Meal option, but it is printed on the main menu, as if to say, "Parents, we gotchu!" As a parent, I appreciate that and the meal is offered at a great value. For only $5, the meal includes a Cheese Quesadilla with a side of sauce, rice and beans with drink included. Can't beat that deal!
It's so nice to have another fresh and flavorful option to go to in Pooler besides the big chain restaurants right off of 95 and another reason why TTS makes Pooler a little cooler! read more