Steph’s Taco Blog: Bartaco in Dr. Phillips

It’s Taco Tuesday and you know what that means…time for another edition of Steph’s Taco Blog! Today is a little special because it’s the week of Thanksgiving, so I’d like to do a special Thanksgiving gratitude edition.

This Thanksgiving, I’m grateful for tacos. 

I discovered Bartaco the way I discover most delicious food these days: stalking food accounts on Instagram. I kept seeing these beautiful trays stuffed with 7+ tacos and thinking to myself, “wow…that’s a lot of tacos for one person. Are they just really hungry? Maybe they’re sharing with a friend?” Obviously I needed to investigate.

From the outside, Bartaco looks like an oasis. And luckily, this oasis is one of the taco variety. The outdoor seating area is bright and cozy with cushioned booths, white tables, plenty of foliage, and string lights. I imagine it’s gorgeous to eat here at night time (will go back to confirm). If you like obsessively photographing your food (guilty) you’ll be right at home in this super-cool space.

Although Bartaco is a sit down restaurant, the ordering process is a bit different than you might be used to. You pencil in your order and place it in a card holder on your table when you’re ready. They’ve also got a special dragonfly card which you can put up if you need something from your server. Although make no mistake, the servers are incredibly attentive and friendly, and will check in on you often. It’s the perfect balance between traditional sit down restaurant and fast-casual.

I know you’re waiting with bated breath, so I’ll get on with the taco talk. The tacos are AMAZING! Part of me worried that Bartaco was getting so much hype and attention simply because of how cool it is, but luckily my worries were unfounded. Now I can properly fangirl.

I opted for two “expensive” ($3.50) tacos and two “cheap” ($2.50) tacos. The pork belly and baja fish were definite favorites, but the shrimp “bahn mi” and pork pastor were equally good, if a bit spicier than I anticipated.

The size of the tacos doesn’t quite translate in pictures, and in real life each taco is bite-sized – about 3-4 bites each. Depending on how hungry you are and what other sides you order, you’ll want to order 3-5 tacos to get your fill.

My friend Arlene and I shared a side of plantains which were delightfully salty and sweet. They came with an amazing gordita dipping sauce, which our server Katherin described as their spin on sour cream. All you really need to know is…that sauce is boss.

One thing that came as a surprise to me was the enticing dessert menu. When I think of taco joints, dessert isn’t usually a standout item, but Bartaco definitely changed that.

I ordered the churros, covered in cinnamon sugar and served with a warm, heavenly chocolate dipping sauce. I also devoured the key lime pie in a jar (which was graciously sent out by the manager – thank you!) which is topped with a dusting of lime zest and a generous layer of whipped cream. It’s the ideal combination of tart and sweet – just how I like it! After eating 4 tacos, dessert was probably a little unnecessary, but I have no regrets.

I can’t remember the last time I was at a restaurant where everyone went out of their way to be so nice and helpful. This just furthers my philosophy that taco people, like dog people, are just good people. Believe the hype about Bartaco and get yourself a 7 taco tray ASAP.

Steph’s Taco Blog Report Card (ratings from 1-5):
Taco quality:
Ambiance:
Service:
Value:

Bartaco, I have absolutely nothing to complain about. This taco lover will be back (with all of her friends). #tacosforpresident

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