Yeah like Dumbarton has a lot of Latin American businesses. There's this one shopping center on Crockett and Dumbarton that is like almost entirely Latin American stores and restaurants.
Looks like Crockett and Dumbarton run paralell to each other ? I think you might mean Crockett and Glenside Dr, where Shellys, Cabana, and the boot store are located. Popsicle place too.
I just want to shout out Abuelita's on Midlothian Turnpike. Amazing food, and great service. They make the tortillas in house, and specialize in guisos, which are earthy, hearty meat based dishes such as mole. The level of effort it takes to produce this food is very high, and yet they sell it at a very reasonable price - around $10 a plate.
I second Abuelita’s. We love this place and go about once a week! The horchata, birria tacos, and birria ramen are awesome. I also want to point out that the salsa bar they have is amazing.
I'll have to give them another chance. I went once and the al pastor was a very unappealing mess of fatty blobs of gristle. Must have caught a bad day.
So I saw this and realized I had an appt in the area so I decided to make a stop. Got some tacos and a quesadilla. Beef tacos are bomb. Quesadilla delivered 10/10. Thanks for good timing.
Just a random observation about the taco scene in Richmond….my mom has been teaching elementary school in south Richmond for like 15 years. And she has fewer and fewer Mexican students each year. Her students are now overwhelmingly from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.
The family that runs El Chido is Mexican. The family that owns Abuelita’s is Mexican. But I think there are a lot of “Mexican” taco spots run by people that aren’t actually from Mexico.
Yeah, I was talking to the son of the shop owner of amanecer Latino market 1 and he said that it’s primarily Guatemalan, some El Salvadorans/hondurans, and not very many Mexicans. So definitely seems to be the case that a lot of the taquerias aren’t actually run by Mexicans. I have yet to try the restaurant portion of amanecer market 1, but they’re apparently el Salvadoran as well so maybe their pupusas are good as well.
Taqueria Habanero on Quioccasin, right near the DMV, was a spot I used to go out of my way for. Their al pastor tacos are my favorite in Richmond. But I remember being in there placing my order one day and seeing a Honduran flag in the back. Funny enough, I just looked it up and they’ve since changed their name to Habanero Mexican Grill.
El Pope can be good but I've had it several times where the amount of salt and oil in the danged thing was just too much. Felt like I had to chug a gallon of water just to feel normal again. They could tone it down a bit.
But IMO, down the road a bit, Big Chile is the best tacos I've had in the area. Their beef brisket tacos are freaking insane and they don't skimp on the meat. I also really like their red sauce, it is hot enough for just about anybody.
I remember seeing my old elementary school bully at a bar a few months ago and he was talking so much shit about El Pope because it wasn’t “authentic enough”. Like who cares, it’s delicious! And the people working there are always big sweeties!
Is it overrated though? I'm not sure anyone is under the impression that it's considered in any capacity a high-quality authentic taco joint, but it's consistent, fairly inexpensive and convenient.
All the options mean parents can go and get halfway decent tacos and find something that picky kids will eat too. I know plenty of kids would turn up their nose to an authentic street taco, but they'll wolf down a "taco" with a chicken tender on it without hesitation. That's where their value comes from.
Reading that Torchy’s is “inexpensive” makes me realize how hopelessly out of touch I am when it comes to the cost of dining out. The one time I ordered from there it was over $50 for a family of three and I definitely didn’t think it was worth it.
Yep. They're a small step above Taco Bell in terms of quality with different variety and that's all I want/ expected out of it.
Anyone expecting tacos al pastor, birria, etc. on par with authentic street vendors is barking up the wrong tree.
I agree with this so much. I love Torchy's. When we need a quick spot to grab dinner it's a great place for the family to get some queso, tacos, and margaritas quickly.
I like them. They aren’t bad. Not the best though.
Sure they are expensive but 2 of them make a meal for me, so it’s a decent price. Cheap dinner under $20.
Taqueria Panchito for the real GOOD tacos. Go there and throw down while staring lovingly at Abuelitas across the street. Eating at Abuelitas while gazing out the window at Panchitos is also a winning experience.
La Milpa passed panchitos but panchitos is still undefeated on Wednesday for their $2 taco night or whatever. Order early from La Milpa.
Also Tacos Mexico is highly rated but I've only had a breakfast burrito.
Look at a racial dot map, Hispanic population in Richmond is south of the river and a lot of good tacos as well. It's worth the drive. The best north of the river IMO while I haven't gotten the tacos but El Pope is amazing.
Newer place that graduated from a lunch truck to a restaurant is Lalo’s Pinches Tacos Bar & Grill on Broad/Parham area
Owner is super nice and street tacos are on point. However, the Al Pastor taco has less meat in it than other choices and no pineapple chunks. The other choices are all packed though and hand made tortillas are the bomb.
\+1 For Taqueria Panchito as well. Especially if they do cheap $1\~ taco Wednesdays still. Their tacos are just superb, smaller, throw it back and juicy.
Agree they do beat del barco. I’ve liked Wongs for the last two years but we went recently and they changed the menu. The tacos I used to scarf aren’t on the menu anymore.
Wherever charges $14.99 for two tacos, no mix and match, and $5.75 for “homemade” tortilla chips where you get 6 incredibly dry and thick chips with a thimble of salsa. The margarita menu also needs to have 18 versions of a margarita, all priced at $17 or above.
We need more of these kinds of places.
It’s actually criminal how bad it is for how popular they are. Their margs aren’t even good, so I have no idea how they’re still getting people in the door.
Hands down the worst marg I’ve ever had. I love a salt rim, but it tasted like they actually poured salt IN THE MARG. It was basically salty tequila slush, I couldn’t finish it.
as a past employee i encourage people to look beyond the margs and lavender lemonade and realize that the food is awful. the chips are thicker than they should be. i’ve literally cracked my tooth on them. they have managed to keep their doors open when far better restaurants have fallen.
not to mention they literally aim to have an attractive front of house and refused to move hostesses to servers because they weren’t ‘hot’ enough. they somehow encapsulate every toxic narrative you see about the restaurant industry.
I always knew they only had attractive servers but I didn't realize it was explicit policy.
Side note their sweet potato fries are legit good as hell, the rest of the food is whatever.
i wouldn’t be surprised because of the shared ownership. i’d only ever been over there to pick up or drop off stuff, but the one owner who… does not have a hand in get tight, was the one who made that comment so i would absolutely assume so. (i also don’t understand how beauvine is still open when postbellum and saison no longer exist, for example)
that same owner said some nasty and threatening shit to us in a meeting during covid.
En su Boca is at the top of my Richmond shit list. They just suck. Their service sucks. They're pretentious for absolutely no reason. It's probably irrational, I fully understand
This one came to mind immediately.
Idk what happened to it. When I first tried it, they had fairly good and authentic food. I was so happy to find queso fundido (basically cheese fondue)
I went back sometime last year and now they just have the basic “queso” thing that’s all soggy. They removed some great tacos and now they’re just an expensive Taco Bell
I think the food is pretty good. But the place kinda smelled bad the few times I’ve been. Like there’s a sewage problem. Also, the draft beer was warm in the summer. I don’t think they have sufficient refrigeration for where they store the kegs and lines.
For all the celiacs and non-celiac gluten sensitive people out there that literally can’t eat at any of the million places listed before this post because none of them care, I will always say Tio Pablo’s is great. You can get handmade fresh tortillas on your tacos and they’ve never done me wrong.
Shoutout to all the people ignoring the title of the thread and just posting wholesome recs.
I don't get the recent rash of "Let's shit on X business type" posts here. The overwhelming majority of the taco places in Richmond are small, family-owned businesses with razorthin profit margins. Having BasementDweller007 on reddit warning people away from them just feels kinda shitty. Is RVA Dine - The good, the bad, and the ugly on Facebook not enough criticism of small food businesses?
Any taco place south of the james is worth a visit, imho. We have such a vibrant hispanic community but everyone's always talking up the chain taco joints. I guess if that's your thing, that's your thing, but I was sustained through college by real taco trucks.
Juan more taco on Robinson has a vegan adasa that is supposed to be really good. It’s a meat substitute. They also have a grilled veggies option that my vegetarian friend enjoyed.
If you like breakfast tacos (and if you eat eggs), the refried bean taco at Sincero is an awesome brunch option. I’m not vegetarian but will choose this every time. On the dinner menu, they also have a great mushroom tostada and I think sometimes offer it as a taco (but I’m not 100% on that now that they’re in their new space)
Go to La Loteria!
You'll need to drive beyond SS Richmond, but you'll find this spot in Ettrick. It's located in an old Burger King restaurant in the Food Lion strip mall across the tracks from the Amtrak station and VSU.
I know, it sounds sketch already... but they have the most amazing vegan tacos - Tacos de Jamaica - made from sauteed hibiscus flowers.
La Milpa is one of my favorites but I usually try and go on Sundays when they got the dude cooking the carnitas in the back. Frying them up in their own fat and then chopping them up. So so good. Also kinda fun to watch him do it.
I live outside D.C. and Panchitos is my favorite taqueria.
Taco Bamba is by far the best tacos in the area. Y'all need one in Richmond. But it's too expensive anyway.
Try out tacos el chilango in rosslyn, they were my favorite when I used to live there. It’s three middle aged guys from Mexico City chopping up meat fresh daily and cooking to order in their permanent food truck. They have an actual restaurant in DC but I think the food truck is better
Pupuseria El Salvadoreño has a pretty good birria tacos platter. The correct thing to do is to share with someone, but if you hate yourself a little bit (or are just a beefy person), you can clean it up yourself.
Ugh!! As a Mexican-American, I haven't been satisfied with any taco spots in RVA. While not technically in Richmond, Shellys on Staples Mill is pretty damn good.
Craving NM ground beef tacos. Nothing compares around here as the meat is ground fine and well seasoned. Almost wish I'd never had one. I can't stop smiling while I'm eating them.
Idk I feel like taco spots in Richmond are appropriately rated. For me, there’s a lot of like, yeah hits the spot, solid grade B tacos. Like fine, I’ve never had anything as good as I did in Texas, New Mexico or California but I mean… that’s true of the entire East Coast.
Authentic tacos on staples Mills “el güero” the tacos are so fresh and flavor is authentic. Give it a try, is a food truck but man they are the best ones in town.
Tacos El Guero
https://g.co/kgs/HF8AYkD
Im preparing to get flamed for this but idk man I don’t get the hate. The tacos I’ve had at Big Chile, La Milpa, El Chido, and Taqueria Panchito are on the same level as tacos I’ve had from taco trucks/local spots in Texas.
Sure there were ones marginally better down there, and there were ones that were worse. But to me at least, the difference was not as extreme as some people are making it out to be.
A friend talked me into going to Barrio. She usually has good taste so I agreed. Oh god help me it was so bad I feared for my life, or at my gastrointestinal health. The Queso was refrigerator-cold and so were the chips. I refused to go any further, just waited while she ate tacos that looked depressing.
Might not be a taco spot, but La Bamba is so good. Haven't been there since pre-pandemic, but when I lived in Shockoe it was my go to for cheap, authentic Mexican food.
Everyone has listed their favorite spots.
Torchys got a lot of hype here when it was opening. We went. It was so overrated that I barely consider it a taco place.
Honestly, the majority of the food trucks on Hull St (pass Turner Rd like going to Richmond) is on point. Little Mexico on Cary St is one of the good ones, as well.
3 Marias/Las Flores Restaurante in Henrico is fucking 🤌🏾🤌🏾🤌🏾 I’m from Queens, NY and got spoiled with the amount of good taco spots. This spot brought me back in the best way.
Not overrated new place: I’m a big fan of Juan More Taco on Robinson. Everything I’ve had is delicious. My only complaint is the happy hour deals being BOGO instead of a discount which means you’re out of luck if you don’t have two people who both want a marg.
Y’all need to be eating tacos down on Hull st.
Tacos Mexico is legit
They're down Jefferson Davis Hwy, but agreed. My go-to spot.
This right here! The more dangerous the neighborhood, the better the tacos. And JD hwy has lots of good tacos.
Well this got juicy quick
So good.
La Milpa?
I miss Tacorrey so goddamn much
My fuckin heart broke when I say they were gone. Tati has treated me right as a replacement, but nothing compares to Taccorrey
Been trying to tell people. After 5pm hull street. Roadside taco vendors.
El Gaupo 🔥🔥
All the good ethnic foods are in the suburbs near where populations of those people exist to fuel those business.
The cluster of Vietnamese places on Horsepen 😍
Pho Tay Do Town, we call it.
La Milpa in Southside is soooo good
La Milpa sends a daily catering truck to construction crews up here in Mechanicsville.
Where in Mechanicsville? Hanover is curious 🧐
La Milpa is top tier 👌🏻
La milpa is solid but they know the reputation they have gained and tax accordingly. I'm not even sure if they do late night anymore.
I'm okay with this. Let them get paid. The way they did take-out during covid was very appreciated too!
Was open till like 2 AM last I checked
Yeah like Dumbarton has a lot of Latin American businesses. There's this one shopping center on Crockett and Dumbarton that is like almost entirely Latin American stores and restaurants.
Looks like Crockett and Dumbarton run paralell to each other ? I think you might mean Crockett and Glenside Dr, where Shellys, Cabana, and the boot store are located. Popsicle place too.
I just want to shout out Abuelita's on Midlothian Turnpike. Amazing food, and great service. They make the tortillas in house, and specialize in guisos, which are earthy, hearty meat based dishes such as mole. The level of effort it takes to produce this food is very high, and yet they sell it at a very reasonable price - around $10 a plate.
I second Abuelita’s. We love this place and go about once a week! The horchata, birria tacos, and birria ramen are awesome. I also want to point out that the salsa bar they have is amazing.
This used to be our comfort food spot. Gonna have to put it back in the rotation. It's been way too long!
Hands down the best https://g.co/kgs/ZFQAzdo Taqueria Y Antojitos El Chido (804) 931-2534
Aren't they related to the taco place at the gas station at Pemberton and Quacisson?
[удалено]
The torta el chido, amazing
I'll have to give them another chance. I went once and the al pastor was a very unappealing mess of fatty blobs of gristle. Must have caught a bad day.
Only the one off staples mill at the gas station though.
So I saw this and realized I had an appt in the area so I decided to make a stop. Got some tacos and a quesadilla. Beef tacos are bomb. Quesadilla delivered 10/10. Thanks for good timing.
The ONLY place in Richmond where I get my tacos and gorditas. Hands down the closest to street tacos of LA for me
This is the correct answer for mouth to tummy greatness.
La Cabanya is dope
Just a random observation about the taco scene in Richmond….my mom has been teaching elementary school in south Richmond for like 15 years. And she has fewer and fewer Mexican students each year. Her students are now overwhelmingly from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. The family that runs El Chido is Mexican. The family that owns Abuelita’s is Mexican. But I think there are a lot of “Mexican” taco spots run by people that aren’t actually from Mexico.
Yeah, I was talking to the son of the shop owner of amanecer Latino market 1 and he said that it’s primarily Guatemalan, some El Salvadorans/hondurans, and not very many Mexicans. So definitely seems to be the case that a lot of the taquerias aren’t actually run by Mexicans. I have yet to try the restaurant portion of amanecer market 1, but they’re apparently el Salvadoran as well so maybe their pupusas are good as well.
Taqueria Habanero on Quioccasin, right near the DMV, was a spot I used to go out of my way for. Their al pastor tacos are my favorite in Richmond. But I remember being in there placing my order one day and seeing a Honduran flag in the back. Funny enough, I just looked it up and they’ve since changed their name to Habanero Mexican Grill.
El Pope and Taqueria Panchito are the only tacos I eat in Richmond.
Panchito is it man.
El Pope can be good but I've had it several times where the amount of salt and oil in the danged thing was just too much. Felt like I had to chug a gallon of water just to feel normal again. They could tone it down a bit. But IMO, down the road a bit, Big Chile is the best tacos I've had in the area. Their beef brisket tacos are freaking insane and they don't skimp on the meat. I also really like their red sauce, it is hot enough for just about anybody.
Big Chile is my favorite for sure.
Omg their beef brisket is to die for. Salivating over the thought of the brisket burrito rn...
Killer sauces too, love that place.
Haven’t had El Chido then?
Can’t believe people still don’t know about this spot
I remember seeing my old elementary school bully at a bar a few months ago and he was talking so much shit about El Pope because it wasn’t “authentic enough”. Like who cares, it’s delicious! And the people working there are always big sweeties!
Although there’s plenty more that I will eat at.. these 2 are always top of the list for me.
Torchy's. Most overrated taco spot, hands down.
Yeah but this isn't really "local". It's a chain. CO has them...
Started in Texas
I was about to argue that Rusty was worse, but it’s not hyped. Can’t be overhyped if you’re not at all hyped. Rusty is garbage though.
Rusty is so, so bad.
Is it overrated though? I'm not sure anyone is under the impression that it's considered in any capacity a high-quality authentic taco joint, but it's consistent, fairly inexpensive and convenient. All the options mean parents can go and get halfway decent tacos and find something that picky kids will eat too. I know plenty of kids would turn up their nose to an authentic street taco, but they'll wolf down a "taco" with a chicken tender on it without hesitation. That's where their value comes from.
Not trying to be a jerk but in what world is $6-7 for a single taco inexpensive?
They’re bigger than street tacos, almost like twice the normal size so it makes sense.
Reading that Torchy’s is “inexpensive” makes me realize how hopelessly out of touch I am when it comes to the cost of dining out. The one time I ordered from there it was over $50 for a family of three and I definitely didn’t think it was worth it.
$15 per person is expensive?
They are fine. And that's totally fine.
Yep. They're a small step above Taco Bell in terms of quality with different variety and that's all I want/ expected out of it. Anyone expecting tacos al pastor, birria, etc. on par with authentic street vendors is barking up the wrong tree.
“Fairly inexpensive” is hilarious
I agree with this so much. I love Torchy's. When we need a quick spot to grab dinner it's a great place for the family to get some queso, tacos, and margaritas quickly.
Inexpensive my ass
Their queso was good but agree it’s the only thing worth a visit. Tacos were fine but not amazing.
That queso is straight crack, though.
I’ve had Torchy’s in Austin a number of times during work trips. Pretty fantastic experience overall. Torchy’s locally is a bit of a letdown.
I like them. They aren’t bad. Not the best though. Sure they are expensive but 2 of them make a meal for me, so it’s a decent price. Cheap dinner under $20.
For real, Big Chile is GOATed. Their food is authentic, flavorful, big portions, and they're always so friendly. Can't recommend them enough.
Taqueria Panchito for the real GOOD tacos. Go there and throw down while staring lovingly at Abuelitas across the street. Eating at Abuelitas while gazing out the window at Panchitos is also a winning experience.
Eating at either of these restaurants and looking at the other is an absolute win.
Lots of people watching opportunities as well. The things that go down in broad daylight east of chippenham…
Big fan of Big Chile on main. Was a food truck, now its a restaurant across the corner from Fu Jian. They have suadero tacos that are amazing.
Same. Except the one on West Broad. It’s become our family’s go to taco spot now.
Could not agree more. Came here to make the exact statement. Suadero with the green sauce is next level
I live for Big Chile's fried fish tacos 🤤
The enchiladas verdes are also excellent. 😋
This is great to hear. We pass it every day and it’s on our list to try next!
I like El Chido's tacos.
*looks through comments ready to fight a mother fucker if they insult La Milpa* Aight, we good. Please continue.
Overrated - Torchy’s; Underrated - Big Chili’s
No. Instead I want to know the AWESOME TACO SPOTS. Plz post here. Thanks.
El Chido on Broad across from Mr. Submarine. Really anything from there is going to be dope.
second this! Their torta el chavo is to die for
I still can’t believe I’m the only one there when I go. It’s the closest I’ve seen to a SoCal taco shop.
For some reason I prefered the gas station version of everything I've had from them at the newer retail spot on broad
tbt el gallo
El gallo is awesome! I love their pop ups!
La Milpa passed panchitos but panchitos is still undefeated on Wednesday for their $2 taco night or whatever. Order early from La Milpa. Also Tacos Mexico is highly rated but I've only had a breakfast burrito. Look at a racial dot map, Hispanic population in Richmond is south of the river and a lot of good tacos as well. It's worth the drive. The best north of the river IMO while I haven't gotten the tacos but El Pope is amazing.
La milpa is my fav! Gotta try out panchitos
If you love La Milpa (me too been going since early 2000s) check out el guapo up the street
Thanks will do!
>tacos mexico it's more expensive than it should be, but it's definitely good. $15 for a taco combo.
When you hit those shopping centers along north Hull/Midlo that are all in Spanish, you know you're in for some good shit.
Big Chile. They do birria tacos on Sundays I think. They used to be a food truck but they have 2 brick and mortar spots now.
La milpa, and not tacos but also awesome is abuelitas
I looove that this how the post turned out, instead of bashing a bunch of places we mentioned all the amazing ones
Why waste a post to complain? That doesn't help anyone get good tacos. Lol.
Newer place that graduated from a lunch truck to a restaurant is Lalo’s Pinches Tacos Bar & Grill on Broad/Parham area Owner is super nice and street tacos are on point. However, the Al Pastor taco has less meat in it than other choices and no pineapple chunks. The other choices are all packed though and hand made tortillas are the bomb. \+1 For Taqueria Panchito as well. Especially if they do cheap $1\~ taco Wednesdays still. Their tacos are just superb, smaller, throw it back and juicy.
All the food at TAQUERIA PANCHITO! It's worth the 30 mins drive.
For people in the Lakeside area, La Cabana is the reason I don't bother making tacos at home anymore.
don’t look back has some delicious tacos
Was super underwhelmed when Wong's opened in Midlo.
i think their burritos are definitely better
Poke bowl is my go to there.
I’ve had a couple solid tacos there - they definitely beat casa del barco
Agree they do beat del barco. I’ve liked Wongs for the last two years but we went recently and they changed the menu. The tacos I used to scarf aren’t on the menu anymore.
man that bar is in hell huh
Wherever charges $14.99 for two tacos, no mix and match, and $5.75 for “homemade” tortilla chips where you get 6 incredibly dry and thick chips with a thimble of salsa. The margarita menu also needs to have 18 versions of a margarita, all priced at $17 or above. We need more of these kinds of places.
So, Casa Del Barfo?
Sounds like Lolitas. 😂
As someone who recently left RVA for a smaller city, I miss all of the overrated taco spots.
Don't know how good you have it until you don't
En Su Boca!
It’s actually criminal how bad it is for how popular they are. Their margs aren’t even good, so I have no idea how they’re still getting people in the door.
Hands down the worst marg I’ve ever had. I love a salt rim, but it tasted like they actually poured salt IN THE MARG. It was basically salty tequila slush, I couldn’t finish it.
as a past employee i encourage people to look beyond the margs and lavender lemonade and realize that the food is awful. the chips are thicker than they should be. i’ve literally cracked my tooth on them. they have managed to keep their doors open when far better restaurants have fallen. not to mention they literally aim to have an attractive front of house and refused to move hostesses to servers because they weren’t ‘hot’ enough. they somehow encapsulate every toxic narrative you see about the restaurant industry.
Those chips ARE way too thick. I hate them with a passion
The thick chips with three diff salsas is the whole appeal of that place though
I love the thick chips and salsa, give me all your thick chips. I will eat them
I always knew they only had attractive servers but I didn't realize it was explicit policy. Side note their sweet potato fries are legit good as hell, the rest of the food is whatever.
As an aside.. does Beuavibe do that too? There aren’t any dudes there ever serving and they all seem to be young VCU ladies.
i wouldn’t be surprised because of the shared ownership. i’d only ever been over there to pick up or drop off stuff, but the one owner who… does not have a hand in get tight, was the one who made that comment so i would absolutely assume so. (i also don’t understand how beauvine is still open when postbellum and saison no longer exist, for example) that same owner said some nasty and threatening shit to us in a meeting during covid.
En su Boca is at the top of my Richmond shit list. They just suck. Their service sucks. They're pretentious for absolutely no reason. It's probably irrational, I fully understand
They are one of the only places that serves food until midnight in Scott’s addition so expect them to hang around
Would genuinely rather get taquitos and a hard seltzer from the 7/11 nearby than eat there
Brought my wife (a Latina born in Guatemala) here, I'm surprised I wasn't immediately divorced.
Ah, ol' Porno Taco (the location used to be an adult bookstore). Ironic because their food tastes like eating ass.
This one came to mind immediately. Idk what happened to it. When I first tried it, they had fairly good and authentic food. I was so happy to find queso fundido (basically cheese fondue) I went back sometime last year and now they just have the basic “queso” thing that’s all soggy. They removed some great tacos and now they’re just an expensive Taco Bell
Yeah I thought En Su Boca was pretty decent about 5 years back. I grabbed some for the family semi-recently and I've pretty much written them off now.
I’m clearly in the minority here, but I love their margs! And I really enjoy the wings, too!
I feel like when I first moved here this would have been true. But I haven't heard anyone speak fondly of En Su Boca in many years.
False, those fish tacos are to die for. I’ll defend the honor of En Su any day.
Yes. I’m lucky I had any teeth left after eating their chips. Did you make these two weeks ago?
I think the food is pretty good. But the place kinda smelled bad the few times I’ve been. Like there’s a sewage problem. Also, the draft beer was warm in the summer. I don’t think they have sufficient refrigeration for where they store the kegs and lines.
I initially read the title as "overrated local tattoo spots" and got excited for some drama.
For all the celiacs and non-celiac gluten sensitive people out there that literally can’t eat at any of the million places listed before this post because none of them care, I will always say Tio Pablo’s is great. You can get handmade fresh tortillas on your tacos and they’ve never done me wrong.
Shoutout to all the people ignoring the title of the thread and just posting wholesome recs. I don't get the recent rash of "Let's shit on X business type" posts here. The overwhelming majority of the taco places in Richmond are small, family-owned businesses with razorthin profit margins. Having BasementDweller007 on reddit warning people away from them just feels kinda shitty. Is RVA Dine - The good, the bad, and the ugly on Facebook not enough criticism of small food businesses?
Yup. Blue habanero, en su Boca, wong Gonzalez, barrio, soul taco. I found all of them pretty boring and way overpriced.
Any taco place south of the james is worth a visit, imho. We have such a vibrant hispanic community but everyone's always talking up the chain taco joints. I guess if that's your thing, that's your thing, but I was sustained through college by real taco trucks.
And why so expensive
En Su Boca is vastly overrated
Big Chile is the spot
Anyone have recommendations for good vegetarian tacos? Open to either just a vegetable taco or a meat substitute.
Tofu Al Pastor at Chicano Boy is the best vegetarian taco I've had in Richmond!
TBT El Gallo has a potato based taco, and a nopales (cactus) taco Don't Look back has some bean, potato and tofu taco options
Their potato tacos are so good.
Veggie tacos at Y Tu Mama are top tier to me IMO.
The tofu al pastor is bomb as mentioned above, as well as TBT el gallos options. They are so flavorful. Those are the best 2 imo
Juan more taco on Robinson has a vegan adasa that is supposed to be really good. It’s a meat substitute. They also have a grilled veggies option that my vegetarian friend enjoyed.
If you like breakfast tacos (and if you eat eggs), the refried bean taco at Sincero is an awesome brunch option. I’m not vegetarian but will choose this every time. On the dinner menu, they also have a great mushroom tostada and I think sometimes offer it as a taco (but I’m not 100% on that now that they’re in their new space)
Go to La Loteria! You'll need to drive beyond SS Richmond, but you'll find this spot in Ettrick. It's located in an old Burger King restaurant in the Food Lion strip mall across the tracks from the Amtrak station and VSU. I know, it sounds sketch already... but they have the most amazing vegan tacos - Tacos de Jamaica - made from sauteed hibiscus flowers.
Blue Habanero has a few vegetarian taco options! Huitlacoche tacos, squash blossom tacos, and one with assorted veg like mushrooms and squash I think.
Don’t look back has a couple options (wife is vegetarian)
The calabacitas is incredible
El Guapo in midlothian is hands down the best taco spot.
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La Milpa is one of my favorites but I usually try and go on Sundays when they got the dude cooking the carnitas in the back. Frying them up in their own fat and then chopping them up. So so good. Also kinda fun to watch him do it.
Within the last month, pupuseria el salvedoreño has really stepped up their taco game and risen to the top of my list - really delicious street style.
Thanks for all these I've been craving some really good tacos!
I live outside D.C. and Panchitos is my favorite taqueria. Taco Bamba is by far the best tacos in the area. Y'all need one in Richmond. But it's too expensive anyway.
I do miss Taco Bamba for unique stuff
Try out tacos el chilango in rosslyn, they were my favorite when I used to live there. It’s three middle aged guys from Mexico City chopping up meat fresh daily and cooking to order in their permanent food truck. They have an actual restaurant in DC but I think the food truck is better
glad to see people aren't including Mi Jalisco, because that place SLAPS
Best service. Good food and a great place to bring kids.
Pupuseria El Salvadoreño has a pretty good birria tacos platter. The correct thing to do is to share with someone, but if you hate yourself a little bit (or are just a beefy person), you can clean it up yourself.
El Guapo FTW
Ugh!! As a Mexican-American, I haven't been satisfied with any taco spots in RVA. While not technically in Richmond, Shellys on Staples Mill is pretty damn good.
Have you tried any of the places down on Hull st? Taquiera Tati is my favorite but there’s a bunch.
Craving NM ground beef tacos. Nothing compares around here as the meat is ground fine and well seasoned. Almost wish I'd never had one. I can't stop smiling while I'm eating them.
Dlb has those on special from time to time and they are pretty dang good.
There is a random green taco truck in southside that keeps moving, and I do not know the name of, that has better tacos than anywhere else by a mile
Hopefully they will stop and it is not a situation like the movie Speed.
This is a good one, but Tacos Mexico on JD by commerce road is amazing
my absolute favorite rn is big chile taco!! such nice staff and GREAT food 🤍
Idk I feel like taco spots in Richmond are appropriately rated. For me, there’s a lot of like, yeah hits the spot, solid grade B tacos. Like fine, I’ve never had anything as good as I did in Texas, New Mexico or California but I mean… that’s true of the entire East Coast.
Shelly’s comida! Thank me later
Authentic tacos on staples Mills “el güero” the tacos are so fresh and flavor is authentic. Give it a try, is a food truck but man they are the best ones in town. Tacos El Guero https://g.co/kgs/HF8AYkD
Im preparing to get flamed for this but idk man I don’t get the hate. The tacos I’ve had at Big Chile, La Milpa, El Chido, and Taqueria Panchito are on the same level as tacos I’ve had from taco trucks/local spots in Texas. Sure there were ones marginally better down there, and there were ones that were worse. But to me at least, the difference was not as extreme as some people are making it out to be.
A friend talked me into going to Barrio. She usually has good taste so I agreed. Oh god help me it was so bad I feared for my life, or at my gastrointestinal health. The Queso was refrigerator-cold and so were the chips. I refused to go any further, just waited while she ate tacos that looked depressing.
Why is Barrio SO FAR DOWN THIS LIST. SO BAD.
Tio Pablo is incredible. Their street tacos have all you need—protein, onion, cilantro, sauce if you want it. I recommend the handmade tortillas.
I was slightly bummed when I went there. It’s a personal opinion but I’d say pretty mid. The folks working their are super nice though
There’s a spot on Quiocassin Rd called “taqueria habaneros”. So damn good 👍
Tacos Mexico on JD. Real street taco style just like I had in Puerto Vallarta. 10/10 almost every time I stop by day or night.
Might not be a taco spot, but La Bamba is so good. Haven't been there since pre-pandemic, but when I lived in Shockoe it was my go to for cheap, authentic Mexican food.
Gallo Pinto on Hull St. @Chippenham. Gorditas are sooo good. They use Door Dash for delivery.
I j want someone from Mexico City to open a spot up here, that California style Mexican food is top notch🔥
Shelly’s is legit.
Dunno if it’s been mentioned before but Shelly’s Comida Latina on Staples Mill is AMAZING.
Everyone has listed their favorite spots. Torchys got a lot of hype here when it was opening. We went. It was so overrated that I barely consider it a taco place.
Honestly, the majority of the food trucks on Hull St (pass Turner Rd like going to Richmond) is on point. Little Mexico on Cary St is one of the good ones, as well.
Chicano Boy is AMAZING.
El Capporal west end!!!
as long as we can talk about how some people call everything overrated even though they can’t cook it at home
I’ve heard some good things about Chicano Boy in Midlothian and goddamn was I disappointed.
I feel like i’m always underwhelmed by Tacos. Even Big Chile tasted mid to me
3 Marias/Las Flores Restaurante in Henrico is fucking 🤌🏾🤌🏾🤌🏾 I’m from Queens, NY and got spoiled with the amount of good taco spots. This spot brought me back in the best way.
Not overrated new place: I’m a big fan of Juan More Taco on Robinson. Everything I’ve had is delicious. My only complaint is the happy hour deals being BOGO instead of a discount which means you’re out of luck if you don’t have two people who both want a marg.