Pop Tacos

I get lunch at Pop Tacos during work sometimes and I always get the special bowl with chicken and I love it spicy. There are so many different textures and flavors and it’s super tasty. It consists of noodles, rice, lettuce, protein, I get corn added, sesame oil, Sriracha type sauce and other veggies. It’s pretty big ($ 9) and you’ll definitely have some for later. The service is excellent and the couple that runs it is so nice. I highly recommend.

Their new bowl is amazing! I’ve been a few times for lunch, as I work a short walk away. A coworker got the new bowl a few weeks ago so I had to give it a try, and boy did it not disappoint. For $ 9 you can’t beat it! It’s so much food, and it’s delicious.
I’ve also had their burritos which are huge! If you can eat one in one sitting, you’re done for the day!

This place is amazing. I get the chicken soft tacos. It’s like Chipotle except you are not worried about getting gipped on the chicken and toppings. These things are loaded. The homemade hot salsa is delicious and the staff are incredibly friendly as well. Highly recommend.

I go for the made to order salads at Pop Tacos but have tried their burritos and burrito bowls as well. All were delicious and Chipotle-​size massive. I love that (if you choose your ingredients wisely) you can walk away with a heart-​healthy, nutritious lunch. And I love that the owners remember regular customers and know that I like extra cilantro!
Everything, from the grilled meats to the guacamole, is fresh and made in-​house. I gave 4stars because one of the salsas is unexpectedly sweet — if that’s not to your taste it could ruin your meal. But the owners and staff are absolutely wonderful — just ask them which salsa is sweet!

This comes after roaming around the market for lunch. The guy in front of us raved about it being ten times better than chipotle (incorrect) My boyfriend and I got half way through our burritos and realized we were both feeling nauseated. Mind you our visit was at high noon, prime lunch time. Thinking back the Red flags: fried fish was microwaved, steak was being warmed in what looked like a week old container of steak on the grill. The burrito had a sweet taste which I thought was my salsa. Turns out his was sweetened too? A more investigative taste test turns out it did taste a tad fermented. Smh. We are both hugging our stomachs right now. Regret regret regret.
The staff was so kind — but that doesn’t make up for what feels like food poisoning. Ugh.

Honestly I am just not really a fan. I appreciate that it is a small business compared to chipotle and maybe part of this is just how gross cross street market is in general, but the place just doesn’t seem that sanitary and the food was just ok.

This unassuming Cross Street Market taco vendor makes some really good stuff. Sautéd peppers and onions for every taco, and an interesting bulgolgi-​ish carnitas flavor. The vegetables/​salsas are all fresh, and fair portion sizes for the price. It can be a tad greasy for my liking, but overall a great joint.

So this is one of many stands located in the Cross Street Market. And while there are a A LOT of options I haven’t yet tried in the market, I have been back to Pop Tacos a number of times.
It’s basically a very Chipotle-​esque experience… except waaaaaay better. I’ve read good things about all the meats, but in all my trips I ALWAYS get the spicy pork burrito. I’m usually one to try a lot of new things, and to definitely shop around the menu… but I have a craving for that tasty spicy pork, and the craving always wins.
Like many burrito/​station style mexican places, you pick your meat, additional toppings, etc etc. But for some reason, these burritos are so much better than the other places. The spicy pork has just enough asian flavor while still bringing that south of the border deliciousness. I always ask them to go light on rice and beans, and then get pretty much every other ingredient (including freshly grilled green onions… like put in a pan with oil and sautéed right NOW kind of freshly grilled). My recipe includes: rice, black beans, spicy pork, cheese, guacamole, spicy green salsa (not very spicy), corn, lettuce, sour cream, and tomatoes.
These burritos come out huge… my co-​workers were kind of appalled. Oh well, I ate it slowly with a knife and fork to try and save face… but I ate the whole thing… and I’ll always eat the whole thing.
You should go to Pop Tacos. You should order the burrito I described above. You should eat the whole thing… it’s worth it, especially for $ 9.
Also, the people that work here are wicked friendly.

Located in X street market, this is oddly one of the few real food places left (why are half the stalls for rent cross street market!!!). An old, pre-​kid haunt we’ve been back more and more since the last renovation.
The chicken tacos are good, though when we were there today, they only had soft tacos. The three tacos were stuffed full with rice, beans, cheese, sauce, guac, and lettuce and tomato (I held the sour cream); the sauces were great. We also got the chips &guac side. The chips were super salty and the guac was an unusual puréed/​smooth texture with a lighter color and large pieces of cilantro– not sure what was going on but it was decent. Both for roughly $ 14. I would come again for the tacos, maybe not the side.

I love Unilocal because you guys never let me down. my mom lives in Fed Hill plus I work close by so I frequent Cross st Market often. all the times ive wondered about starving but not sure what to get and ended up settling for a pretzel and strawberry lemonade came to mind as soon as I bit into my first of three tacos. after being sold on the legitimacy of Pop’s from the chicken taco, I began to try the chips with hot salsa. thank goodness my mom wasnt home because id have had to smack her. after I came to an hr or so later id explain that I just had some salsa that good. she’d have to understand. my second taco was the steak taco. omg. sweet baby ray that was a flavor taco. the meat was very tender and the flavors threw their own party all over my palate. quite amazing. their tacos arent small by any means. well worth the $ 8.69+ tax. I couldnt eat the third taco until later that evening. not sure if I was hungry or tired of the anticipation of my first ever fish taco but I have not yet learned the words that will accurately explain the emotions I felt from eating that tacos. the closest things I can think of is «euphoric» and «food sex!!» treat urself. asap.
staff was super nice, to point it felt like that is just how they are even outside of work. great experience. first time was yesterday and im getting my game time snack from there omw home. #RAVENSNATION

The only place I know of that sells blackened fish tacos and burritos! Very big portions, great prices, and food is always cooked fresh. They also offer an amazing korean soup that really warms you up in the colder seasons.

Chipotle can learn a thing or three here. I had the spicy pork burrito. It was flavorful and perfectly spiced. This burrito was huge, filled with different fresh made salsas, cheese, beans, peppers and onions, and perfectly cooked rice (I HATE over cooked rice). The best part, though, is the burrito was basically the same price as the chain. If you are in fed hill this is the place for burritos, not that chain on Fort.

This stand is located inside Cross Street Market. The model is similar to Chipotle. You can choose what you want — 3 tacos, burrito bowl, burrito, quesadilla, or salad. Then choose your meat — chicken, fish, steak, shrimp, vegetarian, or spicy pork. Then you tell them what else you want — corn, rice, salsa, guacamole, etc. I ordered the tacos, which are served in small flour tortillas. I was able to mix and match, so I got one fish, one steak, and one spicy pork. While by no means on par with authentic taco shacks, the food was pretty good. I would say it’s more Korean-​Mex fusion. I especially liked the fish and spicy pork. The spicy pork was Korean style and had a lot of heat to it. The tacos had a sweetness to it. I wasn’t sure if it was the salsa or the rice, but I attribute it to Asian kick of the place. Asians love adding sugar to everything. I paid around $ 8 for 3 tacos, which wasn’t bad, and by the time I finished the 2^nd taco, I was already plenty full. Friendly service, and they even have a seating area. I probably wouldn’t trek out of my way to come here, but if I were in the area looking for a quick lunch, I would definitely stop by.

I wish there were more places like this in Baltimore. An unique spin on traditional food. I think the quality is superior to Chipotle and the service is always friendly and efficient. The meats are marinated with a slightly sweet taste and cooked nicely. I like the burritos because the salsas they have are awesome and don’t charge extra for guac. The quesadillas are awesome too, and coupled with sauteed peppers and onions make it the best I’ve had.
Fed hill has a lot of food joints, but most are boring with crappy service and low quality ingredients. If it weren’t for Hersh’s and Pop Tacos, I’d never eat in Fed hill on purpose. Yeah, I’m a food snob. but so are you if you use Unilocal.Check it out, you won’t regret it.

Pop Tacos kind of out of nowhere in the Cross Street Market and appears unassuming. After one interaction with the incredibly sweet woman behind the counter and I was sold.
I ordered a fried fish burrito, and my boyfriend ordered a chicken burrito. I was told that my burrito would take a few more minutes than the chicken because the fish was being freshly fried — 100% okay with me.
The burritos were huge, incredibly flavorful, and packed full of rice/​beans/​peppers/​onions and light, flaky fried fish.
Not only was the food absolutely flavorful and satisfying, but the people at Pop Tacos were super friendly, nice, funny, and happy to be making such wonderful food for everyone to enjoy.

I first tried pop taco when my boyfriend ordered a steak bowl for himself. He let me try some and I could not stop eating it. I tried it for a second time and wasn’t as impressed because my rice was a little on the crunchy side. Not the whole thing, just a few bites. Guess they reached the bottom of the rice cooker? Still, it was pretty delicious. The rice is a little on the sweet side which makes for an interesting combination of flavors. Not necessarily bad, just different, which makes them stand out from places like Chipotle.
I like Pop Tacos for the convenience factor. It’s a lot closer to me than Chipotle and tastes just as good.

If you’ve never been to Pop Tacos, you need to change that. ASAP.
They make your tacos, burritos, etc. right in front of you with the freshest ingredients imaginable. Prices are fair and the portions are filling. If you find yourself in Federal Hill on a Saturday afternoon, make sure you stop by here for lunch. You won’t regret it.

As a Tex/​Mex lover this is an awesome burrito, its like a fresher Chipotle. I started coming here because the burrito bowl is gluten free and slow carb compliant, at a reasonable price. But the food isnt the only great thing here, the owner is very friendly, and she hooks up her regulars when she can!
Great spot for lunch or a quick dinner.

Pop Tacos, one of the many great finds nestled within Cross Street Market.
As you can probably tell from the name of this place, it is most definitely not an authentic taco place. This small stand inside the market is run by very friendly Korean owners who put a Korean twist to their tacos.
I tried the FISH taco as well as the SPICY PORK taco.
FISH: when you order the fish taco, they grill it fresh on the skillet. The fish has a really nice breading to it and the fish was cooked perfectly, tilapia maybe?
SPICY PORK: this is the kind of spicy marinated pork you find at a korean restaurant or grocery store. The pork is pre made in their own proprietary marinade. Not too spicy with a kick of sweetness – overall very good.
TOPPINGS: they are very generous with their toppings. If I had to compare the toppings to anything, it would be Chipotle… behind the counter where you can pick you toppings resembles the quality buritto ingredients you get at chipotle… rice, pinto or black beans, peppers and onions, corn, hot and mild sauce, shredded cheese, GUACamole (no extra charge), tomato salsa, and more. I asked for everything as I do at Chipotle.
Overall: if you like chipotle, which I do, you’ll like this place. Quality toppings and quality meat. Nice friendly Asian ppl.

Here is another review that I am typing from my desk as I’m chewing my food. Don’t worry, I’ve got the Clorox wet wipes ready to wipe my desk down after I’m done.
Situated INSIDE the actual Cross Street Market, Pop’s Tacos is about midway through the market. Outside of tacos, they also offer burritos, burrito bowls, quesadillas, soup and salad. With the exception of the soup, topping options are chicken (cheap), fish or steak (few cents higher), shrimp (about $ 1.50 higher) and vegetarian (few cents cheapest).
Since with the tacos you get 3 for the listed price of the premium topping, I decided to get one steak, one fish, one chicken. I was charged the fish/​steak price so I paid $ 7.65 for all three and requested lettuce, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, corn (on the chicken), little bit of guac & a heap of the house made green chili sauce.
My rating on taste? SPECk-​TACK-​U-​LERRRRRR. No that isn’t spelled right but phonetically that is what my mouth is saying right now. Being someone with an extremely sharp palate I will let you in on the secret: the meats/​fish batter are seasoned with a bit of sweetness so that when any of their spice sauces are added, the two combine producing quite a pleasing punch (or tickle if you’re into that sorta thing). If you’ve neglected the sauce, I can guarantee you will feel something is missing. It’s all in the sauce honeychile!
I will definitely be back, as I want to try the noodle soup that Nichole B spoke on. From the ingredient list (fried tofu, jalapenos, mushrooms & cilantro), it sounds like it will be a sure winner.