Condado

LOVE Condado and I am so happy another one is opening up @ Columbus Commons. This place is always so packed on the weekends, but I’ve always had a good experience as far as service goes. You honestly cannot beat the happy hour prices. Half off most margs, and a dollar off tacos in the bar area… Cannot beat that price considering the tacos aren’t expensive to begin with! My favorite thing to do is just sit at the bar and have a couple margaritas and tacos and it’s always cheap and delicious! Highly recommend the pulled pork, beef brisket, and chicken. Also, last time I was here (last week actually) it was a packed Friday during happy hour… went to the bar and even though bar was completely packed the bartender still made eye contact and took my drink order very quickly. A marg + a Modelo was around 6 bucks.
I definitely tell all my friends about Condado and have turned a lot of them into fellow Condado lovers too.

Ohh, this place is practically food porn. Delicious queso, delicious pickled vegetables, great beer selection and always great food. It is hard to get any server’s attention for long since it’s always busy, but it’s always quality.

Definitely the best taco place in Columbus, Ohio. This comes from a guy who has eaten a LOT of tacos around for a long time. Specifically, the brisket tacos. Insanely delicious; one of the most delicious things I have had in a while. Also, great atmosphere and best prices around the Short North. Very nice and friendly staff.

Awesome place! Local owner where you can make your own tacos. If you don’t like your taco don’t blame anyone but your self, your the one that made it. Here you become the chef! Great beer menu as well. Summit Pilsener is great with any taco.

This place kicked ass! Was definitely out of my boyfriend and I’s comfort zone, but in a good way. The food was awesome, especially the nachos. Only down side is the music was so loud I could hardly hear myself talk. Other than that, I will definitely be coming back for seconds!

If you like beer, this is the place for you. Their beer menu is so extensive! The waiter let me sample a cider I was about to order and I ended up not loving the sample so chose a different cider and absolutely loved it. I don’t know the name of it but it tasted like orange juice which was really cool.
We got nachos and I ordered queso too. The queso had a jalepeno and paprika in it.
It was a great fun atmosphere and I appreciate that they stay open til 2am.
Our server was really nice too.

We seated ourselves because there was a sign to do so. Waited for 17min and got approached by no body or even greeted. The place was not super busy so there was no excuse.
Finally my boyfriend had to go to the bar to place our orders and get water for the both of us.
Horrible service! But good food.

I loved this place!!!
Build your own tacos (at $ 3 each) and a large variety of Mexican Beers/Tequilas…count me in!
The venue is pretty large and like most things in the Short North, parking is limited to the street. The staff is super friendly and very attentive.
I saw food pictures here on Unilocal and it made me want to visit because it looked so good. I ended up ordering a Sweet Lucy, Chorizo, Cilantro, Middlefield Smoked Cheddar & Salsa Verde [my Faveeeeeeeeee!!!] and a Hard Shell, Lettuce, Tomato, Corn Salsa. Either way, I will be back for more.
Needless to say, I will make special trips for this place! VAYA CON TACOS!

So I finally decided to try this place out yesterday in honor of Taco Tuesday. Let me tell you, it was nothing short of amazing. My friend and I started off with the Elote Queso Dip which was awesome! I decided to make my own taco instead of trying one of the suggested tacos… I tried the steak «double decker» type taco… Oh my gaaawwwwdddddd!!! It was soooo good. So good that I’m going back again tonight. The house margarita definitely had me feeling right.

Great Tacos. Great Margaritas. Great Prices.
One thing I appreciate about this restaurant is the amount of options they give you for drinks and food. Endless options for endless visits!
Drinks: Happy hour is half off most drinks.
The house margarita is wonderful — all on the rocks which I appreciate. They have like 10 different flavors which are amazing. Their mojito, the Calo, which they substitute tequila for rum, is amazing — Mint, lime, tequila — not too sweet and so fresh.
Food:
Queso — different types to try! They’re great. The chorizo queso is one of my faves.
Salsas — again, they have lots of options. And their chips are so good!
Tacos — this is really where the gold is here. They are make your own tacos, and they have some they have as staples as well. It’s all fill in the bubble and then they make them for you.
Atmosphere: It’s a busy place now. They have specific areas for their happy hour — half off many drinks and a dollar off tacos! The service is okay — it can be hit or miss sometimes.

Since I first went to condado about a year ago, they have improved upon a lot of things. First, they started making their own tortilla chips. The first time I tried them I was so happy just to have a fresh chip, however the next few times I had them i realized they were drenched in oil and overcooked, like they were too crispy and too hard. It can’t really be that hard to make a chip, right? They also have a pretty good happy hour so we have hit that up fairly often throughout the last year. We fell in love with the portabella tacos because of their great taste, but that didn’t last long.
Recently we went again, having fully accepted it into our happy hour repertoire and believing that the mistakes were in the past, but we were wrong. The portabellas are now sour and soggy and just a little «off». The seasonal guacamole was $ 8 and was marketed as «roasted poblano guacamole». In reality it is regular, overworked, acidic guacamole that tastes nothing like fresh avocado, with a teaspoon of poblano sauce (?) on top. We wanted to eat it because it was expensive (although the price wasn’t on the menu so we didn’t realize just HOW expensive) but every time we ate some we grimaced because of the overly fake taste. Another thing we noticed is that they just stopped putting salt on their margaritas. They don’t ask, they just don’t give you salt. They’ve apparently made the decision for you. Weird because it’s a margarita joint. Must be laziness.
Basically I had really hoped and believed condado had gotten past its early flaws but it seems to be regressing into some pretty amateur mistakes as it hits year one. Just don’t get the million dollar guacamole disappointment and don’t expect fast or courteous service and you’ll be overall satisfied.

Wifey loves this place. Their queso is really good, especially when loaded up with goodies. They have a «make your own» and a selection of Pre-​designed tacos. We tried a few of their combinations and realized that ours were better. I love that they have a protein of the day and a cheese of the day. Their staff are always helpful. The décor is fun and everything comes out pretty quickly.

Clearly have their bases covered with great tacos, great atmosphere, and great service!
I hadn’t checked out Condado before moving dangerously close-​by, and that was a shame. Condado truly excels in every area. Their draft list changes quite rapidly and always has unique options. Margaritas are solid, especially the Caló, which tones down the sweetness similar to a mojito. It helps that they’re half off during happy hour too! If tequila or whiskey is your libation of choice, enjoy the extensive selection with a sassy introduction to ordering tequila featured on the menu.
Their queso elote with a corn salsa on top is non-​negotiable, unless they have a more intriguing specialty queso or guac. Although you can make your own tacos, their specialty taco selection is stellar, with a heavy focus on vegetarian options not always seen with taco lists. The bartenders and servers are always happy to help with decisions or in navigating the order system (so many papers, especially with brunch!). The patio is spacious and gorgeous, but certainly not the only reason to relax here since the interior is very artful. Overall, it’s clear they have their act together, making it the perfect choice for weekly happy hours, large group dinners, or a fun take on brunch!

I love tacos, possibly more than any other type of food. So when this place opened up I was really excited! We have a friend who’s uncle is the owner so we got to go to the soft opening which was really cool. I’ve been back a couple times since then as well.
The décor is really funky and cool. It reminds me of Day of the Dead with all the skeletons and religious candles. Definitely a fun place to hang out. There are always a ton of people there and the outside patio is huge!
I am not a big Margs fan but I do love Sangria. I’ll give their Sangria 5 stars. its awfully tasty :) Also, all of their guacs are amazing! I really enjoyed the one with pineapple, I think that one was the best.
Now it’s time for Taco Talk…
The way you order tacos here is really cool. You can either order their specials or they give you a nice long list of all different shells, meats, cheeses, veggies and sauces and you do a create your own. I have tried both the specials and my own concoctions and both are pretty good! I can’t say the tacos were a mind blowing experience but they were definitely something I would come back for. My only issue is their sauces are not spicy :(I even ordered the Ghost Pepper sauce which is supposed to be the hottest. It had great flavor but the heat just wasn’t there. I think the hot sauce selection could use some work on the heat but the flavor is spot on.
If you are in the area and haven’t tried Condado yet it’s worth a stop. Just be aware that this place gets packed so if you don’t want to wait for a table go earlier or later to avoid the happy hour and dinner rush.

What!?! I just found the best taco in Columbus. The good news is you can have one too.
The vibe is super cool and welcoming. They have a taco/​nacho order slip that you can fill out yourself. The combinations are endless!
Let’s talks about the bar. The margaritas are tasty and they have an impressive tequila selection. The bloody Mary’s are A+. We sat at the bar and had amazing conversations with the bar tender and owner.
I get my hair cut at cut ‘n blow across the street and can’t think of a better day. Great haircut followed by amazing tacos.
Salud!

Im a fan of this place. My lady is obsessed with tacos so we frequent condado a lot and it never disappoints. I usually go for the «make your own» tacos and get the juicy lucy shell for an extra dollar. Very worth it. Two tacos is plenty of food to leave you stuffed here, so i usually tru to make two very different tacos and i am always very impressed with how fresh and delicious they are!
The time to go is happy hour where you can get cheap margaritas and tacos. However, the flavored margaritas arent discounted and the peach habenaro flavor is unreal. Very tastey marg with a good burn at the end. Cant beat it!
Start with the bacon guacamole and have a great time!

Well well well… Condado is very much so the evil twin of Barrio up in Cleveland. Same concept, but more expensive in my opinion. Granted, I do have to admit I haven’t gone to a happy hour here and that does seem awesome. I ended up doing a build-​your-​own taco approach for one, and a preset signature taco for another. Both were delicious. However, my biggest issue with places where you get to create-​your-​own is that I always put too much on. I just can’t exclude anything! So don’t be like me in that aspect. Pick your favorite base and add items that compliment it!
I must admit though that my favorite part of the meal was when we first arrived, drank some margs, took some shots, and just inhaled some chips with guacamole, salsa, and queso dip. Yummmmmmm. When did this in the outdoor seating. So, I advise to sit outside on the back porch if it’s an option. Very nice, with a fence that blocks off ugly alley way sights.

Condado is pretty great. That doesn’t mean that there are never hiccups. But by and large my Condado experiences have been positive.
First, it’s just plain fun. The variety of toppings and the ability to mix and match at will is great. It has resulted in some winning combinations. There would be no way to list every such combination on a regular menu. The menu would have to be massive! These are not authentic tacos, nor are they trying to be. And that’s totally ok.
Second, it’s a pretty good deal. The tacos (if properly assembled) are large and worth the $ 3 base price. It’s an even better deal if you get them at discounted pricing during happy hour or other such events.
Finally, the drink options are great. They have a good beer list and tons of options for margaritas. Like the tacos, the margaritas aren’t going for the purist approach. Instead they’re fun and different. I particularly like the sweet/​spicy rim that’s available.
There are some misses:
— the beer is served in mason jars. This is a trend I’m ready to see end. Just a regular glass please!
— It’s possible to put together bad taco combinations if you’re not careful. This is the downside to so much menu freedom. My suggestion is to limit yourself to one topping from each category. A lot of the toppings are cold, so if you load up too much then it could detract from the overall experience.
— It can get pretty noisy at times, so not necessarily the place for an intimate conversation.
— You can find only order two different tacos per order sheet. If you want more than that another one is required. They should be able to fit at least three on a sheet. It would save them money AND paper.
All that said, I’ll reiterate: Condado is pretty great. If you’re looking for a fun place for dinner you could do much worse.

Yep, the hype is real. This taco joint is so freaking delicious! My friend and I sauntered in here on a Friday night and had a relatively short 15-​minute wait. Upon being seated, however, no one came to greet us for another solid 15 minutes. Annoying. I was kind of prepared to use the scantron-​like sheet to start «designing» my tacos, but my friend, who had not read any reviews (and came based on my recommendation), was confused to say the least. Suggestion: it would be nice if the hosts explained the concept to patrons while they are waiting for a table or if the servers could initially stop by once diners are seated so that they are fully prepared.
In any case, our server finally came and we ordered a pitcher of the regular margarita, pineapple guacamole, and two tacos each (one chorizo and one tofu for me and one tofu and one mushroom for my friend). We both opted for the soft tortilla + hard shell variation (veggie and meat options available). Since the combinations are endless, here are just a few tasting notes:
— the food comes out super fast, which is awesome if you’re dying of hunger
— pineapple anything (salsa or guac) over here is tasty
— I love that the menu items are garlicky; for example, the guac has a pleasant amount of it to make it very delicious
— get at least one soft tortilla + hard shell combo; great texture
— restrain yourself on fillings. I went overboard and had to take a taco home (though it reheated beautifully in the oven and was delicious with an egg for breakfast)
— the veggie options are delightful. I was really fond of the tofu and my friend proclaimed that the mushroom was even better than the tofu
— the margs are just ok. I’m getting a beer next time

I had an interesting first experience here which I will get to in a moment.
The tacos are good, nice flavour, house made salsas etc all on par with what I would hope to find in such a place. I love the house made chip side options. SO many salsas and queso style dips. I also very much enjoyed the fact they had a ghost pepper salsa. my kinda people!
You know what is better than their tacos though? Their Brunch! I honestly feel as much as I enjoyed dinner there the brunch menu just grabs my attention more. Take more traditional brunch/​breakfast foods and add a Mexican style twist to it. Of course they also have tacos at brunch but with breakfast meats mmmmm.
So my first experience.
Take note they keep house salasa on the tables but (at the time at least) they put it in a larger ketchup style container with the pointed tip. This would work for a hot sauce of sorts with no chunks or. ketchup, mustard etc. Well after having a few pints at North High Brewing and a few margaritas here I did not have the good sense to just unscrew the top of this bottle to get the savory salsa in side. No. I kept squeezing even though the salsa wasn’t coming out. After a few tries I decided to harness the Power of Grayskull and give it one last attempt… sigh… this resulted in shooting contents of the bottle all over the table and floor. I got my salsa alright but made a mess of it. The waitress was very nice about it but still I felt awful.