Rock ‘n’ Taco

You know I really did try… but after 5 visits it’s time to throw in the towel. After my first visit, the service did get better but it wasn’t consistent — from a great waitress who didn’t know how to use the cash register to one that was really slow but at least she took care of things. Two visits my order wasn’t right… it clearly wasn’t what the menu said it should be and another visit they were out of a lot of the side options which being a vegetarian makes things tough. And the most recent visit, they’ve kept the same lunch prices ($ 8 for fajitas and $ 6.50for 2 tacos and 2 sides) yet, their portion is clearly half of what it was. I’ve had hors d’oeuvres that were larger the two tacos that I got and my friend only got 5 pieces of chicken on a bed of bell peppers. Really? I tried. I really tried… it’s not you. it’s me… actually it may just be you.

I gave the star rating FOR food NOT the service.
I am aware this is somewhat a new establishment therefore I’m giving them sometime to improve. I visited Rock N Taco during a weeknight therefore it wasn’t rather crowded. The salsas which are served with your chips are pretty good. However, you can enjoy them if they kept the chip bowl full.
I ordered the fish tacos which were delicious. The tilapia was soft and warm. The toppings were crunchy and fresh. My friend had a salad which was rather delightful.
Now let’s talk about the alcoholic drinks. My friend and I ordered a drink called Pink… something. My friend asked if it was good. The server’s response was… many girls order it. Not the answer you should give to the guy who’s asking. I thought I was drinking syrup. I didn’t taste any alcohol. I won’t order any drinks here next time. I’ll stick to the food.
I was hesitant to visit this place since a few of my friends stated they visited the first week it opened and saw the bartender eating behind the bar. At the same time cutting limes for the drinks without washing his hands. As I mentioned before, they have time to improve. Management needs to crack the whip. You do want to make it for a while on McKinney Ave.
Skip ordering drinks and stick to the food.

I will reiterate again… horrible service!!! I just went for lunch today with a few work friends and thank goodness we had a
GC for $ 25 b/​c I would have felt totally cheated if I’d paid full price.
I got the Traditional Taco’s, steak, brisket and shrimp. The shrimp was really good, steak pretty good, and the brisket could’ve used a little more something. Not sure what…
But the service is the MAIN reason I will not be going back. Too bad b/​c it is a neat concept and great location.

Really terrible service. We went on a Saturday night around 8 and there were maybe 2 other tables there. (Maybe that should’ve been a hint?) We were a group of 8. It took about 20 minutes for our waiter to take our order, and another 30 minutes before he started bringing the food out. It was clear that most of the food was wrong, and when he was calling out the orders and no one responded, he got irritated with us! He said things like «well all the meats kind of look the same so I can’t tell exactly what this is» and «you have to remember what you ordered»! He argued with my friend for 5 minutes about whether the tacos he brought out to her were fajitas. Finally he had to go get the cook to tell him what each plate was.
As for the food, when we got it, it was okay. The margarita was good, not too sweet, but not very strong either, and definitely not worth the $ 8. But the starters were terrible! Usually I fill up on chips before the meal, but here the chips were right out of a bag, the salsa didn’t have much flavor, and one basket of chips had guacamole all over some of the chips, which led us to believe that they’re recycling the leftover chips from other tables. Ew.
When we were done, we waited for our check for another 30 minutes after I asked him to bring it. When he did, he wasn’t able to split it up for us, he split it into two checks. While we sat there, 2 different groups sat down for 20 minutes, no one took their orders, so they just left.
This place won’t be in business long.

AVOID! My husband and I went to have an early dinner at 3 pm on Saturday afternoon. The host handed our menus to us and told us to sit where ever. The place was not full by a long shot, so we assumed service would be pleasant. Instead, we were ignored for a long time. Three different waiters came to ask us what we wanted to drink but none of them brought us anything! Eventually, the bartender became our waiter even though we were sitting at a booth.
I became immediately disappointed when attempting to order because almost everything I tried to order was unavailable. There was no brisket («the cooks forgot to make it»), no grilled vegetables for a side, no churros for dessert, and eventually I’m told AFTER I ordered them that the roasted corn side was also unavailable. The waiter brought me rice I didn’t order and didn’t bother explaining why without my insistence that it was not what I ordered. Guess he thought I wouldn’t notice.
The waiter never wrote down our order and returned TWICE to confirm what we wanted. We ordered a large guacamole but received a small, we never received a refill on our beverages, the hot sauce was ice cold from the fridge, the guacamole container was flaming hot for some reason which made it taste weird (maybe the containers were switched?), and my tomato & cucumber salad had no tomatoes! Not even one!
Every time the cook rang the bell to let our waiter know our food was ready nothing happened. The food just sat there because our waiter was too busy flirting and serving drinks to ladies at the bar. Again, the place was not full at all. There was no reasonable explanation for why we were being neglected. When it came time to pay, we gave our credit card but never got it back. We had to stand at the bar and let the waiter know we wanted to leave. The entire experience took an hour and a half!
This place is the most disorganized, unprofessional, mismanaged restaurant I’ve ever been to. It was Saturday, why didn’t they have anything we wanted to order?! There are far better taco places in Dallas. Avoid this travesty at all costs.

Urm.
I have mixed feelings (hence, my 3-​star review).
I love tacos and mexican food and salsa and anything that falls under these categories by default. I think I just came here on a bad night.
It was a Friday and live music was happening, which is normally a huge bonus, but the talent didn’t fit the mood AT ALL. It was a straight up Fiona wannabe; this girl sounded exactly like her, sang the same kind of slow tunes and they had the mic turned up WAY too loud. It was incredibly distracting and very annoying.
Besides that, though, the food was really delicious. Awesome carnitas tacos and ice cold Dos XX. It’s a seriously great location, being smack in the middle of McKinney Avenue. Maybe they’ve switched up their talent by now.

I only give this taco joint 2 stars because my waitress was pleasant.
Dallas is not short on places to try tacos so its easy to become jaded when you’ve had Fuel City tacos and the like and then you come here.
However, I did have to visit any other taco joint to know that these tacos tasted like crap. I started off like I always do when I’ve never been to a restaurant before by asking what’s good.
We were told to try the” Rock-​Your-​Own-​Tacos” because you get 4 tacos of your choice. With all the fancy names I can’t quite remember each of them but each of them tasted like crap.
The rice was bland, the black beans were salty and the tacos looked and tasted unappetizing.
We even tried the roasted korn queso that tasted like melted Velveeta cheese with old beef and cilantro slapped on top.
With a name like Rock n Taco you’d hope they would live up to their name but it would be more appropriate to be called Slump Tacos.
My only hope is that when people go there they do so much drinking that it drowns out the taste. If the alcohol doesn’t drown out the bland taste of food I cannot ever see a reason to go there again.

This place is very cool, it’s very nicely decorated and the presentation of the food is beautiful.
I had the «John Lennon» tacos, there are grilled Portabella and pineapple and they were good, not fantastic but tasty.
My husband had the veggie fajitas and those were much better. They were nicely seasoned and marinated.
The sides that it comes with are rice and beans and to be honest there are kind of generic.
Maybe meat eaters would love this place since there are many choices for them, but as a vegetarian since there are only 2 things veggie friendly on the menu, in my opinion it’s just ok.
I would say to me this is more of a place to go and drink and hang out, maybe grab a snack, but there probably are better choices for an actual meal for vegetarians.

The atmosphere is amazing! Very trendy and visually pleasing. The staff was very friendly and attentive. I was there for happy hour but the margarita’s are very fairly priced regardless and with tons of add-​in flavors to choose from at no extra charge. The chips were great and there are two sauces to choose from which are both very good. I had the carne asada tacos and they were very tasty. They come with enough toppings but not too much. The rice is amazing but I could do without the black beans.

I LOVE tacos! That being said, this is not a place I would ever go again for them.
I stopped in for lunch with my wife and her co-​worker. I will say that her co-​worker liked it, but she also likes anything that your typical DB and plastic likes (not hating… just being real).
While the décor and food «presentation» is nice, the food and service was really just ok. There are way too many taco joints in this area of Dallas for one to settle on this particular place… and the fairly high cost of eating such bland food. I honestly left feeling very unsatisfied.
Now, sometimes idiots tell you «your paying for the atmosphere,» but if you want to do that then I would suggest heading further down the street to Urban Taco. I think you’ll find that you’ll have a way better experience in food and «atmosphere» for the price… although I personally wouldn’t go there specifically for tacos either.

Are you kidding me? 4 kid-​sized tacos for $ 10? My coworker ordered the carne asada tacos and they were lukewarm. I kept telling her to complain. No dice. She ate them all. Guess they were good.
I ordered the flautas (an $ 8 appetizer), they were decent but not what I was hoping for.
I’m not made for these places. The place definitely looked like Ed Hardy and Juicy Couture joined forces and barfed everywhere. As Rodrigo S. said, very awkward.
This just isn’t somewhere I’m meant to eat at, especially after leaving taco heaven in Austin. I’m a taco truck kind of gal. Wish Dallas had more of those rather than places that prioritized looks over value and food.
At least I didn’t have to pay (hurrah for coworker owing me one!). And the staff was exceptionally great. I’ll give them that.

As a taco snob, I had to give this place a try and see if it was worth a return visit. And the verdict is, will NOT return.
First, the atmosphere has nothing to do with the food. It feels like you’re eating street tacos in a Juicy Couture boutique-​type place. Very awkward.
Then, you start reading the menu and most of the names of the dishes are in Spanish. Really?! So you have an Ed Hardyesque decoration yet you want to make it seem as if the menu is sorta Mexican? Oh, boy…
As if this awkwardness wasn’t enough. The owners of this place decided to give it the «final touch» by serving the tacos in sushi-​type rectangular plates with the rice and beans served in small square plates such as the ones used by Japanese restaurants for the soy and ponzi sauce. Yeah, that weird.
However, the tacos weren’t as bad. They actually were pretty decent but NEVER worth $ 10.
The only other thing that saves this place for getting a two-​star rating was the service. Everybody was really attentive.

Having recently become addicted to Fuel City Tacos, I’ve been curious about the various taco joints opening up by my office. So I dragged my co-​workers for a walk down McKinney to Rock ‘n’ Taco.
To begin with, our server was new; I’m guessing most of them are. So I’ll just say the service was fair… not great… as expected. The interior décor seemed to fit right in with the Dallas Uptown scene including the douchey looking guy wearing his sunglasses indoors while siting at the bar.
The food actually started on a good note with warm and perfectly salted chips… but quickly took a nosedive due to the «Pace”-like salsa that they were served with. (Being a native of New Mexico and always making my own salsa, salsa is a key part of a good Mexican food experience for me.) There was also a tomatillo sauce that was just a bit too sweet for our tastes.
Our food came out and we all had a side of black beans and rice. My co-​workers and I all found them both bland. The first co-​worker ordered the Van Halen which is basically chicken enchiladas with mole. He said it was moist and the sauce was not overpowering… which is good. He gave it a 3 out of 5.
My second co-​worker had the Pollo Desebrado (pulled chicken tacos). He actually enjoyed the tacos and said they were good. They came with lime, chile, onion, and cilantro toppings on the side. He also gave it a 3 out of 5.
I ordered the American Life. I requested 1 chicken and 1 carne asada taco. The American Life comes with all the toppings already added including avacado which I enjoyed. The carne asada was pretty good while the chicken was just bland.
Overall we had a decent lunch, but nothing special at all. We alla agreed, If the prices were $ 2 – 3 less per plate, we might go back. But at an average of $ 10-​$ 12, we’ll be waiting eagerly to see what Urban Taco has to offer when they open. Either way, I don’t think we’ll be going back purely on the basis of value. Loss of one star due to this.

Decided to go here for a late lunch. Its right next door to Aura Lounge so i can only imagine how busy it can be on a club night. The Décor is interesting and will match any typical Ed Hardy/​Monarch/​True Religion/​Mohawk/​Rockstar wannabe outfit you have on with Rock Music playing in the Background and a Decent sized bar. They have comfy booths and high Chairs and tables to match. The menu is pretty simple and straight to the point and is basically the same quality of Tacos that you can get at a Taco Stand but a few bucks more but the décor and the sides of rice and beans definitely compensate for the extra few bucks you are being charged and the fact that you can order alcohol definitely gives it some kudos.
For my food, I opted for the «Choose your own taco» which gave ;me a chance to sample 4 items which included the Camarones (shrimp), Picadillos (shredded beef) and two chicken varieties with a side of black beans and rice to go with it.
It was definitely filling and i also ordered Agua Fresca (Pineapple) to wash it down with. Since it was a late lunch i didnt have to worry about poor service or people watch cos it was just us and the wait staff there but i guess i will have to stress test the place one late night or early morning but for my food, It was very tasty, especially the Camarones so maybe next time i will just order the Camarones taco, i also opted for flour tortillas instead of corn which i prefer. I believe some of the menus wer named after some Celebs, I spoke to the waitress and she said there are plans on expanding and making a franchise out of it which i think will do well in the Dallas area.
Overall good tacos with a different ambience from Fuel City Taco or Bishop Arts District eating at a Taco Stand, so this will be more like fraternizing with Platinum blondes and Mohawk wearing Rock stars.

Actually surprised by the flavors of the food and the quantity… this place actually has good value for what you get. I left there stuffed.
I had the nachos with the marinated sirloin, they were absolutely wonderful. Enough for two people.
Décor was sorta trendy, a little clubbish, but not too much in your face.
The drinks were reasonably priced as well. I will come back.

I ran into Rock n’ Taco for a late lunch on a Saturday and the first thing I noticed was the very large bar, the pussycat lounge interior, the people trying to be hipsters, and that the music was way loud.
Yes, I know that I’m over 40 (but young at heart), so yes, this is not exactly my place. Still, the music was mostly 70’s rock, so the current MTV crowd may not get it. Who knows. but if you like your skinny jeans and pork pie hats, this will be a place to be seen and get your mojito on.
As for the food… four tiny tacos for 10 bucks didn’t seem like a bargain. Yes, it’s supposed to be better than Fuel City, but you know, if Fuel City placed oh-​so-​clever rock names on each taco dish they served, I might think about an extra buck or two. This was nothing special.
So, if you are in the be-​seen crowd, this would probably be a good place to get your rum and coke on, as for the rest of us… Well I’d rather go get a margarita at the Blue Goose.

Loved it. Food was great, atmosphere was cute — granted, it was a rainy Monday night so I missed out on the Ed Hardy crowd. Dang.
I had just left the gym and literally still had wet hair, wearing a baseball cap and shorts and a tee shirt — no one cared. There were 4 of us, it was about $ 20 pp with 2 apps and a couple drinks. Could probably get more expensive had it not been a «school night» :)
I will definitely go back, roasted corn queso was DIVINE. Come here if you want a fun place to grab a bite before hitting up McKinney/​West Village or if you just want to grab a bite and go back to your pjs :)
2 things:
1– it’s in the little house that used to be Rocco’s pizza, however you will not recognize it AT ALL. complete renovation, very surreal if you have spent lots of late nites at Rocco’s!
2– yes the portions are small, but usually I get full on chips and salsa or queso and guac before my dinner comes, so I welcome a smaller plate. Also, you’re probably on a date or about to go out, so don’t be a fatass. if you want to gorge yourself, go to Cheesecake Factory or Freebirds. If you want some tasty food that won’t have you in fat pants by the end of dinner, come get some tacos!

FUCK THEIR PRICES!!! Their regular tacos are 10 dollars for 2 – 4 of them depending on the meat you order. 12 – 16 for 2 tacos if they are the specialty tacos. Reminded me of ed hardy or something… full of douchy looking dudes unfortunately none with overdone fake tans and their lips pursed out. (god i wanted a laugh)
Décor was A+ Best AC system in dallas. Lots of nice looking 19 year old wait-staff…Service was prompt Scary how fast my food came out I think i waited 5 minutes. I ordered the shrimp taco’s I got 4 and they were seasoned to perfection. Chips were rustic but good (still pref. the super thing crispy type)
Mostly 3 star because of price, WTF 10 dollars for mini tacos…

The food was decent but was remarkable in no way, I would put it on par with Chipotle in quality but far greasier and unbelievably bland. The music was unbearably loud, so loud that I had to scream my order. You could definitely see that the crowd was the same as Aura, obnoxiously so.
It is another nightclub/​bar except one that happens to serve tacos, very mediocre ones. If that is your thing and you are looking for a place to hit up before you go clubbing around a bunch of 30k millionaires I suppose this is the place for you. If you are looking to have tacos and enjoy conversation with the person you are with run far, far away from this place.

3.5 stars
Wasn’t expecting much for such a trendy looking place, but the food was GREAT!
I work near Rock ‘n’ Taco and had been eagerly awaiting it’s opening ever since i saw the hot pink awning go up. Last night I went out but headed home earlier than normal and had the hungries, and noticed on my FB that Rock ‘n’ Taco had opened, so I drove us all through the madness of uptown to the restaurant. We made our way through the drunken masses of Aura to get into the place and manager quickly found us an got us to a seat on the patio — prime seating for hilarious people watching on a Saturday night at 1 am!
The inside is super trendy with ridiculously loud music blaring. It pretty much feels like a club inside with lit up ceiling and huge bar.
It was the very first day open so the staff was still a bit green, but let’s just say we were ignored by a waitress who was on her iphone and never once looked up as we tried to get a seat. Luckily, the manager was on point and got us situated quickly.
Warm chips & salsa were served immediately with 2 salsas — one super hot and fire roasted, and one regular red salsa. The menu is pretty extensive with tex-​mex apps, traditional tacos, and «special» tacos. Three of us split one Rock your own Tacos plate which allows you to pick any 4 tacos together. We had 2 brisket, 1 carnitas, and 1 pechuga de pollo. All were served mexican style in small corn tortillas with a plate of cilantro, onions, lime, roasted jalapeño (HOTTTTT!), and this amazing sweet chili paste of some sort. All the meats were really cooked & seasoned well, and the sweet chili paste really was the perfect complement to the savory meats. I also ordered the tortilla soup which was very flavorful and not overloaded with cheese. It was served a little bit lukewarm though.
All in all a surprisingly great food experience. Definitely looking forward to trying more of their food and eventually being one of the drunk people stumbling over from aura to satisfy my late night munchies after a night out. Well done, Rock ‘n’ Taco!