Bodega Taco Bar

Something about my latest lunch at Bodega made me riddle with utter joy.
This time, my sister and I grabbed a bite. Came around 2:30/3pm, and sat at at one of the bar tables.
Garlic Infused Chili-​Crab Guac. A MUST ORDER. So unique in its own way, and truth be told, makes the guac creamier even with chunks of REAL crab mixed in. Didn’t even taste like the sea, that’s when you know you’ve got some fresh crab meat on your hands. We even ordered this AFTER our meal and still ate the entire thing… now that’s a good guac! Please do yourself a favor and order this splendid appetizer!
I have my usual fan favorites (see my last review). I’ll now add the Calexico to that list — fried avocado, refried beans, slaw, and queso fresco. Nomz. Also adding the tuna tartar tostada. A heaping amount of raw tuna, avocado, and a ginger-​sesame drizzle.
Ah Bodega, you always impress.

Excellent customer service. Highly recommend the Brussels sprouts and the pork belly arepa. Also had some tacos, guacamole and margaritas and enjoyed them all. Nice casual atmosphere for lunch but small so can’t imagine what it’s like on a Say night.

Had a great meal with my group of friends here tonight. Our waitress Maggie couldn’t have been any better. She knew every detail on the specials, had a wonderful and funny personality, and made our first meal here one to remember. The food was fantastic, and although the place was packed Maggie made us feel like we were her top priority, engaged in conversation with us and made us feel like we were part of the bodega family! We will absolutely return, and will request Maggie as our server from here on out. Can’t express enough how amazing she was. Thanks for a great meal and such a lovely waitress! 5 starts all around!

This is a go to restaurant for us. 5 stars for the food and drinks, 3 stars for the venue (too small and incredibly loud) for a 4 star average.
The drinks are fabulous (and strong). We ordered the Bodega Surprise margarita last time and got the surprise — a scorpion out of the bottle!
We usually get a series of appetizers and tacos rather than a main dish. The short rib arepa is awesome, as is the burnt brisket taco, the Argentino taco, and Cochinita. I wasn’t as impressed with the Calexico (fried avocado) taco. For main dishes, the pork lechon was wonderful — fell apart if you even just looked at it.
The only thing that keeps us from going more often is the typical wait and crowded, loud space.

A friend and I wanted something different than the normal New American style and this hit the spot. The bartender Will was very helpful and made awesome drinks. The food was amazing likewise.

I just like this place! Nice atmosphere, the food is good, service likewise. Will always go back.

Save room for the chocolate pot de crème — it is delicious! I’m not sure if they have a nespresso machine (the crema on that coffee is) + blue corn pancakes is money. I haven’t had anything there that I didn’t like, some stuff was so-​so but still good. Ask the staff about specials, they make pretty reliable recommendations. It gets packed quickly so worth it to go at happy hour or earlier, oh and the sangria is delicious.

Not bad, but not great.
To be honest, this review is based on only one visit and one dish. Maybe my choice wasn’t their best. I had the paella. Definitely not a Spanish style paella, maybe it is a Mexican version, although the menu didn’t mention that.
It was served beautifully. That said, it was bland… decidedly under seasoned. The scallops were over cooked, (as was the rest of the seafood), and definitely tough. It was edible, but something I would never order again.
Having said that, I will give them another chance. Maybe I’ll try their tacos next time.
The room is pleasant and the service was quite nice. Two big pluses.

The food was good, but when we were eating they put us at a tall table with three stools right near the kitchen so whenever we needed to get out we had to make sure nobody was coming near with trays of hot food. It is a very small restaurant so I recommend to not come with large groups here

It’s five stars for the food, drinks, and bartenders. Food rocks. Drinks are great and shots are huge. Bartenders have charisma. Waitstaff sucks. Except for a couple of them.

Great Mexican-​fusion fare. Small so getting a seat is a crap-​shoot. Atmosphere is loud but that goes with the overall vibe. Drinks and service are very good. Recommend coming here off regular hours, grabbing a seat at the bar and enjoying an assortment of their specialty tacos. Enjoy!

Middle of the road all around. The food is nothing to rave about. The spot is nothing special. The staff is attentive. The selection is bland. And the menu names of food is strange. Not a bad experience but not a good one. You’re missing nothing if you haven’t been.

The place has great margaritas and fresh tacos. I enjoyed the steak tacos and pork belly tortas. The staff are professional and friendly.

Pretty solid menu but the place is just too small and packed. They need to extend their space and ohvyeah, offer flour tortillas!

I went to dinner with 3 other people, we ordered guacamole which came promptly. We all placed orders for our food and sat around the table and talked. We are a very laid back people, and sort of noticed it was taking a longer time than usual for our food, but didn’t think too much of it. In fact, we weren’t annoyed at all. When our food came the manager (or owner we aren’t sure) came up and said to a member of my party, «Hey, I didn’t like the way your steak came out, so I’m gonna buy it for you. I’m sorry it’ll be another 5 minutes.» Then we proceeded to eat our delicious meals, and were also given a free smores dessert.
Every member of the I went with party works in the service industry, & we know it is a difficult thing to keep people happy. We were beyond impressed with the excellent customer service, and appreciate it. They set the bar to exceed expectations and ours certainly were. More companies need to follow in their footsteps, and while we definitely did not expect that kind of service, we were blown away by it and would highly recommend this place to anyone who enjoys a laid back atmosphere and delicious tacos.

Super good tacos, small restaurant so you may have to be patient. Great drinks too.
Depending on the time of day we will take our kids too.

Went for lunch today… Amazing!!!
Def recc: guacamole & queso fundido w/​chorizo as apps
Taco: baja (still my fav) & argentina (so much flavor in such a small taco) I didn’t try the burnt brisket tacos but my coworker did and liked it better than the argentina (that says alot!)
My boss tried the platanos con crème and fell in love!
THIS IS THE PLACE FOR FRESH MEXICAN!!!

Hidden gem. Or maybe it’s not hidden. But I only recently discovered it and it never ever ever dissappoints. Great bar but I usually go for lunch, gets crowded at night and it’s kinda small. But in a good intimate way. I love the décor and they have amazing dishes. Every side is great, one time a friend and I split 5 sides as a light meal and we couldn’t decide which was our favorite.
I am a sucker for the pollo Rico (I get it all over rice instead of in a torta). I think it’s the best combo of ingredients, a great American-​mex mix.
This place is such a crowd pleaser and easy to get to, part of a larger shopping center.
LOVE.

First time here today with a friend for lunch. I’ve been to a place similar and wasnt to impressed so I was skeptical. However, the tacos i had from here were delicious!
I loved that they offered a lettuce taco option and by golly i went with all lettuce tacos. I got the Argentino which was a carne asada, The Gambas which had shrimp and one with pulled pork. So good and for $ 4 each i was full! I also got a side of braised kale which was delicious i just wished there was more kale in it.
I cant wait to go back and try some of the entrees and drinks!
It’s a small place however had no problem getting seating at lunch. Not sure how dinner time is.

By all means, this place should be a thing of greatness. A casual taco bar from the owner of epic Valencia Luncheria? Sounds like a recipe for success.
However, after having gone here nearly a half dozen times, I’m always left a bit underwhelmed.
It’s not that the food is bad. It’s pretty good, and the tacos are tasty. But the prices for these tiny tacos are totally out of line with reality and decency. Compared to Bartaco, they’re nearly double the price — and not even close to twice as good.
Service has always been a little lacking too.
So close to excellent, but merely A-​OK (to use the parlance of our Unilocal).