Taco Bar

Quick cheap eat. Don’t expect anything fancy here.. this is literally a gas station shop. However, great back country flavor and nice staff is the reason you come here. Pretty cheap although prices have been increasing lately.

Best taco’s in the area. It’s in a hidden area and next to a gas station but do not be skeptical. This place went beyond my expectation. They have delicious nachos and the tacos are very affordable!

Like I always say… there’s ALWAYS room for tacos, especially ones from Taco Bar!
The place is pretty straight-​forward. It’s no frills with no fancy anything. When you receive your food, it pretty much looks like what you expect food coming out of a gas station kitchen would look like… that is, until you taste it. Once you have your first bite, it takes you far from what you would expect gas station food to be and brings you to another level. Its simplicity is what makes it so special, which is welcome in this endless sea of fancy frou-​frou highbrow eateries.
It’s just meat on tortillas that you put in your mouth. And it’s good! The lengua tacos are soft, tender, and flavorful. The shredded chicken taco was nice and juicy. I topped them off with onions, cilantro, and a little pico de gallo.
You know what? Scratch that. After eating just 2 of these tacos, there isn’t anymore room for other tacos. With so much meat, I was stuffed, but it just made me want to come back and try everything else.

Me gusto taco baro.
No problemo.

So I’m enjoying a cup of soup at a nearby restaurant when my husband mentions that Taco Bar is just around the corner. In my book, there’s always room for dessert. However, my husband subscribes to the belief that there’s always room for tacos… or taquitos… or nachos… or burritos. I slurped up the last spoonful of soup, and we headed over to this renowned MoCo gas station taco joint!
The place was packed! People were chowing down at the tables outside since all of the tables inside were taken. I lucked out and snagged a tiny one for two while my husband ordered. Since we hoofed it over, parking wasnt an issue. However, from the looks of things, it seemed that it was a rare commodity, but you can find plenty of street parking at the nearby shopping area just across the street. Since I wasn’t sure how hungry I still was, I only ordered a bistec taco.
This taco was pretty awesome! And they don’t skimp on the meat here! It’s chopped up into small cubes and poured over two corn tortillas. The meat was not greasy or overly salty, nor chewy or fatty. I can understand why other people feel that the meat is a little tough. It’s not slow-​cooked to be soft and tender. It’s probably cooked quickly at a higher heat. I personally really liked it and had no problems eating it. For something more tender, try the chicken or lengua tacos. I stole a bite of each from my husband, and they were both really good and not tough at all.
I topped my taco with some pico de gallo and cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and a little bit of hot sauce at the toppings station. Since the taco is served on two corn tortillas, I separated them and put half the meat in each to make it easier to eat. But still, do yourself a favor and grab a fork too because you’ll still have meat stragglers.
Despite the place being packed, they have a quick turnover on tables and plenty take their orders to-​go. The place is clean and organized and offers a clear view of the kitchen so you can see everything as it happens. Since they’re located at a gas station, they also sell beer and wine. However, they cannot be consumed onsite, which is too bad. I imagine my meal would have been stellar with a nice cold Corona. Come to think of it, even though there were plenty of people coming in and out, I don’t remember anyone going to buy any beer or wine while I was there. Or maybe I was just in a taco-​induced coma. Next time, I’ll skip the soup and go straight here. Unfortunately, my stomach can’t comprehend the idea that there’s always room for tacos (unless what you really mean is cake or ice cream).

Came here for some quick Mexican based on great Unilocal reviews. I ran into a few old high school friends, my old youth pastor, my current cell biology professor, and a caddie I knew from Columbia Country Club. I left with some of the best taco take out and a 6 pack of longnecks. It was a good evening!

LOVE their taco lengua with lots of lime! No wonder they give 2 tortillas per order. They give sooooo much meat!
Wish the place expands so it’s not so crowded and they have more seating.

Nobody beats this place. Today it was 7 bucks, all in, for two massive, exceptionally tasty tacos and unlimited fresh hot sauces and fixings. They are incredibly generous with the meat portions (highly recommend the pastor and suadero). They have tons of other options too though… tostadas, burritos, sandwiches, etc. Pretty steady stream of customers and sometimes crowded but never waited more than 15 min.

So this morning I was in the shower daydreaming about my Taco Bar leftovers from yesterday and counting how many hours until lunch, when I can eat them. I literally woke up thinking about how good that food was. I think that maybe sets the tone for the following review…
AMAZING!!! This food is totally amazing! Saying this is the best Mexican food I’ve ever had is no exaggeration. I had the chicken tacos, my husband had the steak tacos and steak burrito, and my 7 year old had the nachos. We all split a basket of chips.
The chicken was simple but majorly flavorful and my husband thought the steak tacos and burrito were very very good. The best however were the nachos. It was homemade chips covered with refried beans, chorizo, cheese sauce, and sour cream. My daughter was so mad at me because I couldn’t stop eating hers!
A few tips:
***Don’t bring children! It’s too small and the Taco Bar also sells wine and beer. I was a nervous wreck my wild children were going to break something!
***Order extra chips for the nachos and just to snack on. So delicious!
***Order to go if possible. There really aren’t many seats!

Terrible! Got chicken tacos which traditionally come in a flour tortilla but alot of places give corn if you don’t specifically ask. They charged me a dollar for flour. Strike one, I get them and they are flour tortillas used for burritos…
WHY??? are you stunad! I want taco not open face burrito. Strike 2
Next the chicken is salty as hell! I put sour cream and all the fixins on taco all I tasted was salty chicken. Strike 3…
Now after I have paid 7 bucks for 2 tacos. I ended up throwing one away. I will say one bright spot I asked for sour cream and she said we charge but I’ll give you some for free. Since when has charging for sour cream become a thing. I rather roll the dice at chipolte. Maybe the Unilocalers padded a couple stars here because it is in a gas station. Unilocal let me down again!

Authentic Mexican food was great and yes it was in a gas station. Service was friendly. We enjoined Burritos platos con pollo and taco especial.

Honestly one of the best hole in the wall places I’ve stumbled upon in the DC area! This place is literally inside a gas station but sells the most amazing and authentic tacos you’ll ever have in your life. I know, I’m definitely hyping this place up, but it totally lives up to it.
We tried the al pastor, lengua, chorizo, steak and chicken tacos. All of which were amazingly well seasoned and crisped up on the grilled to perfection. The portions do not disappoint. The meat is literally falling out every bite you take! There’s a salsa bar to top off your tacos to your liking — something I appreciated since I like my tacos a certain way.
It’s a bit out of the way for me to go there every week but it’s definitely become by go to taco bar!

I love love LOVE Taco Bar. I’ve been eating here for several years now, and you just can’t go wrong with this hole in the wall spot. One of my favorite spots to eat in this area. Finding a parking spot is usually challenging; there is very limited parking since it’s right next to the gas station. Seating is pretty limited as well, but they do have outside seating available.
Friendly staff, service can be quick but not always. It could get really busy and crowded here, so you may have to wait a bit for your order to be ready. But it’s ALWAYS worth the wait. My favorite is the NACHOS! They have a toppings bar where you can veggies (cilantro, tomato, onion, jalepeno peppers, etc.), salsa and hot sauces. This part is AWESOME!!! I usually add these toppings to my nachos to spice it up. I recommend ordering your nachos TO GO; they usually give you more since it’s in a bigger container. Their guacamole is FRESH and amazing as well. Tacos and burrito bowl platter are always a great choice. Their Beef tongue is delicious if you want to try something new. Really flavorful!
For the price, you can’t be this. If you’re in the area, definitely worth a try!

Was in the area for a meeting, and checked Unilocal and found I had bookmarked this place.
Very tricky figuring out parking, which is simple once you know. Park in the gas station. The front door is in back!
The place is small but service is quick. It was bustling. You order at the counter and can eat outside, weather permitting.
Got one taco pastor, a side of pinto beans and a side of half avocado. Strange order I know.
The taco meat was delicious. I loved the flavor. The meat was cut into tiny squares versus shaved but there were still lots of surface area for flavor. There was a double soft shell. It comes with only the meat and there is a bar to the side to add the fixings. Here’s my gripe: there was no pineapple. Traditional tacos pastor has pineapple, onion, and cilantro. At least that’s the way I eat them in Mexico City. It was a tease. The beans were refried not whole. The avocado was perfect. Perfect ripeness, peeled with no trace of shell, and buttery.
Overall a good place. I’ll come back and try something else. Meanwhile the quest for perfect taco pastor outside Mexico City continues.

This place looks questionable from the outside, as it’s attached to a gas station and a beer and wine store. But honestly it’s delicious and a great cheap eat. The ingredients taste pretty fresh and I highly recommend the pork with pineapple taco.
The only downside of this place is that even though it’s inside a beer and wine store, you’re not allowed to drink inside the premises. It’s so tempting to buy a nice cold beer, crack it open and drink it while eating the taco.

I’ve heard great things about this restaurant. I’ve had a lot of great Mexican foods back in LA and San Diego, so I wasn’t sure how I felt about having Mexican food in Gaithersburg, MD… I was told that it’s located next to a gas station, so I thought that it would be good. From my experience, Mexican food near random places are actually tasty. I came here during lunch time, and there were quite a few people. I ended up ordering the Burrito Plato w/​Pastor.
Burrito Plato w/​Pastor: it was a plate rice, refried beans, and cubed pieces of marinated pork (pastor). That’s all it had in the plate. I added some of the salsa, onions and cilantro, pickled jalapeño and carrots, and some hot sauce. My first bite was actually good. However, each successive bite became greasier and saltier. I didn’t really mind the greasiness since Mexican food is usually greasy. However, it was really salty. I think the saltiness was from the pork.
Overall, the place was just decent. It wasn’t as great as everyone hyped it to be, but it is a good option if you’re craving Mexican food. The great thing about this place is that it’s really inexpensive. You can get a lot of food at a pretty affordable price. They also have a salsa bar, but you would have to ask the cashier for the containers to take some of the salsa and other toppings home. Although it’s not as great as the Mexican restaurants in SoCal, I’d still come back to fulfill my cravings. I’ll probably end up getting a different type of meat, since the pastor was too salty.

Taco Bar really is everything it is hyped up to be. Yes, it is in a gas station — don’t let that creep you out. I have been here a few times now and each time I have enjoyed my food. Their chicken tacos are simple and yum. My favorite however, is the camarones cocktail — sooo good — light, fresh, delicious, and filling. Their chips and guac are also on my fave list, especially since they fresh fry the chips while you wait!!!
Needless to say, I will definitely continue to be back!

Taco bar is the
!
Located right outside of Rio center is this tiny little Mexican place that’s attached to a gas station. They have a variety of Mexican dishes ranging from tacos to tortas to burritos.
Easily have some of the best tacos I’ve ever eaten! Their lengua taco (beef tongue) are my favorite. I always get two when I go. And they come with lots of meat/​tongue!
Make sure you don’t forget to go to the salsa bar where you can try different sauces and toppings. They range from mild to hot. Jalapenos, onions, pico de gallo and if you want sour cream or guacamole it’s a 50 cent charge I think.
The service is very friendly and quick. They always have several people cooking your food. Minimum credit charge is $ 5 so bring cash because most of their menu items are under 5 bucks.
Truly a hidden gem serving authentic food & you always get a bang for your buck.

Wonderfully authentic Mexican food. Reminded me of eating at the little taco carts on the streets of Mexico City.
I tried the taco combo with two different tacos: 1 beef rib taco and 1 pork & pineapple taco. The meat was sublimely delicious.
There is a toppings bar where you can add pico de gallo and many varieties of salsa. I really liked the fresh and mild tomato salsa. Wow delicious.
The beans and rice were also fabulous. The rice was so soft and delicately flavored.
Can’t wait to go back!

Does this place need another rave review? Probably not. Will I still give one anyways? YUP!
If you live in Gaithersburg then you have probably heard about this little hidden gem near the Rio. Just to be clear, it’s not located IN a gas station. Yes, there is a gas station but it’s split in two — one side is a gas station convenience store and the other is a beer and wine store, with its own separate entrance. And Taco Bar is located within that beer and wine store. Kind of a strange set-​up and I don’t think the average person would know about this place unless A) you were getting gas or on a beer/​wine run or 2) someone told you about this place. Inside there is a counter and a few small tables to eat. Definitely not a place to bring a high-​maintenance person. But, if you want no-​frills, authentic Mexican food this is your place! But, if inside doesn’t suit your preferences I saw many people ordering takeout.
For my meal I had the tacos de pastor (pork marinated in pineapple), tacos de chorizo (Mexican sausage) and a side of nachos. The tacos were served wrapped in double tortillas and with just the meat. You then take your food over to a small toppings bar and you can add hot sauces, salsa, and veggies to your heart’s content. Both tacos were great, but I liked the pastor tacos more. Next time, I’ll definitely try the lengua (beef tongue). As for the nachos, the chips were amazing! The whole time I was eating them I was trying to figure out how they made them. These are definitely worth a try! And the food was so cheap! The tacos were about $ 3 each and the nachos about $ 5. I’ve paid waaaay more for Mexican food that wasn’t nearly as good. My only wish is that I could drink some of the wine that was staring me in the face!