Tinto Cocina + Cantina

Stopped by with good friend for a late lunch. The bartender was our server. She was great fun and very efficient. There was a hellacious rain storm that dumped buckets on Lake St. We were snug in a very fine eatery. The food was very good, the rain added that special atmosphere, and I stuffed my face like a starving wolverine. Thank you TINTO. Dal

I’ve only been here once with my girlfriend but we had a lovely time. The food, the service, and the happy hour was awesome!

I was taken here an evening for drinks and tapas, but the kitchen was closed. Started off with a casa margarita on the rocks and it was an excellent deal for $ 5! Then we got a Mexican Coffee Martini which was one of the best chocolate/​coffee flavored drinks I’ve ever had!
I decided to go back a couple days later to get dinner there as I didn’t have a chance to have any food the first time I went. I ordered a Bloody Bourbon to drink as I love blood orange. I enjoyed it, but would not recommend it to anyone who doesn’t like whiskey or bourbon. I stared off with chips and guacamole and it was very flavorful! It was house made and had an excellent lime flavor. For dinner I ordered fish tacos at the recommendation of the server and was not disappointed in the least! Very light but full of flavor along with tasting very fresh! If you enjoy Mexican cuisine this is a must try!

I’ve been here many times, each being better than the last. The servers (Tra is great!) are phenomenal and take great care to give you a perfect dining experience. I’ve tried something new each time and have never been disappointed. The pernil is my absolute favorite, followed by the ropa vieja. I would definitely recommend this place as it has become my favorite restaurant in Minneapolis.

Yummy food! We like to come here after work. The ambiance is chill and classy. Latin-​French owners, make for a flavorful menu. Parking is easy and this place is Family friendly. Try the taco salad!!!

I was in town for the soundset music festival and came here to meet up with some other friends that were in town as well. They suggested this place. Glad they did. I was only going to get a drink and go to another spot but the Bartender Kevin suggested a really great appetizer that I just couldn’t pass up. The Ropa Vieja is Barbacoa braised beef, with a spicy aioli, on top of a smashed plaintain, and pickled onions. The perfect combination of sweet and spicy. I had a couple Modelos to help wash it down. The appetizers was A1 and Kevin was really helpful and a great server and bartender. If you do get the appetizer ask for the dinner menu as the Ropa Vieja isn’t on the lunch menu

The fish in the fish tacos was over cooked, therefore dry and lukewarm. The pickled veggies were the overpowering flavor, the alarming neon-​yellow «habanero» aioli was bland and color unappetizing. And — there was hair on one of my tacos basically highlighted by the canvas of tortilla behind it. It took awhile for the server to come over to communicate this. I work in the industry and get that things happen but an already less than appetizing experiencing topped with hair on my food did not inspire me to try other things on the menu.
Because I came to the restaurant hungry and was quickly losing my appetite I asked (worriedly) for a quesadilla instead. It was melted cheese on a tortilla. Plain, boring, I can make better quesadillas at home.
My date picked up the tab so I’m not sure if any food was comp’d but I will not be returning.

Delicious food the few times I’ve been here, good service, great evening ambiance, and decent $ 5 house margaritas! (Ask for some extra lime slices to squeeze in to make it a little closer to a higher-​end scratch margarita.) Inconsistent on the bang for your buck, though… For $ 12 husband got a substantial chicken torta and also plantain chips, while for the same price I got a pretty small bowl of pozole and a bunch of tortilla chips. Tasty, but will know from now on that when I want pozole – the same amount of deliciousness or more, plus a whole loaded tostada to help fill me up – I should get it from Nico’s Tacos for ²⁄₃ the price. Probably best to get tortas or tacos here – the tortillas are house made.

When I found out the usual brunch spot (Louie’s Wine Dive) had closed unexpectedly, Tinto was waiting for my friend and I. We were literally the only people in here on a Saturday morning, so the service was on point. Our server was extremely attentive without being a creeper. We got the guacamole which was very tasty. I got the avocado tacos, which was a new menu item at the time. Anything with fried avocado has my name on it. The tacos were also very tasty but had a sauce on them that could have been spicier. Overall, this was a good experience. I would definitely come back.

Been there twice for lunch. The service was friendly and they did a pretty good job of bringing two smaller orders at different times. By far the best dish I had was the Traditional Shrimp Ceviche. A delicious cold appetizer that was more filling than expected. That was paired with Fish Quesadillas (which they made special, since they’re usually Fish Tacos) that were great. Not many people so early in the day, and the waitress was having fun playing 60s music and bantering with the diners.
Went back a few days later. The parking lot was full, even though the place was still not very crowded. Best to park on Bryant and walk, if you see a spot and the weather’s nice.
The bowl of Red Mole Polzole soup was delicious, and the Beef Empanadas were tasty.
All dishes were a feast for the eyes. Tinto seems to be one of the Latin restaurants that specializes in medium-​sized platas, catering to the young who have a little money and want to drink and have light meals. Very good for what it is, and I’ll probably drop by more often. Maybe try out one of their dinner entrees.

I am so sad to have to write this. I’m not one to write many reviews but this experience was so terrible, I decided it was a must.
Let me preface this by saying I have been to Tinto three previous times and the service and food were excellent. I’m writing this review because never in my experience of dining out has a restaurant manager been so invasive and rude while I was dining at a restaurant.
We came in at the end of happy hour and were at our table for approximately 2.5 hours total. During this time our group of 3 ordered multiple drinks and food items throughout. As the restaurant got busier, the server came by occasionally asking if we needed anything else. We politely declined and continued eating and drinking what we had left and talking. Then the manager started stopping by our table instead of the server. Over the course of the last 30 minutes, the manager came to our table 7 times asking if we needed anything more, progressively getting more rude about it each time. We finally were so bothered we told him he could just bring our check, which he did promptly. Within 2 minutes of our check being at the table (we didn’t even have a chance to get our wallets out) he came by again and rudely asked if we were ready to pay. We told him we were on our way out but didn’t appreciate him being so pushy, to which he responded, «I’d really appreciate it if you left the table soon as we have people that have been waiting over an hour for a table and we need to turn these tables over». Excuse me?! Never in my life has a restaurant manager basically demanded you leave your table if you were «done». I am so so disappointed because I thought this restaurant was wonderful.
Will certainly tell my friends how incredibly rude the restaurant manager was and what poor customer service it has. I hope the owners consider the complete and utter unprofessionalism of their manager and the impact it has on their restaurant.
I do appreciate that the owner took the time to respond to this review, I do however find it inappropriate for the owner to call the consumer a liar and/​or discuss the consumer’s integrity, especially when she never shared any of the direct interactions I referred to in my review with our table.
While I apparently underestimated the total time at our table, that really doesn’t play relevance as to the treatment of a guest, neither does the amount of a bill (regardless of happy hour prices). Why the price of our bill would be a compelling argument as to the rudeness of staff is strange. The value of our bill should not impact how anyone is treated. I spent many years serving myself so I truly do understand the importance of reviews.
By claiming we «ruined» that party of 5’s evening by staying at our table too long, is an exact reflection of how we were treated at this establishment. Not to mention we were never made aware that a specific group of 5 had reserved the very table we were sitting at for a special occasion, to which should we have been made aware of this, I assure we would have gladly moved tables. We also were a group of 3 long distance friends who haven’t seen each other in a long time and we’re spending our time catching up with one another, while enjoying food and drinks.
My 2 friends who accompanied me had the same sentiments about the interactions with the staff not to mention the point in which we were actually «offered» to move to the bar was after multiple visits to our table and when our group began to become frustrated. I’m sure they’d be happy to share my sentiments as well – the «big picture» you refer to clearly has two vey different sides.

In short: Nothing memorable.
The space is interesting, very spacious, clean, sleek, but somehow missing something –customers? haha.
When you enter the place, it’s usually really quiet with little to no customers.
Not sure if it’s still under same management as the restaurant in place before it, but, even with the new spanish food menu and branding, service is still weird. There’s no sign indicating whether you should seat yourself or if you need to wait for a host, so a couple other customers and myself end up standing by the entry awkwardly trying to figure out what to do.
If you do decide to seat yourself, you begin to wonder if the waiter will even notice you because you’ve been waiting for nearly 5 minutes with no acknowledgment. At just that moment, a waiter will show up to bring you water and a menu. It’s THAT kind of establishment.
Can’t say the food or drinks were at all worth raving about. Not a place I would go out of my way to try again. There are other more competitive, better managed, unique, and desirable restaurants/​food in Minneapolis than this place. If you’re from out of town, skip this.

I have been here 4 times now. Service just stinks… every single time. The servers I have had are pleasant but slow and not focused on the patrons.
Besides myself and one other table the server was terribly busy with everything other than us.
He even disappeared outside for about 10 minutes.
I have never been here when it’s busy — maybe the service is spot on at peak times. The portion size on the guac has kept me coming back but nothing here so terribly amazing food and margarita wise that I will return.
Interior is warm and welcoming with throw pillows on the bench seats.
I agree with another Unilocaler on the side of fried plantains that accompany some dishes. They are blah and should be left off the plate.
Here I still sit waiting for my check. Gave me time to write this review. I guess rolling silver wear instead of bringing me another margarita is a better agenda for Tinto.
Too bad.

So, I like the bar a lot. The bartender (even better). But the food was just ok. I liked the appetizer nachos we tried because of the jalapenos. Disclaimer: I will basically eat anything you throw jalapenos on.
Anyways, I had the raved about fish tacos and my friend had a steak torta. His came with plantain chips as a side (odd, not very tasty, just could be left off completely).
The fish tacos were ok. They were overpowered by an aioli. As many of these reviews state, i can’t have aioli, so that was scrapped off. The avocado was missing entirely (sadly), the pickled cabbage wasn’t amazing, and the fish was so-​so. Now, I love pickled cabbage. Hola Arepa does it right. It’s crunchy and zippy. This was soggy. The tortillas were ok at best.
*I also ordered fish tacos to go for a friend to bring home to him. He did not like either, yet he finished them.
So, my review is half-​bar and half food. The food portion gets a 3. It’s better than a lot of places but I think Rusty Taco has better tacos. They taste fresher.
The bar is great though. The bartender was attentive, easy to talk to, and was very helpful. I know you’re not supposed to indulge in Malbec while chomping on chips and salsa, but after a really long week, it’s needed. He suggested a few options and was very accommodating.
I would come back for drinks and appetizer nachos. I would not get the tacos again though and don’t see the hype about their food. Maybe it was an off day, or maybe it’s my palate, but this isn’t a favorite.

The brunch crew came in here on a Sunday because of a list about «best new brunches in the Twin Cities» and I am a sucker for a good brunch so I suggested we try it. I made reservations, but that was completely unnecessary, because the place was dead. There were maybe 2 other tables in there at 11 am on a Sunday morning. Why? Maybe people don’t know they serve brunch?
Anyways, I got the bloody Maria and it was fantastic. Made with tequila instead of vodka. It was STRONG and spicy and delicious. I was torn between the latin benedict and the huevos rancheros but decided to spoit with my girlfriend so we were able to try both. I liked the latin benedict better and she liked the huevos! The breakfast potatoes were basic and I wasn’t a fan.
Service was good. Our server was friendly and attentive. Bonus: in the bathroom they have a mouthwash dispenser! That’s a nice touch.

There is a mouthwash dispenser in the bathroom. Its the best thing over. Anyway, back to the food. Yes, they are going to talk forever about their handmade tortillas, but YES, they are fantastic. And yes, every review talks about the fish tacos, but YES, they too are sooooo good.
The prices are a little steep, but the food and drinks were top notch, so I’m okay with it. The space is cool and they have a teeny-​tiny patio out back, which we say at (and were then forgotten by servers at). This place is something unique on Lake Street, so I hope they stick around!

Not sure if it’s my style but my family loved it.
The menu is very small and slightly pricey for how small the dishes are, and I was disappointed to see hardly any vegetarian options. Maybe this is normal for Mexican food, but since the menu is so small I’m hoping they expand with some veg dishes so I could order something that isn’t like «the chicken _​_​_​_​with no chicken». What’s the fun in that?
I wasn’t too hungry anyway so I just ordered the chips and salsa. They were fine but when I had about 5 chips left, the server took the basket and said he would refill it, but he never returned… We were there for an hour or more and he just never came back with those so I was disappointed. Hardly had any food and he takes the last 5 bites away :(
My mom got the shrimp ceviche; I didn’t try it but she said it was great and she let me have some of the plantain chips and they were good. Not salted or seasoned but I love plantains so they were fine plain anyway. Besides the server taking the rest of my food away, the service was great! A manager checked in and asked how our food was, and our waters were being filled constantly.
Oh yeah, the last thing I didn’t like is we were seated at this high-​top barrel table and it’s really wide and solid so the only way to get comfortably close to your food is to widely straddle the table… Couldn’t do that with 4 of us so we had to lean forward really far to take a bite and it was just really annoying so if you go, sit at the short tables!!!

I was pleasantly surprised with my visit to Tinto. I went over happy hour with a few of my coworkers. We went on a Monday and I was surprised that it wasn’t very busy. I started off with the house margarita on the rocks. It was strong, but not too strong. I liked it.
For dinner we all got the fish tacos and they were amazing. They had homemade corn tortilla shells and the pickled cabbage was delicious. The fish tacos are usually served with a habanero aioli, but I asked for the chipotle aioli on the side (I’m a huge whimp when it comes to spicy food). The chipotle aioli is awesome and I tried some of my friends habanero aioli and it wasn’t very spicy at all!
The only thing I didn’t like was that the shells were so small that it made eating the tacos very difficult. I defiantly would not recommend getting the fish tacos on a first date unless you’re very good at not making a mess out of your food.
Overall our server was super nice and attentive and the food was great. I’m excited to go back and try the nachos, they look awesome!

Came back here last night to take advantage of their happy hour and was a little disappointed. My first experience was great but this time it was just all right.
Ordered three steak tacos off of their happy hour menu for $ 9. I felt that was a bit pricey since at other Mexican restaurants you can usually get 3 for ~$ 6 but I was hoping they would be good enough to be worth it. Sadly, they weren’t. They were very small and I was still starving after I ate them all. (See picture for size). Their homemade tortillas are good and the toppings all were delicious but I felt a little cheated paying $ 9 for the such small and not filling tacos.
I guess if you want to have an appetizer and then a meal then it is a decent deal but if you are hoping to have tacos as your main dish I would head elsewhere where they are bigger for cheaper.

A first glance at the menu might make one outraged that the prices for a dish fare much more than those found at a traditional taqueria. For example, a taco at Tinto Cocina, on average, is about $ 3.33 (3 for $ 10). However, after factoring in that the corn tortillas are made daily, fresh ingredients are used, and that they’re going for a refined take on Mexican food, prices are absolutely justifiable. Welcome to the neighborhood, Tinto. You make the best tacos in Uptown.
But it’s not just the tacos. Practically everything made there is thoughtful, beautiful, and most importantly, delicious. Let me break it down:
I. FOOD
*Barbacoa Empanadas: They come out in four per order. While there’s a bit too much dough, the barbacoa is masterful. Whatever marinade they use rocks, and each bite is packed full of flavor. I love the sauce they drizzle on top, too.
**Pork Belly Tacos: Overall, they were tasty, but my least favorite overall. I thought the pork belly could’ve used more flavor, and they could’ve gone without the pepitas. They cooked the pork belly very well, though.
**Fish Tacos: The server highly recommended them, and I’m glad he did. I have to say, they were probably the best fish tacos I’ve had in Minnesota. Why? They weren’t overly fried and both the pickled cabbage and avocado complemented the pieces of cod very well. Highly recommended.
***Coconut Lemongrass Flan: The server also recommended this dessert — over the Tres Leches — and it was heavenly. Unlike the traditional round and opaque and jello-​y flan (which I love, BTW), Tinto’s is more cake-​y. Not to mention it’s also showered with cinnamon crunch (which is like a sweet oat), and beautifully presented.
II. DRINKS
I forget the name, but I had one of their drinks with tons of lime and maybe some other bitters. This is not very helpful, but they did provide enough alcohol to make me temporarily forget that the weekend was 2.5 days away.
III. SERVICE
My server was super awesome and provided some excellent recommendations. He also didn’t try to oversell anything. The food came out super fast, too.
IV. ATMOSPHERE
This place screams happy hour, and the inside is gorgeous. They put some work into the fixtures, flow, and setup. There’s about three bars and plenty of seating. I like.
V: OVERALL
I would absolutely return, and I can’t wait til my next visit. Did I mention the fish tacos? They are spectacular.