Tako Korean BBQ

Treat yourself to this all-​American melting pot and cultural orgy of food. Korean and Mexican food getting it on together and producing this gift to us? Thank you America… land of the free. Tell me where else these two foods are going to cuddle together and hook up?!
The Korean genes providing the internal medley of meats, sauces, and flavors. The Mexican side of the food family adding the beans, cheese, and wrapping the mouth gift with its flour or corn tortilla… or supporting with a foundation of crispy tortilla chips launching the Korean nacho excitement into the air like a flyer cheerleader.
Burritos…big and tasty.
Tacos…any kind of chicken, the bulgogi (spelling?), and the veggies tacos are awesome.
Bao bun with tofu… I’ll take three to my gut right now… amazing.
Nachos…generous portion and delish.
Fries…jury is still out because I need to try these bad boys. They look all exotic and naughty with the circus of sauces goin on… to be continued.

I came here on a warm summer Saturday night and was impressed by how casual and relaxed the place was. I guess I’m just used to seeing crowded restaurants on a Saturday night.
The food is pretty good for a place that closes really late. I tried the bulgogi salad and the dakgogi japchae. I enjoyed it while dining outside which was really nice. Next time I come, I’m definitely going to try the nachos and fries!

I can’t believe that I haven’t left a raving review til now…
I’ve visited almost 10 times now and each time it’s just as tasty and taste-​bud tingling. Korean meat and korean-​inspired side dishes infused into Mexican food vessels (burritos, burrito bowls, quesadilla, tacos).
Only trouble is sometimes the line gets lengthy and tickets get backed up, but well worth the 15 or so minute long wait; not too bad or long of a wait in the grande scheme.
One new discovery on their menu is the pork boa. Holy goodness, the steamed bun is perfect and meat is typically tender as you can want. Topped with daicon, peanut sauce, cilantro and a bit of chopped peanuts. Killer!
Otherwise, I go with the marinated pork (spicy) burrito. Also don’t skimp yourself on the bottle of go-​chu-​jang to top each bite (pepper paste, super traditional Korean condiment) while you down your goods.

I force by and saw it was opened, so stopped in for my first taste and wow, the food is excellent!
I had three tacos and the fried banana rolls… They were stuffed and now so am I! They also serve beer and hard cider…
On Friday and Saturday they’re open until 3 a.m. So after a night of debauchery, come enjoy some incredible Korean BBQ…

I typically love this place but the last visit was little to be desired. I always order 3 tacos — two bugolgi, 1 chicken. Normally, the food is hot, well marinated and flavorful. I picked up for late lunch at the low peak time. Since I called ahead, I just paid, walked in and grabbed it. When I went to munch on the chips, half of the bag was burnt chips! Then, when I sat to eat my food — tacos were cold, chicken was bland (looked boiled almost) and bulgolgi didn’t pack the usual punch. I gave 3 stars because I feel they were just off today and since it wasn’t peak hours, they lacked luster. Hopefully they make the needed improvements of quality control because they are a great little restaurant.

Can never go wrong when coming to this spot. I always go after their bulgogi fries or bulgogi bowl and both are quite filling. Another item that isn’t a permanent item on their menu is the chicken katsu burrito. If you’re a katsu fan then you must try this. I was surprised with how much flavor is packed. This is a nice spot to go to for something different and fresh. The staff is always friendly and they always have nice suggestions if you cant decide. The wait time for the food can take a little while and parking in the area can be a struggle (well it is midtown). Other than that I always love coming here because they never seem to disappoint!

What a waste of $ 12. Maybe I’m in a mood right now, but wow I seriously wish I didn’t just blow good money on a bowl of crap.
I have previously ordered the japchae with tofu, sans any kind of dairy. I was extremely happy with it before and decided to order again. Yeah 2^nd time was not same as the 1^st. The tofu was a day old fried dehydrated mess soaked in some kind of too sweet marinade. I was charged extra for this nasty tofu yet hadn’t been before. The noodles were an over boiled train wreck sitting in oily brown juice. I can honestly say thank gawd they forgot the rice beneath the noodles or else I would have been beyond pissed seeing the floating rice. There were pineapple chunks??? on top of shredded bitter/​sour cabbage, some shreds brown, some purple, and some white. Yes white, not pale green. I’m assuming the mushrooms were good, as the rest of this garbage overpowered whatever umami was attempted.
My good looks and charm may have intimidated dude taking orders, since he barely uttered more than 5 words during the whole exchange. Why did customers after me get an entire convo out of him? Ugh the more experiences I have like this the more I just want to stay home with a salad…

Disclosure: I’m only reviewing one item on the menu…
I went to Tako Korean BBQ with the intention of trying the nachos or fries. I was eyeing the fire chicken or Bulgogi or the pulled pork. Any red meat would have done. But then I looked at the menu. Fish tacos. They have fish tacos. I couldn’t pass up on the opportunity.
Review for fish tacos: At first glance, I was impressed by how large each taco was (Tako offers three tacos for about 9 bucks). The trio was covered with fresh slaw and drizzled over with special red sauce. You know, the kind you always see on fish tacos.
Needless to say, I couldn’t wait. I placed my order and within seven minutes, it arrived.
The fish pieces were massive. Each taco had two large pieces of fish within. Upon closer examination, the fish pieces appeared to be cut. Not a big deal, but part of me wanted whole pieces. I wanted each piece to be fried solo, if only for aesthetics. The tortilla was super good and corny, in a good way. It tasted like a real Mexican tortilla grilled by my tia.
Now to the bad part: The breading around the fish was simply too thick. It was like eating a double-​decker taco. Unless you’re drunk, a tortilla-​wrapped taco seems unnecessary. Then, the restaurant didn’t have lemon or lime. A little disappointing, but I considered it a minor setback. The first bite was unimpressive. The fish had good flavor in and of itself, but it lacked seasoning on the outside. I think the taco was simply too plain/​simple. I finished the tacos, hoping they would get better with each bite. I was wrong. I’d rate the tacos ²⁄₅. I’d prefer more punch to the sauce to complement the fresh fish, fresh slaw and tortillas. And a slimmer outer breading.
Review on customer service: Excellent. The staff was very helpful and enthusiastic about the food they serve.
Review on ambiance: Excellent. This place is chic and inviting. Also note: There are a lot of ramps/​steps, so watch your step.
Overall: Incomplete. I need to go back and try some of their red-​meat offerings.
For now, my search for a perfect fish taco in Sacramento continues.

Got the fish taco special for lunch and wasn’t disappointed. The fish lost its flavor in the cooking though so don’t miss the spicy sauce garnish to top the cabbage filling for flavor.
11 $ for three sizable tacos that one order filled two medium-​hungry adults
PROS: good food, nice staff; cute outdoor patio
CONS: the fusion business model makes for a confusing menu, patio is loud and not super relaxing despite its picturesqueness; food not remarkable; limited parking

Korean/​Mexican fusion is definitely in the vogue and who can complain, it’s delicious. Tako definitely does a good job with their burritos and bowls and salads with delicious marinated meats. Prices are decent though slightly more than what you’d pay at Chipotle.
The only thing I’d say to avoid is their katsu burrito. Too dry and not much flavor. Bleh. But their marinated meats are great no matter what you get it on, whether that’s a burrito, a bowl, a salad, fries or nachoes. Trust me on this, I’ve had them all.

Little small fast-​food restaurant in mid-​town Sacramento that is worth stopping by for lunch during the weekday. Come here on a Friday at 3 PM and it didn’t have that many people so our food came out fast. The scenery is nice and many seats outside and very little inside.
As for the food there’s lots of options: burritos, bowls, salads, nachos, fries. They have alcohol: beer and soju. Also desert: smoothies, shaved ice, and banana rolls.
I came here and got the regular Bulgogi which was alright but had a sweet taste to it which was nice surprise. The Dae Ji Bugolgi had so much flavor and I would recommend out of them all.
The in house sauce is amazing! Spicy and has a lime taste to it. If you’re around the area definitely recommend this place.

Oh Tako — I come to you when I’m hungry at lunch, late at night after a long day at work or a long night on the town. Even though you served me up some HORRIBLE buns, everything you’ve done up until now will earn you forgiveness.
You have so many options and so many variations at TAKO. You basically select a meat (Chicken, Pork, Vegetarian, Beef) — korean style a «style» — Burito, salad, burito bowl, taco’s, fries, etc. and later what comes out is a generous portion of deliciousness. Most of the time I get one order of something here and I end up eating it for two meals. Here is a good place to be bold and to try a new combination because you won’t be disappointed. $ 10 – 12 for a meal = bliss.
What I can’t seem to figure out is WHY their salsa is SO GOOD. SO MAGICAL.
Also a shout out to the guys who work here, they’re really on point with getting you your food as fast as possible even if its crazy busy. One low point would be the buns. They were really really really bad — the bun part was dry, the meat was old and dry. Really disappointing compared to everything else. Maybe next time I’ll get a good bun, but I’ll probably have to steer clear for awhile.

My husband really wanted to try this place last week so we went for the first time. He enjoyed his bulgogi nachos but I was not a fan of my bowl. I had the only chicken that is gluten-​free. I felt that the rice had an odd flavor, the chicken was just ok and it had a funny purple sauce and green sauce that had odd flavor. We had our son with us which made it hard because they don’t have a kids menu and our son won’t eat nearly a whole meal of his own so it’s a waste of money and food. He ate chicken and rice out of my bowl and then we ordered a side of garlic Fries which weren’t bad but were nothing special. I personally won’t be going back since they have very little to choose from for gluten-​free and kids.

This place is so close to being a 5 star place to eat! The food looks great! Very colorful and vibrant! However the taste didn’t quite live up to the look!
Ordering was a long drawn out process, the cook was also the cashier. Also who doesn’t have ketchup??? The menu is not kid friendly at all, I ordered my son garlic fries, but they don’t have ketchup, just a spicy sauce.
I think I was the only person in my party that remotely enjoyed my food! It’s a great concept but still needs some tweaking.
May try again down the road.

Great affordable place to get your Korean craving satisfied. Averaging about 10 $ a person this place packs a lot of flavor for your dollar. Personally I enjoy their rice bowls with the bulgogi beef but this evening I decided to try one of their specials. The chicken marsh burrito tasted ok but it was a very messy and loosely wrapped burrito. To enjoy this meal, I asked for a bowl to avoid having the meal spread all over the table.
Their chips and salsa was very delicious. I believe they were homemade chips with a lightly creamed pico de Gallo type of sauce.

First review of 2016! Gonna try out the 100 Unilocal Reviews in a year challenge for the year :)
⁰¹⁄₁₀₀:
Whenever I’m craving tacos with a Korean taste added to it, I go here!
Pros:
— very simplistic menu that isn’t over-​croweed with overwhelming options
— indoor/​outdoor seating available
— menu contains tacos, burritos, bowls, nachos, and fries. Side dishes are also available.
— Desserts are available (macarons, shaved ice)
— Drinks (wine, soju, beer) are available
— workers are tentative and upbeat (for the times that I’ve gone, anyways)
— decent prices for decent amount of food
Cons:
— no parking lot so parking is scarce
— very small interior, the place feels a bit cramped
— the area it is at is confusing to go through, especially if you’re not from Sacramento (I get lost every time I try to come here when I’m the one driving)
If you like the sweet&savory combination, this place is definitely for you. Their flavors for their food are unique, but also very close to Korean sweetness and Mexican savory-​esque. Overall, a nice place to go to, but driving there will probably get me lost to a different area in the end.

Generally not a fan of Korean-​Mexican fusion, and this place did not change my mind. My mom had been wanting to come here for awhile, so we went. We split two dishes. The first was the Rice Bowl with Bulgogi. The bulgogi was pretty good, but the rice was undercooked and the slaw was flavorless. (This has nothing on the Chipotle Burrito Bowl, sadly.) The second was the Kimchi Quesadilla with Chicken. The chicken was surprisingly juicy and delicious, though I would have selected a spicier meat next time. Would recommend the quesadilla.
There are a few other tasty-​sounding things on the menu like the Bao and Wings. I like that they also have beer, wine, and soju available. I’d totally come here for a happy hour type thing. I was not blown away by their food, but I will admit that this is a cool place. There’s some indoor and outdoor seating but not good for groups. The restaurant itself is small, including their parking lot of 2 – 3 spaces. Not bad.

This place gets a triple D for being «deliciously deadly & dangerous»! I’d love to give this place more than three stars, but damn I’ll die tomorrow if I keep eating stuff like this. So, here’s the gist of this tiny little gas station called Tako.
Now, parking here can be a bit tricky as there are only a few spaces. But other than that, you’d have to park along the street. I’m betting this place really was an old gas station from the 50s. Maybe even from the 30s.
Dining, not so bad. Regular tables on the inside. Tall high chair seating out on the patio. I can imagine myself eating out there on a cool summer night. Well, when I went it almost was.
As for the service, a tad bit rowdy, as the boys working there seem to keep themselves entertained. I can hang with the street service, but I’m sure other people can’t. Not a big deal, but the blaring music made it hard to order.
About my grub, here’s what I ordered:
~ Kimchi Quesadilla with Bulgolgi ($ 8) — Loved the soft flour tortilla taste. And overall insane with the combo of flavors. All drizzled with that purple garlicy ‘whatever’ sauce. Not sure how to explain it. And the tangy orange sauce as well. Not as big as a Mexican quesadilla, but definitely different. The bulgolgi texture was kinda off to, something I didn’t expect.
~ Marinated Chicken Burrito ($ 8) — A good bite at first, nice and hot. Full of flavor, and then the flavor just gets to you. I though the rice would absorb most of it, but it didn’t. It wasn’t horrible, it was just a bit powerful. I’ll get the spicy pork next time.
~ Kimchi fried rice ($ 6) — Probably my favorite of the night, but then again how can you really mess up kimchi fried rice. It’s rice and kimchi, theirs was yum!
Will I be back? Maybe, if I’m in the mood. Especially if I wanna stuff my belly and clog my arteries, then yes.

They have a whole «new» (since I’ve been, anyways) side of the menu, but I stuck with the original. Galbi nachos for me.
Yes, they can be messy. Yes, there is a bunch of stuff on it. Is that really an issue??? I say pile it on. All the wonderful tasting colorful sauces and everything.
And just like the tacos… if you’re looking for a traditional style nacho dish, keep looking. This is Korean BBQ– it says it on the sign out front. No surprises when you discover it ain’t no Mexican food.

I recently came to Tako Korean BBQ on a Thursday night to pick something up for dinner because it was quick and easy. The parking lot is super small (enough for about 4 cars) so I ended up parking a block down the street but parking was really easy.
I ordered their Nachos with Tofu (Vegetarian) which based on the website description came with tofu, slaw, sour cream, salsa and their house sauce on top of tortilla chips. Service was fast and friendly and I was on my way in a matter of minutes. They weren’t very busy when I was there, with one two tables occupied.
I’ve had this place bookmarked for awhile (and all the pictures looked amazing!) so I was very sad when I started eating my nachos and I was…
Seriously underwhelmed.
The chips were good, and there was some semi melted shredded cheese on top (not mentioned in the description) but the whole thing was so dry. There wasn’t any sour cream, and I didn’t see any salsa, but I did find what looked to be either pineapples or potatoes all throughout my nachos. Wtf? It same with a side of their house sauce which had good flavor, but not enough to bring these nachos into flavor town. There was a lite slaw and the tofu was ok, but it was cut up into chunks that were too big so it was hard to eat with the chips. Whatever it was marinaded in was also super vinegary.
Unfortunately these super dry chips, tofu, minute slaw, house sauce, semi melted cheese and mystery pineapple/​potato isn’t going to get me coming back. I didn’t even eat my leftovers (just threw half of it away) which for me, is almost unheard of.