I'm still here in Lansing for a conference and after a long day of meetings, my coworker and I were hungry. The original spot we wanted to go to was packed and we didn't want to wait, so we came here instead. Walking in the place is cutely decorated and has two levels. since it was kind of loud downstairs, we sat upstairs instead. The menus kind of slim but they do have a bunch of different taco options to choose from. my coworker went with a plain taco and I went with two of the French dip tacos. The tacos were good but for some reason I think there was bacon on it but I was so tired I didn't feel like sending it back. Plus, it was dark and I honestly couldn't tell, but I'm certain there was bacon. They do charge a 3% fee if you run your card, which I did because after two tacos and a pop, my bill was $18?!?! My coworker paid cash and she still got the service fee? It wasn't huge but really, what's happening here? Anyway, this place isn't bad but I don't know that I'd return in the future for a variety of reasons but I can see why people do love it here as it's a fun place to watch sports on TV and hang out with friends! read more

I'll be honest, I was a little disappointed with my experience at this barrios location. The service was great, but the ambiance and food were just ok. I got two "build your own" tacos. For meats, I picked the chorizo + black beans & the seasoned pulled chicken. I will say it was fun to build my own & pick all the toppings I wanted. The food quality was just ok. I was a bit disappointed by the flavor (was expecting more flavor and more tender meat). The toppings were ok, but didn't really blow me away either. The pineapple salsa was a bit overpowering & it all blended together a bit too much. I will say these were my choices - but I felt quality and taste could've been better. Not just from an "authentic street taco" perspective, but also for a "fusion" / new American taco joint perspective. I did try the "French dip" taco from the el jefe menu and it was great! The barbacoa was pretty good too. And the salsa + guac was really good. Ambiance was ok. It felt like it needed to be refreshed a bit inside & we were a bit cold by the door. Overall, I had an ok experience. Fun to build tacos from scratch, but was a bit disappointed by the food quality. Price was great though. read more

Barrio Tacos East Lansing - Chips and Salsa Roja + Chips Traditional Guacamole + Chips - Tacos Near Me - East Lansing, Michigan

We had a good sized group. I did call ahead a couple weeks out and was told they do not do reservations and to just show up. We all met up at 5pm on a Friday. our group ended up being a count of 22. Basics, the restaurant is located near a parking deck for easy access. It was a short walk after parking. The group was welcomed in and the staff gave us a wait time to be seated. My sister-in-law had estimated there would be 15 of us. I got more concrete numbers during our drive there and gave them a count when I arrived and reiterated that we had no issue with waiting. As other diners finished, they started putting tables together for us. Once we were seated, our server Kaitlyn went over how the ordering process worked and took our orders for drinks. We asked ahead about splitting out checks and were advised it would not be an issue. Kaitlyn handled our group so well! We even had a member of our group with a significant allergy and the kitchen did a great job there. Kaitlyn got the information about her order and made sure it went smoothly. I had two of their house margaritas, on the rocks with a tajin salt rim. Delicious! Folks enjoyed a variety of drinks. There were even a few pitchers blackberry margaritas at one end of the table. The order process is neat, you get to select your ingredients to build your taco or bowl. I chose the Green Goddess (flour tortilla with queso and guac in between a hard corn shell) for both of my tacos. I got spice-rubbed chicken in one and jalapeno lime shrimp in the other. My shrimp taco had queso fresco, lettuce, cilantro & onions, pico and salsa verde. In the chicken taco, I got chihuahua cheese, onions & poblanos, lettuce, cilantro & onions, pico, salsa verde and Barrio Secret Sauce. The tacos were delicious and made just how I ordered them. Everyone in our group enjoyed their food and drink. What a great experience! read more

See all

"Las penas con pan son menos." Roughly translated it means pains are relieved with food. If you are nourished, every other problem looks a bit smaller. Latin people say it to offer relief but also empowerment. When someone is sad and needs to be lifted up, you say ¡a comer que las penas con pan son menos!, meaning "let's eat because food will take your pain away!" Barrio is the Happiest Place on Earth. Sorry Disney. It's got epic margaritas with interesting variations. It also Has a fascinating process for ordering tacos. You fill out a very thorough form for each taco kind of as you would in a sushi restaurant for ordering sushi but it's more elaborate and thorough. I'm a regular three taco person but here I'd scale back to two tacos because by the time you load in all the fixings, it's huge. Warning, I would not go here for a snack, but I would go here if I were starving, or if it were my last meal before an asteroid struck earth since you will be epically full when you leave. read more

See all

How can you not like this place?! The variety, creativity of creating your own tacos, the margaritas, chips and queso...this place is a win!!! The atmosphere is pretty fun, plenty of tv's to watch the games, close to parking and walking distance to other local establishments. read more

Barrio Tacos East Lansing - Queso, salsa, & margs - Tacos Near Me - East Lansing, Michigan

We visited with family and tried a host of different tacos. Out of the the three tacos I tried, one had jalapeno lime shrimp, one with scallop (seafood of the day), and the third with pulled chicken. My favorite was the shrimp, fresh and juicy and cooked just right. The chicken was the second, texture was great but could've been more spicy. My least favorite were the scallops because they had a slight fishy smell to them. Service was friendly and quick. We sat on the second floor but it was quite dark. The bulb right above our table was out and with it being a cloudy day, you could barely see what you were eating. They got all the tacos out in a basket without any tags or labels so we had a really hard time figuring out what's what. They need a better system to bring the tacos to your table, one star off for mainly that. read more

See all

If I could leave zero stars I would. Literally there were three of us and we all ordered different build your own tacos. Yet all the tacos were cold. The tortillas were cold the meat inside were cold and mind you the wait took a long time. We also ordered an appetizer that didn't come out until we were literally half way done eating all our entree tacos. We also were never notified there was a last call so when we tried to order they said no. There's no desserts if you're trying to celebrate a birthday so just a heads up, literally check out Pablo's much better food and service. Yeah the place looks cool inside but that is the only thing the place has going for it. Save yourself some money and pass on this spot. read more

See all

Amazing Food, great service, excellent staff. Would eat there again. Very clean inside.

Amazing, delicious food. Excellent value. Do not miss the smash burger taco. Little kids and grownups all loved the choices!

I had a food allergy and they could not accommodate changing the dishes for me when I asked. They even showed me the allergy menu and there was barely anything that I can eat. Was not accommodating for someone that has a few allergy, especially with not eating any spicy food and there was no substitution. read more

Food was really good and service was great. I have a red meat allergy and they could not guarantee chicken was not cross contaminated but I appreciated the honesty and vegetarian/vegan options read more

The girl with the dirty blonde hair, she looks like a kelsie, is so mean!! She was so rude to our party and denied someone who was 21+ very rudely. Hawk eyes on our whole family ensuring we were being VERY careful with not sharing sips. They all are so rude and a tad TOO protective. Hire better bartenders!! read more

Food - 3.5/5 Service - 4/5 Ambience - 3.5/5 Value - 3.5/5 The wall decor is cool, but it's very dark inside. You can build your own taco which they bring out to you. The meat is juicy but some of the sauces are a bit overpowering. Each taco is about $5, not bad but a little high for a taco. Staff is friendly and helpful. read more

Really, a great place to eat, drink, hang out and be totally gastronomically satisfied! Very energetic vibe, lots of windows, two-story dining room that is open and enjoyable! Tacos, tacos, tacos, queso, queso and salsas! All the name of the game! Tons of different sauces too. You can choose your tortilla, layer your tortillas, mix and match crunchy, corn, flour. Add your proteins, lots for vegetarians too, add your salsas and sauces and you have Your own best taco!! Believe me, I had many, I couldn't just choose one and I had to try the different flavors of salsas and sauces! Lots of flavors and it was all tasty! This place is on my list of best East Lansing eateries! Truly, I look forward to my next visit and eating adventure! read more

Barrio Tacos East Lansing - Cool interior - Tacos Near Me - East Lansing, Michigan

See all

The elote queso is so good! There's a lot of options and plenty of vegetarian choices.

Wow! We loved Barrio in East Lansing. This area of town has changed considerably over the years, and this taco spot is a super fun addition to downtown. The menu is huge and you can build your own everything, which can be a bit overwhelming. Luckily our server Emily was amazing and led us through the whole menu and described many of the items. We decided to lean on the specialties menu, aka El Jefe's selecciones, rather than building our own this time. We got El Sully, Camarone Agrietado, La Tierra, El Jefe Loco, a side of rice, palomas, and a Jame-o-rita (margarita made with Jameson). The menu and style of tacos is pretty similar to Condado, but I liked Barrio better. The Camarone Agrietado was my favorite! It has a flour shell, jalapeño lime shrimp, cilantro rice, napa slaw, and "crack sauce". The shrimp were perfectly cooked, which is super impressive because I typically find that shrimp tacos are often overcooked. These shrimp were juicy and tender! The other flavors of the taco were fresh and crisp. The other tacos had a lot more going on, sometimes I think they may try to put too many ingredients into one taco - but these all worked pretty well. The chorizo of the El Sully was super flavorful in particular. My least favorite was the La Tierra, just because I think the steak itself got really lost. One of the tacos had pickled jalapenos which were a little spicy, but otherwise nothing was super hot. The salsa was delicious! A little smoky with a bit of heat, we had to keep ourselves from getting more. The side of cilantro lime rice was a really small portion for $1 but it was super flavorful and fresh. Emily was an amazing server - helpful, friendly, funny, and quick with anything we needed. A manager stopped by our table during our meal too. I can't wait to go back here and hopefully a Barrio will open up closer to home someday. read more

See all

Barrio has a social ambiance and is the perfect spot to hang out in the summer because its outdoor patio is located right in Albert El Fresco. I enjoy trying the limited time menu items, especially the quesos. (I wish they would bring back the mac and cheese one!) I love how customizable the menu options are because there is always something new to try. This time I ordered a mango margarita, birria queso, and a taco with the fish of the day and pineapple salsa. Everything was delicious! read more

Barrio Tacos East Lansing - Fish taco - Tacos Near Me - East Lansing, Michigan

See all

Worst service ever. Small blonde girl wasn't able to get us drinks, chips and salsa and our food sat on the ledge by kitchen for over 20 minutes, as our waitress was nowhere to be found. I even heard the tables around us complaining. My daughter steal taco was cold, she didn't even eat it. I know that food is normally good here, but service is awful. read more

I'm not a huge taco purist... tacos mostly taste the same at most of these restaurants to me... but if I had to get Tacos from somewhere Barrio would be the place with the most options I think... a bunch of sauces, a bunch of different margarita flavors... I don't know how fresh the drinks are but the food seems pretty fresh. Your food comes out very quick too (as it should). I thought the prices were pretty cheap too. read more

I really wanted to like it from the positive reviews. I've had one good experience. Went at brunch and dinner a few times, neither of which I would recommend. They do not maintain the building. One stall doesn't work in the woman's (so one bathroom stall) and the dryer doesn't work. You'll be swatting away gnats if you're trying to eat inside. But let's start with the food. The chips are so bad. I can't even eat them because it's eating straight up salt (attached picture). The salsa was just okay. My food- there was way too much sauce and the tofu was so chewy. Everything else has decent heat but it lacks flavor. The service is so incredibly slow. It takes one hour no matter what time of day you go in there. Minimum of 45 min for food and your lucky if your server checks on you. It's Americanized food at best. read more

Barrio Tacos East Lansing - Chips - Tacos Near Me - East Lansing, Michigan

You are paying double here what you would pay in L.A. for tacos that are not authentic. The pork is so overly sweetened that it tastes like it is drenched in tomato-less BBQ sauce. It's not bad. It's slightly above Acapulco in taste, and below Cancun. Hopefully there are better ones, I just don't go to the Midwest to eat Latin American food. Think American BBQ that is turned into Tex-Mex. read more

Taco taco taco taco!!!!! Well this was interesting. I had to take my own order, fill out some crazy little score card, and pay a hefty price to do it. The world is declining... we do all the work and it costs us more to do it. The tacos were quite delish, but goodness they were so small. Call them mini-tacos or something. The gal that watched me take my own order was great and helpful. The outside seating was lovely.... But east landing is becoming more and more sell out, every time I go back. I remember right in the same area, when I was in school, there was Pancheros, home of the two pound burritos, and they were like $4. Ahhh and he good old days. I'd recommend a visit, the food is fabulous, just small and overpriced. read more

I feel the need to qualify that I'm from NY before I begin. The ambiance here is A+ but the food is meh. The flavors aren't complex. Sad guacamole with no depth and super salty chips. I had high hopes for the bowl with cilantro lime shrimp. The garlic only came through an hour later in the form of a burp. I wanted to like this place so badly! I think lots of people do. I did appreciate that gluten free is clearly labeled while many other local restaurants have been confused by the fact that I can't eat gluten. read more

Barrio Tacos East Lansing - Cilantro shrimp bowl with pineapple and other add-ons. - Tacos Near Me - East Lansing, Michigan

See all

This place was absolutely amazing. The waitress was very friendly and very helpful if we had any questions. The chips and salsa tasted amazing. Every taco we had tasted amazing. Will be back for sure. Highly recommend!! read more

Barrio Tacos East Lansing - Chips and Salsa - Tacos Near Me - East Lansing, Michigan

chips/salsa and service were great! that's where the greatness ended. They serve their soft corn tacos raw. Rubbery, disgusting mess. Everything was HEAVILY salted. The pulled pork option was drowning in soy sauce? I couldn't even finish that taco. Queso was thin and watery. I couldn't find the cilantro or the lime in my side of cilantro lime rice. It straight up tasted like black pepper rice. You have to be high or drunk to think this is good food. Go elsewhere . read more

Plenty of good food with great service and a cool business model. I enjoy that ability to customize a taco, but enjoyed the pre-made tacos. Chips and salsa as a precursor is never a bad way to go, but extremely friendly service. I only have one criticism: heat your tortillas. The batch we got felt like they came out of the package, and while good, I was hoping for something a little bit less like I made it myself. Don't get me wrong, I will come back here and I enjoyed myself so this business is definitely a place to get some good food and good drinks. read more

Barrio Tacos East Lansing - Tacos Near Me - East Lansing, Michigan

We loved Barrio! Fun atmosphere, great menu, and the tacos are huge! The queso is delicious and I love how they have multiple dipping options. The tacos are huge. I found 2 to be plenty of a normal adult. This is a solid spot with lots of options for everyone. read more

See all

The location is perfect, right in the heart of downtown E.L. When we entered we were greeted with smiles from all three of the employees at the front counter. I assumed there would be a short wait but we were seated right away. Our server Travis did a great job explaining how to build our own tacos and keeping our waters and beers full. There are so many options to build your tacos. The wife and I are vegans and we still came up with five completely different tacos between us. The tofu was our favorite choice of protein, I highly recommend. The atmosphere was great. The music had the perfect amount of bpm's to keep everyone energized, no yawning here. This place is for everyone, so don't skip it assuming it's just for college kids, there were people of all ages. We can see ourselves eating here many times in the future, you should too. read more

Barrio Tacos East Lansing - Menu - Tacos Near Me - East Lansing, Michigan

We loved this spot! We had planned on going to jolly Pumpkin next door but they were not open yet so we came here for a drink. We ended up loving it. Walking through the door we experienced an explosion of vibrance! There was something to see in every corner. I am a huge fan of mexican food and I happen to love sugar skulls. That type of decor makes me happy on every level. Now of course there has to be delicious margaritas and food. We loved the look of the margaritas and both decided to order one. Holy smokes. Knock your socks off good. I was starting to get hungry again so we ordered some chips. I love salt. There was the perfect amount of salt on these. The queso was amazing. Even the salsa was good (I don't really like tomatoes). I wish we had time to eat a full meal but we needed to start heading back. This is a place we will come back to for sure! read more

See all

Food was amazing, we started with the 3 dip appetizer, two drinks and then We ordered two signature tacos as well as a speciality Taco. The Service was awesome especially for two first time guests. Building was nice, comfortable, indoor & outdoor seating. This is a cool spot. read more

If someone ever asked me where the should eat in East Lansing, I would answer "Barrio" without hesitation. There's something about the tacos here that keep bringing me back for more, and I almost always leave satisfied. When you walk in, the first thing that sticks out is the wall decor: a black-and-white mural with a smiling, skeletal mariachi band will make you pause at the uniqueness. Looking around, you'll see a clean restaurant with plenty of seating (although it's almost always crowded). After being seated, you have the choice to order from a menu or a la carte (both of which require you to bubble in your food order on a paper menu). I recommend building your own tacos, as you have a lot more freedom to be adventurous. I love the bombshell (hard shell wrapped in a soft shell, with bacon and queso in between), with coca-cola marinated steak. After that, I mix and match other toppings, and always leave satisfied with my choice. The biggest downfall of Barrio isn't the food, nor the cleanliness, but the service. I don't mean to say the staff is rude; they are beyond friendly and helpful. However, they seem to be a little inexperienced. The past two times I've been, I've had a server running around like a chicken with their head chopped off, and a server who couldn't seem to remember who ordered what. I think if they received some more training, these things wouldn't be an issue. All in all, this is still an elite establishment. I highly recommend stopping by if you're in the area. 4/5 read more

The margaritas don't taste like margaritas and the tacos are weak. Who is pumping up these reviews? Dumb college kids? The food here is atrocious and I should've expected it the moment we got chips. My jalapeño margarita tasted like jalapeño Powerade read more

The taco menu is large and varied, so there are plenty of options for everyone. I liked the El Jefe Loco. The service was good, and a small error was fixed with ease. What really compels me to write a review was just how awful the house margarita is. You could water down some yellow Gatorade, hide the abomination behind a salt rim, and get the same thing. For a place that specializes in tacos and tequila, I expected more. read more

I am obsessed with this place. I just discovered it in May, and I've been there four or five times now. Did I mention I live in Jackson lol?? Totally worth the drive. They have great flavored margaritas, and free chips and salsa (good ones too)! Best of all, I LOVE anywhere I get to order my food on a worksheet. I've always done the build your own option, and everything I've had has been outstanding. Two tacos plus the chips and salsa is enough food for me, so it's also like a $7 meal (plus the margaritas lol). A great deal for how upscale these tacos are! The best part is the sauces- I just order a bunch of them on the side. I've tried quite a few of them now- here are my reviews: -Salsa roja: This is the free salsa you get with your chips. It's quite good, but why order more when it's already free on the table? -Cilantro/lime aioli: Really good; like an extra-flavorful replacement for sour cream. -Chipotle crema: Tasted good, but way too mild. I wouldn't bother to get this one again; it's pretty much just sour cream. -Mango habanero: BY FAR the best one!!! Definitely order this sauce. It's actually very mango-ey, and soooo tasty. -Crack sauce: This was also very good- like a spicier version of Taco Bell's spicy ranch. -DIrty sauce: This one was good as well, but doesn't make it into my top 3. Definitely still worth a try, though. Their queso blanco is also very good! It doesn't have nasty chunks of peppers and crap in it like other places do, so it's nice and creamy but still has all the flavor! read more

Margaritas were chefs kiss and I loved the queso and salsa. I haven't had any that tasted like that up here.

This place is probably one of the worst places I have been. Started at the lack of service . The ladies up front were more worried about how they looked and discussing what they did last night then explaining to us first time visitors how to go about ordering. We waited almost 15 minutes for someone to a address our table. We were told by the hostess that they were serving brunch currently and ordered the hash bowl. It literally came with no potatoes, a rubbery egg, and a bowl fool of grease, meat and a rubbery egg. Manager was only willing to take 50% off the hash bowl.... We left both of ours on the table uneaten. read more

Such a cute place by campus! Kid & I both liked everything we've gotten so far and appreciate the checklist style of ordering. Service is always fast & friendly and food is always hot, fresh & delicious. Appreciate the specials changing every so often to maybe try something new. read more

My favorite place to visit in EL for frozen margaritas and tacos. Great location, awesome atmosphere with great food!

This place is awesome! The atmosphere is exciting. The food and drinks are delicious. We've had attentive service the handful of times we've been. read more

I've been here several times when I come up for games or to visit campus and am typically pleased. Today however, I ordered the pineapple guacamole; my group started eating it and 1/4 way in, noticed a very hard block that we were unable to eat or cut. Maybe, it was a very unripe avocado which the chef should have caught. I'm not sure what it was but we let the server know and since our food had arrived; we no longer wanted a new one since it was our appetizer. Soon after sending it back, the manager came over and let us know that he could only take 75% off of the $8 guacamole which seemed ridiculous to me. Our food had arrived and we were past the appetizer stage. I didn't complain but it didn't site right with my party of 4; why not just take the whole thing off. read more