My roommates and I are regulars at both the Brookline and Fenway locations, having tried every taco on the menu more than once. Suffice to say, we love Bartaco. Special shoutouts to: chips and guac, pork belly taco, duck birria, green margarita, and churros. One thing about Bartacos that I've come to learn over time: the quality can vary. Sometimes it's a good Bartaco day, sometimes it's an incredible Bartaco day. But I've never had a bad Bartaco day. The service model is quick and efficient. You typically order using the QR code, though I recently noticed they've been offering the physical menus more which feels a lot classier. However, when you order on your phone with the QR, you will get a free taco for your next visit after completing a short survey. Unless you put the blue service card up to indicate you want your server, you probably won't see them much, but it's not an issue, especially with the many food runners they have. The ambiance is very pretty and eclectic with soft lantern lighting. Medium casual dining, not too expensive, very suitable for a first date, probably not a fancy anniversary dinner type of place. TLDR: go to Bartaco. You'll probably love it. read more

Bartaco - Tacos Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

" Tacos fresh & delicious : Yo quiero mas !!! " I mean fresh , delicious tacos and the service is amazing what else can you ask for , The waitress knew her taco game . Describing all the tacos on the menu . The vibe is welcoming & friendly. It's a beach vibe with the decor matching . I definitely will be back . Yo Quiero mas!!! read more

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I didn't know Bartaco had other locations around other than Seaport so I had to see what the ambience was like here! Natural light filled restaurant. We sat near the from door so I didn't get to see the whole restaurant layout. Decided to try non-taco stuff this time and I enjoyed everything: the half chicken, kimchi, plantain, black beans and street corn. Had to get my pork belly taco as well just because. Also ordered a watermelon margarita which was refreshing. read more

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They have a parking lot which is a blessing. Our server Victor was friendly, personable and kind. He gave good recommendations on drinks and was really funny. We had the pork belly and the fish tacos. Those two were definitely our favorites, very light, flavorful and juicy. Carnitas wasn't too bad but more on the salty side. Decor is like a ship deck ocean vibe to the restaurant. read more

Bartaco - Tacos Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

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Bartaco is my go-to spot whenever I'm craving some tacos. I usually go whenever I crave their duck birria, roast duck taco, Brussel sprouts taco, and/or mushroom taco, as these are DELICIOUS. I also enjoy their tuna tatako, fried oyster, baja fish, and pork belly tacos. Personally felt like their beef ribeye taco was okay, as it is like a small portion of kbbq with kimchi, so if I'm craving that, I may as well go to an actual kbbq spot. Overall, they have so many good options that you can't really go wrong with anything. Service is pretty quick and good and I love the casual ambiance -- great spot to hang with friends! read more

Bartaco - Tacos Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

Had a fun solo night out at Bartaco! Place was packed but luckily I found a seat at the bar. The bartenders kindly explained to me how the menu works, there's different kinds of tacos and on their paper menu you fill out how many of each you'd like. They also have other options too but tacos is their main feature. They also warned me tacos are on the smaller side which was helpful. Taking all this information in, I ordered 2 crispy shrimp and 2 baja fish. They were so fricken good, fresh and flavorful. I felt like I wanted something else so I ordered a side of their plantains paired with a creama and wow! So good paired together. I also got a bartaco margarita of course! Everything was so tasty and it's a fun spot to check out by yourself or with friends! I recommend!! read more

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Service: exceptional. Staff was attentive, responsive, and welcoming. It was easy to order through their little paper slip system. Ambiance: cute, chic. Food: ok for Boston! The spicy shrimp taco was the best. I enjoyed the food overall, except the tacos just had too many embellishments. The flavors didn't always seem to meld together. At some point you begin to wonder if all the sauces and garnishes are attempts to mask limited skills to make a good, classic taco or the poor quality of the ingredients? Maybe that's just me -- I do prefer my tacos with minimal adjustments and from a taco truck. I do think I'll be coming back for the overall experience. read more

I had an amazing time at bartaco. The service was fast and had a great ambiance for a date night. All of the items we got were delicious and I need to go away to try the other tacos. The spiced chicken verde bowl was good but I recommend the tacos. The tuna taco melted in my mouth and was very savory. The falafel taco was very crunchy on the outside but soft on the inside. This contrast added more to the flavor profile. read more

Bartaco - spiced chicken verde rice bowl, ahi tuna tatako, falafel, and sangria - Tacos Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

I first visited Bartaco in NY when the original location opened about a decade ago. I was impressed. Fast forward to today and they have many locations across the country. They do an amazing job with the decor inside and the place was like an ice box on a 90 degree day, which is awesome. Decided to sit outside as the sun was going down and the heat wasn't bad. You can order from the QR code at the table and even have an option to have the entire party put it on your bill, while still ordering from their own phones. Or you can just order from your own phone. Tacos are small and the waitstaff suggests 3-5 per person. I opted for 4, since I ordered the Trio of Dips appetizer. The trio comes in a large and small version. I got the small, which has a smoky salsa, a salsa verde heavy on cilantro, and house made guacamole. The 'chips' are whole fried tortillas that you break off. Cool concept, although probably easier to just have a basket of chips. The guac was the best and I wish I ordered a bowl of that. The lobster taco was fresh and full of lobster, leaving me pleasantly surprised. Up next I had two chicken tacos that were well seasoned and so good. I finished with the sesame short rib, which was salty and sweet. The table side sauced come in what are essentially mild, medium, and hot. Their habanero isn't too spicy and I would have preferred a bit more kick, but it's still good. Overall, Bartaco did impress me. It makes you feel like you're seaside in the summer, even nestled on the corner of Beacon street. It's certainly not the place for authentic Mexican food, but it's the best spot for an island vibe with fresh food and great cocktails. I will be back. read more

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We had an amazing dinner here! Our waitress Paige was super friendly and made the experience great. It is such a beautiful restaurant, with incredible food. There were so many great tacos & drinks, that we will have to come again. Don't be afraid to order extra tacos during the meal, as the food came out so fast. The Cazuela was a great drink, and is sadly the only one to come in the awesome terracotta read more

Bartaco - Cazuela in the terracotta glass, Watermelon mint margarita, and my pretty girlfriend. - Tacos Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

Cool vibes, nice decor , Stopped in for a lunch meeting Ordered a pork belly , a prime rib, shrimp taco, street corn Pork belly taco excellent, prime rib very good The shrimp has an extreme hot kick and too strong for me. Street corn was cold, looked overcooked, needed more butter cream sauce .. 2 small pieces ... I'd say these ok but not warm enough Needs a few more options A fajita plate, Soft flour steamed tacos I would have liked... read more

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I love that Bar Taco service is consistent through all locations. I love the Atlanta location but trying the Boston location was such a huge hit as well. The pork belly taco is phenomenal along with any margaritas they have. I love this place and will keep coming back! Hoping to see some new additives to the menu in the future as well! read more

Nice cute space with a lot of people. Friendly service. The main personal issue for me is that I can't eat cilantro and most things had cilantro already in it - like the slaw that comes in the tacos, and the guac. The only way to not have cilantro is to order from the kids menu. I think it's a bit too pricey as well. Normally come here for the desserts and will probably stick to that in the future. read more

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Sat at the bar for a couple round of drinks and the cocktails were 10/10. Each of the four drinks we ordered were so delicious and beautifully presented. The interior of bartaco is super cute and the perfect vibe for drinks or a meal in the day or night. Will 100% be back! Bar staff was attentive and friendly. read more

Bartaco - green margarita & cazuela margarita - Tacos Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

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My girlfriend and I celebrated my birthday here tonight. We ordered drinks, appetizers, meals, and desserts. All fantastic. When we received one of our drinks, we found a fly in it. Our waitress responded immediately and the manager, Hollywood, came over and comped our entire meal! We have been here many times - the food and drinks are always fantastic. The service is exceptional and tonight exceeded our expectations. Hollywood was excellent and I would highly recommend Bar Taco in Brookline, MA to anyone! read more

I love the restaurant and food is great but I got the worst case of food poisoning after coming here. Truly awful to the point where I had to go to urgent care. read more

Various new takes on your classic taco and delicious cocktails to match. No reservations but if you're worried about a wait for a table, you can add yourself to the online waitlist before coming to the restaurant. The online ordering system takes a bit of time to get through as well. read more

3rd time in a row I ordered delivery and the fish tacos look like this. As thin as my finger and mostly bread no fish. This used to be my favorite :/ read more

Bartaco - Fish tacos - Tacos Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

First review of 2024! Lunch today was a treat! We've been wanting to come since they opened in July. So happy to have them part of the neighborhood! I work from home now so I can have weekly lunch dates. Today we chose Bartaco Love the space. Lots of different types of seating. It feels very open. Everyone greets you with a smile. You can either QR code the menu or you can ask for paper menus. We opted for paper menus. The tacos are small so you can order a mix and match of whatever tacos or non tacos youd like. You use a pencil to select what you want. I'm sure the app is just as easy but I appreciate they have both options. What we got: Him Chicken tortilla soup. Thought it was a particularly nice dish for a cold day. He said the heat of spice was a delightful gradual buildup and nicely coated his throat. ((I took bite of the chicken and thought it was very flavorful and would like my husband to figure out how to make his own version)) Baha fish taco. Enjoyed the crunch of breading and thought the fish was great. Chicken verde taco. Said there was good ratio of chicken and other toppings. Chorizo: Enjoyed this but thought there should be a little more flavor. Me: Street corn. The cheese and chili powder is such a wonderful combination with the sweet corn. I think it could be good hot or cold. You get 2. I took one home. I'm looking forward to snacking on the other one later. Chicken verde taco. Had a great kick! Loved the flavor! Rib eye: the sesame glaze was sweet and delicious and paired amazingly with the spicy kimchi!! Next time I'm getting 2 or 3. We both agreed the filling was proportioned appropriately. We both thought the sangria was delightful. Very sweet! You can taste the elderflower! Great food great service great everything- can't wait to come back. read more

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Great artisanal tacos and cocktails. Very similar to Lonestar taco, but with more options. Tacos are on the small side, I need five to fill up, but are priced under $4 a piece. My favorite were the chorizo, pork belly, and fish taco. Service is friendly and prompt. The restaurants itself is very open and have a very welcoming comfy vibe. I'll def come again! read more

Bartaco - Tacos Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

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Awesome spot for a bite with friends! I've been to Bartaco in Fenway a few times, and this was my first time at the Brookline location. I came with a few friends and we really enjoyed our Friday night dinner here! The concept is super fun - you get a bunch of a la carte tacos and appetizers. We got chips and guacamole/salsa to start, great. The chips are unique because they are in tostada form, so you break the tortilla apart and dip. For tacos, they typically recommend getting around 4-5 since they are very small but nonetheless relatively affordable. I got the chicken, shrimp, chorizo, and falafel tacos. All were absolutely delicious! My favorite was definitely the shrimp taco. My friends also got a variety of tacos and tried their bowls - they are small but taste great! For dessert we ended up with churros, with dark chocolate fondue and vanilla to dip them in. Service here was great, though it was a bit hard to navigate the ordering app at times. I think it would be easier from a business perspective if they only utilized the paper ordering method. Overall great stuff, 10/10! read more

Love this place! Fun, upbeat music. Fresh, fun West Coast atmosphere. Amazing food-can't tell you what taco to get because I loved all 3 equally: fish, shrimp and chicken verde. The guacamole is a party in your mouth-it's got a kick so know that before ordering. I loved it and I'm only a medium spice gal. I loved the low carb bib lettuce ordering option. The waitstaff were very kind/patient with my autistic son--extra bonus! GET THE FRENCH PRESS COFFEE-OMG!!! read more

Bartaco - Taco bliss - Tacos Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

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Food was just okay, and quite pricey. The fish tacos were really good, but the cauliflower bowl was mediocre. Drinks are definitely better than the food (recommend the green margarita) Service was also just okay. Someone came around to check on my table every 5 minutes or less, which was a bit much. It felt like a conveyer belt of service staff, a rotation of different people coming by. The food came out promptly, however! The best part of the restaurant was the ambiance! Very pretty and a nice, but more casual place to go for weekend dinner. Overall, would much rather have gone to Barcelona down the street considering the prices were essentially the same but the quality was worlds apart. read more

Bartaco - Tacos Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

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I came here with a group of friends at 9PM on a weekday and it was packed! This is clearly the place to be! This is the new expansion of the Bartaco in Seaport. The menu, ordering, and payment is all online that you access via QR code. What's neat is that each person can pay for their own individual items items so no need for complicated math in splitting the bill. For an appetizer, I ordered the Roasted Half Chicken. It was awesome! The chicken was moist and the meat came right off the bone. For only $10.65, it was a good deal. I got the Crispy Oyster and Sesame Ribeye Taco which were awesome and full of flavor. For dessert, we got the Vanilla and Chocolate Gelato which were delicious. The servers were attentive and good at clearing our table and making sure our drinks were full. I highly recommend this place! read more

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I absolutely love Bartaco! I've been to the seaport location many times but this was my first time in Brookline. Super cute restaurant. Vibes are immaculate. Everything on the menu is great so you can't go wrong. I do always get the plantains and pork belly taco those are must orders. The pork belly is so tender. Plantains are perfectly sweet and come with this amazing green sauce I could almost drink it's so good. All the tacos come with the option of a lettuce wrap instead of the tortilla which is a nice touch. Prices are pretty reasonable too. This spot won't hurt your wallet like other restaurants around Boston. Ordering is very easy, all from your phone using a barcode and the food comes out fast. Overall, I highly recommend Bartaco. read more

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Great food and great service! We hit this location early on a Friday night before a hockey game. Victor and Hollywood took very good care of us, answering our questions and serving us with friendly smiles. We will definitely go back. read more

I have a very unique capsaicin allergy which means I can usually never have Mexican food due to seasoning, marinades, and sauces. Not only did the team at Bartaco go through an entire menu and cross off what I couldn't have, they cleaned an entire section of the kitchen for me, triple checked that my plates were safe being brought to the table, and introduced me to the chef who was so incredible and understanding. It's the first tacos I've had in years and they were delicious!! The service made it even better. Thank you to the entire team at BarTaco for the amazing accommodating evening out with friends. read more

Hollywood has this place figured out. He's a great manager with fantastic connection to customers. He will remember you, and he'll check in personally to make sure things go well. Tacos are the best in the area and fairly priced. Somehow, we hadn't been in the 6 years we've lived in Coolidge corner. We went this past weekend and already came back a second time. Bartaco will become a staple in the rotation. read more

Bartaco is one of my favorite spots to grab drinks and tacos either friends. Easily accessible via the C line or by car (plenty of parking spots)! Even if there's a bit of a wait on a Friday or Saturday night, you are free to hang out by the bar while you wait for your table. What the restaurant does best: *margaritas: best in the city--they always use freshly squeezed juice *oyster taco: I'd come here just to crush 4 of these tacos, they are fab. My picks: Drink: spicy margarita w/ a tajin rim App: large guacamole and chips (trust me, worth getting the large portion) Tacos (in order of preference): oyster, crispy shrimp, baja fish, glazed pork belly, duck Dessert: churros (the vanilla and chocolate dipping sauces are delightful) Shoutout to Greg the GM for running a tight ship, you make every visit so enjoyable! read more

Bartaco - spicy margaritas w/ tajin rim - Tacos Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

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Hollywood is great!! He checked in on us multiple times to make sure our party had everything we need. The service was great and super speedy!! 10/10 would recommend read more

Great service, great food, great prices. We showed up on a Sunday night and had a 40 minute wait. Luckily there was a cafe open until 10:00 across the street, so we waited there. They had lots of tables and small sweets. Bartaco is one of my favorite places to go when friends are in town. read more

Bartaco - (Left to right) Chili-like shrimp taco, sesame ribeye taco, seared chorizo taco, Baja fish taco - Tacos Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

3.5* ish I have very mixed feelings about bartaco. Their no reservation policy is ridiculous. We put ourselves on the waitlist before getting there, and were told it would be an HOUR wait (it ended up being longer). However, the manager immediately offered us free chips and guac upon arrival as an apology for the wait. I do like the ordering system, where you scan a QR code, pick your order, send it off and pay without needing a waiter. You can also go back and order additional items after placing your initial order. BUT our party of 3 placed our orders at the same time, but they came out 5-10 min apart?? The tacos are only $3-5, but they are TINY. Like two bites. But they are so flavorful. The sesame ribeye is topped with kimchi which is strange, but the ribeye is not chewy and perfectly savory. The roasted duck is topped with caramelized onions, and literally melts in your mouth. I would come back solely for these two. The chili lime shrimp is very spicy, and I found the shrimp to lack in flavor. Would not get again. The chips and guac is very mid- guac doesn't have cilantro or tomato so is pretty bland, and the chips come in a big piece that you have to break. Lastly, the margarita is mostly ice and not strong at all. So maybe I'd come back for the ribeye and duck taco, but not when I'm hungry, and not on a weekend. read more

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Excellent spot. Food is great and service is also great. Chicken tortilla soup is worth trying, all the tacos are great. Very kid friendly.

So disappointing My daughter and I each had extremely long stressful days packing up for a move. We decided to treat ourselves to dinner because we were each so exhausted and hungry. So we went to the takeout for Bartaco. The person helping us was very helpful, took our order for two tuna bowls and confirmed with the cook we could swap the rice in one dish for lettuce. And we requested sauce on the side on one. She was very patient and friendly. She took my daughter's number and said it would be 25 min. It's super hot today so we got aqua frescas to have outside while we waited. And waited. We finally went in half an hour later and asked about or dinners. They were bagged up and waiting. Brought them home and have two sad tiny salads with four wee over seasoned pieces of tuna each. No rice in my bowl. No dressing on the side. read more

Bartaco - Tuna bowl to go - Tacos Near Me - Brookline, Massachusetts

Food and service were great. Drinks were on point with freshly squeezed juices. The Chicken Tinga tacos were awesome! We will be back!

Super quick, easy, relatively inexpensive, and fresh tacos all around. We tried the pork belly (no need for the sweet marinade), the duck (perfection), the spicy shrimp, and the fish tacos. The guacamole was some of the best I've had in the Boston area. Love the bright, airy space and overall layout of this location too. read more

This review requires a backstory: I lived in Boulder, CO for several years and fell in LOVE with the bartaco there. I didn't realize it was a chain until I moved to Boston and tried the Seaport location. However, the Seaport location ruined everything I thought I had known about bartaco - the ambiance at Seaport was terrible, their plantains were poorly made compared to the Boulder location, and tacos were meh. I was convinced that either the Boulder bartaco was just the exception or that I had bad taste in restaurants while I was in Boulder (which is very unlikely bc the food scene in Boulder is immaculate). Anyways, this bartaco in Brookline popped up near where I live, and I was hesitant to try it because of my experience at the Seaport location. But I figured that Boston has a poor taco scene anyways, and I needed to know if this location would redeem my experience in the Seaport. And it was definitely 10000000% better than Seaport and ALMOST on the level of the Boulder bartaco. First, the ambiance was extremely cute and fun, with large tables to accommodate a group outing. Not quite as good of an ambiance as in Boulder but 1000000% better than Seaport. This is the perfect place to take a group who wants to EXPERIENCE some great food together - it is very easy to order small dishes and tacos to the table through the online menu whenever you want! My FAVORITE dish of all time is the plantains. They are life-changing. This location cooked them perfectly, and the plantains themselves were large, sweet, with a bit of a kick from the cayenne. The sauce for the plantains is insanely good with a hint of lime to perfectly compliment the dish. Of note, I fell in love with these plantains at the Boulder location, and then the Seaport location cooked a few tiny plantains with no flavor and ruined it for me. Until now! bartaco Brookline redeemed! The chips with guac + roja + verde is a must-order. Of course guac is always great, but the roja in this order was perfectly smokey and spicy. So good! I always go for the duck taco and add the signature bartaco roja hot sauce to it. I also love the Baja taco - the fish at this location was perfectly cooked. Not too oily and perfectly flakey. Finally, I got the fried oyster, and it was AMAZING. The fried oyster taco was the only dish that out-performed the Boulder location! The pork belly taco is also insanely good, and my partner enjoyed it. The tacos are perfectly garnished with a side of lime. And of note, the tacos were again 10000000% better than the Seaport location. I'm not sure what they're doing wrong over there, but I can't believe I let them ruin bartaco for me until now. Their drinks for the table are amazing - we got the ginger mint tea and loved it! My partner also finished off his meal with a coconut ice cream cone, which I thought was random, but the ice cream turned out to be HIGH quality with coconut flakes inside and a very creamy texture. Wow! Not many restaurants ensure that their ice cream is that good, especially when it is not even close to being a featured dish. I will say that it took a long time for the ice cream to come when we were trying to leave, but the service was very fast otherwise. Overall, 5 stars for the excellent food and atmosphere. A very great place to take a group and try a bunch of small dishes and tacos together. I love a place that manages to center a social outing around the experience of food. And the moral of the story is do NOT go to the Seaport location! read more

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I've been to the Brookline location twice recently. First, the food is excellent. Everything we ordered came out fresh. The drinks were pretty good. They use fresh squeezed juice and it makes a big difference in a margartia. The only problem we had was service. There are 2 issues. 1st, make sure they bring each persons order on a separate tray. If not, everything comes out randomly and you have no idea who ordered which taco. 2nd, in general, the servers seem pretty flaky. They are nice but don't really pay attention to what's going on at each table. Also, a napkin sat on the floor for 10 minutes and both servers and the manager kept stepping on or over it. I think one of them should have picked it up sooner. I'd still go back there. read more

I've been here about 5-6 times, the meat in the tacos is consistently bone-dry, under-seasoned, and they skimp on cheese.

I have only been once and will say the tacos were pretty good. I got a fish taco and chicken taco, both were good. Loved that taco sauce was an option and I found it to be really good. Took the food to go so I can't say much about the service, however, when I walked in I was greeted and directed to the pickup counter. Staff was friendly. read more