Great outdoor seating with pets Authentic Mexican Cuisine Pork is awesome Very casual read more

Before I start anything, parking is a hassle because there's a small lot by the restaurant, but is limited. When you walk up, there's a yard with some outdoor seating and chairs, and once inside you order at the register. Once you order, they'll give you a table marker and you can choose to sit at the seating area. When I went, it was around 7:30pm and the line was longer than expected, but no more than 20 mins. I ordered a sweet tea with their blue corn empanadas which came with rice and beans. The food didn't take long, which was a plus and it was really good too! I would highly recommend this place especially if you want a casual place to eat with friends and family. Thursdays are also date nights, so they have some deals going on, but can only get them if you pick it out of the bucket full of empty cards and written cards. read more

loved the atmosphere at this place and the quick counter ordering, and self serve water. However, I was a little disappointed with the food. I regret ordering my tacos on corn instead of flour tortillas, and the tacos lacked flavor, not very fresh, and honestly came out cold. My friend had the birria tacos and said the meat was very dry. I've heard better things abt the nachos and bowls that might be worth trying. If you r looking for good tacos in Athens I'd go somewhere else :( read more

el Barrio tacos & tequila - chicken and shrimp tacos - Mexican Near Me - Athens, Georgia

I had a burrito with chicken and a Modelo beer and they were both great for dinner. However, I thought I was spending about $7.95 for the burrito and $5.50 for the beer and my total comes to $18.50. I asked for a receipt at the register and didn't get one and also tipped 25%. Total with tip came to $23.69 = overcharged customer read more

Let me start off with saying. This is one of my favorite spots in town. So you have to order at a counter and they bring you your food to the table you pick. Even with just counter service I have never had a bad experience, the staff is so sweet and helpful with any and all questions. Let me say for food, get the birria tacos. They are to die for. It's the whole reason we go across town to come here. It takes about 2/3 to fill me up but it's so worth it. We also really love the cheese dip as it has some spice to it but in a very good way. Overall, I would recommend this place every time. You may not have a server at your table to wait on you but I don't think you really need it with the good food and good people this place has going for it. read more

el Barrio tacos & tequila - Mexican Near Me - Athens, Georgia

See all

We came here on a UGA game day so it was pretty packed! We got in line to wait to order our food. It took a bit since they were really busy. Once we ordered we found somewhere to sit and wait for our food. Once we got our food, the tacos were really good!! Great flavor and really fresh! We also got a pitch of the house margarita and it was great as well! read more

el Barrio tacos & tequila - Fried chicken taco, chicken pastor taco - Mexican Near Me - Athens, Georgia

The food was so good especially the burria tacos. The ambience was so nice. It's great sitting out doors here

El Barrio is a really cool spot, but, unfortunately, they don't have a ton of veggie options. The potato tacos were great, especially if you like spice. Most of the seating is in a big covered patio. read more

el Barrio tacos & tequila - Potato tacos - Mexican Near Me - Athens, Georgia

Do you want to eat tacos an hour after you order them? What about having the worst tacos in Athens? If so .. this is your spot. Came for what we hoped was a quick bite to eat... you know how it is...you're hungry and ready to eat...you're in the five points area...and for some STUPID reason you're like... let's try something new... ugh. Anyways, got in and the line was long, so we figured that's a good sign...means the place has good food?.... the food reads well on the menu, alot of the options sounded yummy... so we ordered. we ordered: nachos to share, the empanadas, as well as two tacos. One hour later..and my husband had to go hunt someone down to be like .....uhhhhh we ordered tacos and hour ago.... They apologized about the wait... and brought us food to go... gotta say... just BLAND for days and the service was soooo slow... Never again will I go here. And will talk crap about this place till ...well we will see how long they last. If you are reading this please know...Athens has wayyyy better food. Seriously throw a rock and you will find a better place. Cali n Tito's.. down the street is where we should have gone.. the Athens brat inside me is scolding myself for trying the yuppy food that is this place.... Seriously just....don't. read more

Good margaritas and delicious Empanadas!! Great place to eat when the weather is nice as the majority of their seating is outside. read more

el Barrio tacos & tequila - mexican food - Mexican Near Me - Athens, Georgia

Atmosphere and area are great but the food could do a lot better!! The tacos were underwhelming to say the least, but if you prefer things on the blander side it would probably do alright for you. We tried the barbacoa, pork carnitas, and crispy chicken tacos, all of which are worth 2/5 stars. The drinks were the most positive part of this experience though it was a little pricey -- but worth it if that is what your visit mainly consists of. I also really liked the chips and trio (guac, queso, AND salsa dips!). Happy hour deals also looked appealing. Would return for drinks + the chips! But as for the food, would go elsewhere for tacos. read more

el Barrio tacos & tequila - Chips and trio - Mexican Near Me - Athens, Georgia

The food is delicious and I like it. Service is good and the staff is friendly. The ambiance is friendly and I will be there again.

Came in for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. The place wasn't that crowded but there was no place to park. We sat at the bar and had drinks and lunch. We had a small house margarita that was pretty good. Ordered chips, guacamole, and salsa. The guacamole and salsa was good. The chips are coated in chili powder which was ok. Prefer just plain tortilla chips. I had the fried shrimp and chicken tacos, and my wife had the bbq eggplant and barbacoa tacos. She found the spicy slaw a little hotter than she likes on the bbq eggplant. She really enjoyed the eggplant. I liked the shrimp better than the chicken. I found the chicken a little dry. Added the guacamole which made it taste better and not so dry. The location is nice and really enjoyed all the outdoor seating. read more

3 stars for the food. Lacks flavor and substance big time! My picture shows the tiny piece of fake looking fish with a ridiculous amount of cucumber on the taco. That was frustrating, specially what you end up spending there. Some of the tacos aren't too bad though. Margaritas are good & they don't skip the alcohol! Love the outdoor area but they should have more outdoor tables. In the end it has so much potential but not quite there yet! read more

el Barrio tacos & tequila - Fish taco, with tiny strip of "fish" and mostly cucumber. - Mexican Near Me - Athens, Georgia

I got the birria torta ,and it was phenomenal . My server Caroline was amazing and very quick . Everything was fresh the service was amazing. I recommended this place to anyone who'll listen. I'm gonna come back to try.more things on the menu but so far it's looking really promising. read more

Love the atmosphere. Wish there was more indoor seating with some ac with this Georgia Heat.... but super cute place. Large outdoor patio area. Menu was ok- wish there more options (I compared this to Taqueria Del Sol off of prince ave who has enchiladas and other options.... ) chips, salsa and cheese dip were great. I had the pina colada and my boyfriend had house margarita on the rocks, both great drinks. Corn fritters were good, But do contain jalapeños in the mix but that is not on the menu for those who do not like them... Churros were good just smaller than I've had before. Homemade caramel Sauce with it was excellent. His tacos he said were good but nothing he felt "out of the box" or different from other taco places in Athens. We will be back im sure. read more

el Barrio tacos & tequila - Corn fritters - Mexican Near Me - Athens, Georgia

See all

My mom and I stopped to eat lunch here while we came up to Athens to get my house ready for move in. I hadn't heard much about it, but it has an outdoor patio which is why we chose to eat here and I am so glad we did. The customer service is amazing, and the food is very fresh. If you have any dietary restrictions, they have a lot of variety on the menu that is suitable for vegans, vegetarians, gluten free, etc. Their patio and outdoor seating area is so cute and their sanitation is great. I felt very safe eating here and we will be back! read more

The Pazole soup for 11.18. The soup bowl is smaller than a child's cereal bowl. My husband would not be full from this serving. For the price I'd go elsewhere for the soup. My companion had the tacos 2 for 7.50 or there about- a much better bang for your buck. All flavors were on point, however. read more

Coming from California, it takes a minute to acclimate to Georgian Mexican food. El Barrio was endorsed by the nice young lady at Holiday Inn Express and they have Margaritas, so whats not to like? From the get go we knew the food would be different. No cheese, but cheese sauce. No chips and salsa unless ordered. No water and no server. Patrons bus their own dishes. The staff was friendly and they replaced our cold cheese sauced nachos with little resistance. The side of beans were blendered and didn't resemble any beans we've had in a Mexican restaurant. The empinadas were very good. The Margaritas were middle of the road, nothing outstanding. The corn and poblamo soup was superior. It was winter cold and the inddor heaters were a nice touch. The crowd was college aged loud talkers. Overall, a C grade. read more

Food was very blan and over priced for what you got. I like my food to eat not to look at. Ordered the chicken chimichanga. It was cut in half with the lettuce spilled in the middle and the sour cream drizzled on top. The chicken had a bbq taste. Very disappointing food even if you were drunk. House margaritas were really good If your a hipster or don't like your food to have taste you will probably like this place. Very very American, doesn't deserve to be called a Mexican restaurant. read more

Newer restaurant to Athens and has some kinks to work out. The guac is not fresh and the seating is minimal. Service is pretty slow and the tacos were nothing too special. Has potential but not sure if I'll be back! read more

Food is good, atmosphere good. Service from what seemed to be manager/owner rude rude rude. Will not return.

They're new so i know they're still working out kinks but it took over an hour after ordering our tacos to receive them. Also it's seat yourself and they don't have enough seating so it's fight to the death. We had 4 groups of people steal seats from us. Food is decent but I'd rather go to taq where it's faster and better. I ordered carne a sad and the pork one. The carne asada was hard to chew read more

See all

Had dinner here two nights ago and was thoroughly impressed! Being a new place, I set expectations lower. But it was great! We started off with the frozen margs and chips and salsa. Next time I would love to also get the guac or queso! The margs were delicious - I suggest getting it with a sugar rim! For dinner, I ordered the Barbacoa quesadilla. Honestly it may be my new favorite place in Athens to get a quesadilla! It was a ton of food and absolutely delicious! I love the chill, outdoor vibe. It's a great place to hang out on a nice evening with friends. read more

Easily the worst tacos I've eaten in years. I ordered three and barely finished the second.

Seating is very limited and we had to wait a while which was fine because you can order drinks and snacks while you wait. The environment was great and the food was so good! I highly recommend the chips and salsa and the crispy chicken taco. Margs were tasty but a little overpriced for the size. read more

el Barrio tacos & tequila - BBQ taco and the Mojo pork taco. - Mexican Near Me - Athens, Georgia

See all

Came here during happy hour on a Saturday and enjoyed it! Cute atmosphere. It was not crowded when we arrived so there was plenty of seating and service was fast. Barbacoa was juicy, shrimp was tasty, but I wish they had fish tacos as a permanent menu item. read more

el Barrio tacos & tequila - Shrimp (bottom right), barbacoa (bottom left), cauliflower (top left), chips trio - Mexican Near Me - Athens, Georgia

The food is great but the employees solicit. Asking for tips for personal reasons. Very unprofessional.

I was there for tacos and drinks. I'll be honest, the tacos were a bit dry and lacking in flavor; but, not as bad as other places I have been to. The sangria was good. If I'm in Athens again, I'll swing by and try it out again. read more

Wonder place to come hangout and have a drink. Outside is dog friendly and even on the patio. As for food it isn't authentic. Lacks a lot of Mexican flavor and no choices of salsa. Would love to see some more creativity in the food and a little spice. read more

See all

Very limited menu and the food was still subpar. We probably won't be back here. I wanted to like it but not the best experience.

Atmosphere was nice. Service was good. Margaritas were lit!! The food was ok. We got the tacos and they all lacked flavor for sure.

I tried the barbacoa and crispy chicken tacos. The barbacoa was ok. It was juicy. The flavors did not seem to blend well. The crispy chicken is sort of bland without the jicama slaw and jalapeños. Strawberry margarita was good. The chips and cheese dip were ok. The bar looks nice and the outdoor area is inviting. The service was good and friendly. Churros were lackluster. Maybe they were overcooked but they were not good read more

el Barrio tacos & tequila - Crispy chicken - Mexican Near Me - Athens, Georgia

I had three tacos today: one fried fish which is really good at the first bite with enough dressing. But the second bite I felt the fish is no flavor. It's better to put some salt inside. But the chicken one is really good. The good thing is they offer the lettuce shell and corn flour tacos. Great! read more

See all

Night out with friends and I picked here. Wish I hadn't. Tacos were tasty but small. Cheese dip was almost cold and bland. Black beans were so spicy hot not one of the four of us could eat them ! And then there was the pitcher of margaritas or rather ICE. Which was served with four cups full of ice. We were able to pour six cups of drinks because the cups were full of ice! Probably less than two cups of actual margarita in the entire pitcher. Nice decor and concept but too pricey and servings too small. Left hungry! read more

I don't know why the restaurant is called "el barrio", which implies is some Hispanic (hopefully Mexican) restaurant. Even a white person would recognize this restaraunt is whiter than Mcds. The tacos have no spices, and the sangria is very light with no fruits. The atmosphere is nice, but southern; not barrio like. read more

Please save your money. The atmosphere strives to be instagram worthy, and could pass under the right filters, but this doesn't make up for the bland food. Nothing is salted or seasoned except for one in 30 chips that has so much flavor powder on it, it could be a nacho cheese Dorito. Eggplant taco has no BBQ flavor, the fish taco could be a piece of cardboard, and the shrimp taco was really over cooked. The best thing I ate was the pineapple off my pina colada. Just go to taqueria del sol or sr sol if you would like to be satisfied. The only reason this isn't one star is because it was edible, but my tastebuds fell asleep they were so bored. read more

Our experience was not 4, but potentially could be since its only the 2nd week open. Here is what we found that should be corrected: -The putting wall lining the entrance sidewalk was easy to trip over in the dark. Can't imagine a KD on a Friday night. ***the "tall boy" Michelob ultra is NOT a tall boy. It is tall, but only 12oz. Michelob makes 16oz tall boys. -the putters need to be taller. Not all of us are in 3rd grade -tacos (which were excellent) were very messy since they came on a plate. They should come in taco holders that are shaped like: \/\/\/ -the depth of the pebble path was too much. I almost tripped wearing tennis shoes -chips were broken. Something was weird in our salsa. However, the big chips were good. -there should be a mild and hot option for salsa. Salsa was super spicy. Still sweating. Overall, el barrio is here to stay in Athens. Great idea, just needs a couple tweeks. read more

Fantastic margaritas and great service. It's an awesome spot to sit outside and enjoy the night when weather permits.

Good vibes. Good food. Good service. Nothing to complain about. Highly recommend chips and queso for sure