Wow, this sounds like a bunch of kids arguing.  I have been to MidSt8 twice and I have checked out the reviews here, the website and Facebook.  I think we have a bunch of fanboys and haters arguing. Who cares about the salsa bar, who cares about the bottled water? Let's have a logical conversation about the MidSt8 food, no matter where the raw materials are sourced.  Let's start with the rhetoric. Yelp and Facebook are covered with comments referring to "authentic" Mexican food. With the number of regions in Mexico how do we quantify authentic Mexican food or authentic Mexican tacos. These wide generalizations are what give us Americans a bad rap across the globe. Even if we could define authentic Mexican tacos there is no way to produce them in central PA. Just like you can't get authentic NY pizza outside of NYC. You can get NY style pizza but the only place to get authentic NY pizza is in NYC. The same is true with Mexican food, authentic Mexican does not include Carlisle beef and pork, Nebraska corn or central PA purple cauliflower. So let's call a spade a spade, MidSt8 serves Mexican style tacos with local PA ingredients. I think this dichotomy begins to explain MidSt8's hamartia. Those wanting Mexican food are not going to get it. Those wanting unadulterated local PA products are not going to get it. For example MidSt8's al pastor tacos are no where close to the marinated and sliced rotisserie pork taco I often dream of. Throwing pineapple on top of a roast pork does not make al pastor. As a roasted pork taco it is good, as al pastor is not passable. For someone wanting roasted local turkey, they are going to get it, but smothered in a rich heavy mole sauce. Is the turkey mole good? Yes but a sad end to a noble local bird. So what is my take? - As a farmers market kiosk serving interesting food: *** - As an authentic Mexican restaurant: ** - As a showcase of local PA products: ** - Overall: *** I will give them the benefit of the doubt On a side note, I did have a nice conversation with a couple of women I was sitting beside. They gave me a nice perspective on the owner, Pippa. According to them, she has an incredible local following. Hopefully this following will keep her going while she figures out the kiosk's direction. read more

As a Mexican American, I can say "What a dump! " The Food... Locally sourced ingredients? The only thing local to this place is the Sam's Club the food comes from. What a shame for the Lemoyne Farmers Market. Why not get ingredients from the local vendors that are steps away? We both had mixed taco plates. All the fillings tasted the same. Plating was so sloppy, we had filling dripping off the plates onto the floor as we tried to find a seat. A do it yourself fixings bar? I thought chef Pippa was an accomplished chef? How about plating the tacos as they are supposed to be eaten? I guess if Moe's has a salsa bar, you have to keep up with the competition. They claim the corn tortillas are made on site... I believe them -- they are terrible -- thick, gummy, and cold. Recommendation... Next time you are at Sam's pickup a big bag of tortillas as well. We also had chorizo empanadas and an order of churros. They were both hard as rocks. They must have been made yesterday and left in the hot box. Last but not least -- $4.00 for bottled water that they pour out of the tap? They are filling up old wine bottles with "Mechanicsburg's Finest" and selling it. Code word "Reverse Osmosis Water". Nothing wrong with RO water but selling it? Really? The Service... The lady taking orders is clueless. She has no idea how the register works. She has no idea what the menu is -- constantly asking the "chefs" how to ring up something. The kid running the grill looks like he is waiting to have his picture taken rather than cooking anything. Then there is Pippa. If she spent as much energy cooking and plating as she did hugging, the food might actually get out of the kitchen. Sorry for bummer review but given the noise around town, I had high hopes. I keep reading about Pippa "local celebrity chef" but this place seems like a desperate attempt from someone who lost Chef Race, got kicked out of the kitchen by Anne Burrell and lost at Chopped. read more

I am having such a problem keeping all the double talk straight. Let's try to figure this out together. "Everything at Mid State Taco will be fresh, coming from farms, waterways and fields within 75 miles of Lemoyne." -- Pippa Calland (PennLive) EVERYTHING is tough in any situation including for this taco joint. Is Nebraska dent corn (Facebook Midst8Taco) within 75 miles? Is pineapple for the al pastor (Facebook Midst8Taco) within 75 miles? Are spices and chocolate shipped from Oaxaca Mexico (Facebook Midst8Taco) within 75 miles? "Authentic Mexican food using fresh, locally sourced ingredients." -- YELP (From the business) How exactly are truffled Italian cheese quesadillas (Facebook Midst8Taco) authentic Mexican food or locally sourced ingredients. "House made chorizo , using local pork , debuts tomorrow at midst8!" -- Facebook MidSt8Taco I thought all the ingredients were local? Where has the chorizo been coming from since before the debut. Maybe Sam's Club? There are several within 75 miles, although I haven't seen many "apprehensive checkins" recently. "Mid St8 Taco is a collaboration of chefs Pippa Calland, Shaun Wolf and Jessica Wolf" -- YELP (From the business) What happened to Shaun. Gone from the website as well (www.midst8taco.com). One final observation, why hasn't West Shore Farmers Market updated its website to include MidSt8Taco -- not in the directory, not on the map, mentioned no where. read more

Wow! Tacos al pastor are terrible. How hard is it to Google a recipe and get the basics right? Authentic, no way! It's not hard. Slice the meat, marinate the meat, grill it on a spit. Sticking a pork shoulder in the oven and laying pineapple on it doesn't cut it. Who do you think you are kidding? Authentic? Really? Dry age skirt steak on the anafre? These people don't even know what an anafre is. Once again, if you are going to try to be authentic, at least Google the words you are using. It will help you keep the lies straight. As others have said, portions are tiny. Toppings are ridiculous. This place is an embarrassment to our farmer's market. Why are people blindly following this place and giving it 5 star ratings?. Their facebook page says "Don't be a pupusa! Come celebrate midst8 taco..." What does that mean? Google it... "Don't be a handmade tortilla filled with cheese, pork, etc". What does that mean? Instead of dropping "Mexican" words and ghetto English, why not spend some time studying your craft? Please please please don't go here. It is an embarrassment to our farmer's market and embarrassment to our culture. read more

I've been waiting to visit Mid St8 Taco and when i finally did my taste buds were so happy. I order 3 tacos: Hake, Chicken Mole, and Pork shoulder (which was my favorite). My boyfriend order 3 tacos as well: Hake , Skirt Steak, and Chicken Mole,he devoured all of them and we both couldn't stop talking about these tacos to our friends, coworkers, and family for days. So the next weekend we brought some friends with and they to were amazed with the quality and quickness of our orders! This time we tried the chorizo and potato tacos and rice and beans both were wonderful!! Everything on our plates were fresh and delicious, both times. The handmade tortillas are fantastic and the best tasting tortillas in the area. Also the business was always busy while we were there, and with that being said they still looked calm and collected in the kitchen. GREAT job Pippa!!, thanks for offering authentic Mexican tacos in this town of PA dutch cuisine. We definitely needed this! I will definitely be stopping by Mid St8 Taco again and again!! read more

I stopped by Midst8 taco for lunch on my way back from an appointment. I heard it was good and wanted to check it out. I had the skirt steak tacos and was very impressed. The corn taco was very good. I am use to the soft flour kind. The steak was awesome! It was very lean, cooked perfectly, and had the right amount of seasoning. It was a very authentic taco vs what you typically find in this area. The toppings bar was new for me, but I kind of liked the fact that I could control the amount of salsa, onions, etc I could add. The staff was very pleasant and worked efficiently. I had my tacos in just a few minutes. I think it would be helpful to have a description by some of the items... Maybe a picture. I was slightly overwhelmed by the menu, but that was because I didn't really know all the items on there and didn't want to look stupid by asking. I will definitely go back, and recommend it to my friends. It was a fun place to go hang out and get some great food. read more

I have had food prepared by Chef Pippa Calland in the past and have the found the food at Mid St8 Taco to be up to her usual high standards. The time and love put into the preparation is evident and she would never serve anything less than the best. The freshly made tortillas were wonderful, different from anything that I have every eaten. On my first visit I tried the fish, the pork shoulder and the chorizo & potato tacos. WOW! All good, but the pork and chorizo was exceptional. The fish was very fresh and tasty. Second visit, I had the lamb filling after a recommendation from the chef. Absolutely my favorite so far. I'm looking forward to trying the rest. The staff were very attentive with good recommendations from the chef and the staff. It is refreshing to find something authentic and different in this area. Mid St8 Taco is a wonderful addition to the local food choices. read more

I would usually go to the Farmers Market on occasion, sometimes just to see the selection and most times exited without anything. Since the opening of MID ST8 TACO, I look forward to a great early breakfast and lunch. The ingredients are all so fresh. I have tried almost everything on the menu and have savored every entree I have eaten. The fish, the pork, the mole, chorizo and potato are all among my favorites. (Try the pickled onions on the toppings bar.) The Menu changes by day and it is exciting what unique choices MID ST8 TACO introduces. The guacamole is just refreshing. The tortillas are amazingly fresh and authentic as you can get. Everything is made to order. This eatery is just what the West Shore Farmers Market needed. read more

Amazing food....Pippa always does an incredible job! I've had corn tortillas from the groceries store in the past that left me with a bad idea about them but the ones at Mid St8 Taco were absolutely fantastic. Had the fish, chorizo, and steak tacos so far and looking forwards to my next trip back for more. Not only was the food amazing but it's a lot of fun just to watch the tacos being made and the ingredients being cooked. Having the extra toppings bar so we could customize our tacos was a nice touch. The only bad thing I can say about Mid St8 Taco is that I live in York so if I want some fantastic tacos it's a 40 minute drive, but one I'd gladly make. read more

I was so excited, my buddy has been raving about this place. I was up from DC for a meeting at the Navy depot in Mechanicsburg so he took me. Strike 1... The portion size is tiny. I needed 6 tacos to get a decent lunch -- $15. Strike 2... My first order of fish were cold as ice on the inside. The staff was very nice about preparing a second batch to fix the issue. Strike 3... The seating was was nasty -- food all over the table and chairs. These guys need to come to District Taco in DC -- the definitive taco joint on the east coast. There is a reason there is always a line a block long at DT. Good honest REAL Mexican tacos for a reasonable price. read more

OK lunch spot. On par with the rest of the market. I wouldn't make a special trip for it. Pork and short rib tacos were tasty. I will say the salsa bar is kinda nasty, thanks to the lady in front of me with her fingers in the onions. Prices seem off. $7 for 3 tacos seems reasonable but a side of guacamole for $7.50. How much can an avocado cost? Staff was nice but appeared overwhelmed by the 3 or 4 customer in line and waiting for food. Food can't be too memorable if most of the discussion revolves around the house bottled water. I just hope MidSt8 understands that bottling and selling water is regulated by the FDA. read more

The food is good - maybe great. Tortillas are fresh, roasted meats are spot on, cokes are cold. So what's the problem?  One star?  The vendor's ethos. Pippa Calland was granted a $30,0000 loan from Cumberland County. Our tax dollars were given to her to open MidSt8 Taco. Now she is blazingly bragging that she is importing spices, chocolates, fruits and misc ingredients directly from Mexico. All this right in the middle of our local farmers market. Ms Calland may not be spitting in our food but she is certainly spitting in our faces. Feliz Cumpleanos. read more

This is truly a gem for the local Lemyone community. If you want a taste of really good authentic Mexican tacos prepared from scratch give this a try! I had a 2 fish tacos and a cauliflower taco. Everything was better than I expected. I wasn't sure how they could make a cauliflower taco taste really good but they did. They used purple cauliflower and added some type of seeds and other seasons to give it a special kick. Well worth a trip to the Lemoyne farmers market!!! read more

Mid St8 Taco is a huge hit and a welcome addition to the West Shore Farmer's Market! Pippa's focus on fresh, local ingredients as well as affordability and exceptional taste and flavor is a winning combination. I had the pork, steak and fish. All were exceptional - best I ever had. But, the fish taco wins the prize - it was outstanding! Central PA is fortunate to have Pippa Calland serving us her masterpiece dishes! I wish her and her staff much success! read more

Everything here is is delicious and made on site. This is as authentic as it gets. The meats are slow roasted. The tortillas are home made. They only use avocados from Mexico for their delicious guacamole. Try any form of mole -- I've had the duck and the turkey and it's fabulous. Fish tacos are always awesome. Make sure to top your tacos with their homemade pickled onions. Well worth a trip and you can shop at the Farmers Market too. read more

Over great experience. The vibe of the location,attention to detail in the sourcing of ingredients to preparation to the plate! Hand made condiments even! Pickled red onions, 2 kinds of salsa. Incredible flavor profiles. The open layout of the place allows you to see the chefs at work and enjoy the banter and genuine enjoyment the staff has in doing what they love! Go check it and be a trend setter ahead of the curve! read more

My wife and I stopped in this dump the farmers market was horrible my wife went to this "jem" said the women running the place was a real "b" but I had a bite of my wifes taco it was a taco. I think I had better at taco bell once, but if ever forced back to this market again I will eat here it seems to be the only thing this farmers market has going for it. read more

Tonight we ordered a taco party to go. It included hand pressed blue corn tortillas that we stuffed with your choice of lamb, chicken mole (amazing!), pork and fresh fish. We got to pick our toppings which included fresh Pico, pickled onions and other options. Best guacamole we have had and my sister says "I can't stop eating this!" read more

This is the best place around to get the absolute best tacos outside of Mexico!!! Everything I have tried has been very good, the mole chicken is the best I've found anywhere. The menu has a good variation of things to try and the prices are right!! Would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for good food!!! read more