I've heard the buzz about Mission Taco Joint but hadn't ever visited because I never go to the Loop. Then, one magical day as I drove down Lafayette en route to the dog park, I noticed they had opened a beautiful location in Soulard. I continue driving past it each dog park trip, gazing longingly through my car window. Last week, I turned my longing into satisfaction with a visit to Mission Taco Joint. The environment is lovely: exposed brick walls, high ceilings, open space well decorated and a large rolling garage door that opens up to the outside to enjoy fresh breezes on good weather days. We decided to combine our max stomach capacity to try every taco we could fit, which we accurately estimated at six tacos plus a side to satiate the two of us, and then a desert to stretch the limits. The great prices made it easy to go "all out". Tacos in order of taste rank, from least favorite to winner: #6 Roasted Duck $3.50 Coming in as our least favorite, this taco was still decent. I found the pork belly addition to be unnecessary and take away from the duck. I also felt that the crunch of some cabbage might have elevated the taco. #5 Nopales $3 I love nopales, but being a wuss to heat, couldn't enjoy this because in my hunger haste, I didn't realize that it was dressed in a jalapeño salsa. I will order this again without the jalapeño salsa. #4 Portobello $3 This was good, but a little too much goat cheese that took away from the vegetables. The rest of the ingredients were a good match, particularly the crispy onions and arugula. It was the least Mexican tasting of all the tacos. #3 Yucatan Pork $3.25 Great flavor from the tender pork to the ancho bbq sauce which I was skeptical of before I tasted it. The pickled onion was a definite flavor elevation for an already solid taco. #2 Beef Brisket $3.25 Great flavor, tender meat, fresh avocado and delicious sauce. #1 Baja Fish Tacos $3 Winner winner fish taco dinner! I never thought as a coastal transplant who grew up on the Mexican border that I'd ever find an acceptable fish taco in the midwest. WRONG! I had the grilled version, which was flavorful, fresh and crave-worthy. In fact, if I wasn't so lazy I'd get off my ass right now and drive down to MTJ just to have one as a late night snack. I've been lusting for those tacos since the moment my last bite was gone...last week. The seasoning of the fish was SO good! We also had the generously portioned and well priced refried black beans which were delicious. I usually prefer black beans whole, but they know how to do them refried in a way that only adds to them without drowning them in fat. My appreciation for MTJ was sealed by the churros. I am not a chocolate fan, and although it is accompanied by a semi-sweet Mexican chocolate sauce for dipping, I found them good enough to stand on their own. These aren't your Amusement Park/Fair style churros. They are much more authentic with far less sugar. I've since been back for just churros. So why not five stars? Because I can't give a solid five stars until I have finished slowly working through the menu as a side to the grilled Baja fish tacos. However, from the impressive flavors I have already experienced as well as the great waitress who took good care of us, I anticipate I will be upgrading this review very soon. read more

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Food is pretty much always good if not a bit of too many things. Mexican food is about high quality simplicity. Drinks are good too. My problem is their facility. You have a roof made of tin that blocks cell service, then don't offer guests WiFi... Also, I asked for a straw, never got one - had to walk to the bar to get myself a straw... These seem like minor quips that shouldn't denote such a low score. Except this, 2 margaritas and 8 tacos was 62 bucks. So yeh, for those kind of coins I expect free WiFi and spot on service. I know St Louis has 2 classes of food, fast or expensive. You mustn't excuse a lapse in quality just because you aren't on the trash end of the spectrum. read more

I have been there with family a handful of times but this time I took my good friend who was visiting from out of town. She was raised on the West Coast and in the Southwest (i.e. California and New Mexico), speaks Spanish fluently and is well traveled. She gave Mission Taco an enthusiastic thumbs up. I believe her exact words were "delicious and authentic." I have to agree with her. Mission Taco's sides are wonderful. The Mexican street corn is soooooo good. An abundance of kernels cut off the cob, folded in with mayonnaise, cheese (cohjita, I believe) and a splash of cayenne and paprika. I loved it so much that I tried to make some on the home grill the following week. The black beans are nice and smooth, pureed but with some chunks left for good measure and a little spice. The rice is equally good, though I would gladly give up the rice for more corn and beans. Enough about the sides . . . Let's talk tacos! I haven't met one from Mission Taco that I didn't like. From the carne asada to the pollo to the chorizo and the shrimp. "It's all good." (Proceed to head nod for three minutes straight.) Other notables on the menu: carne asada fries and agua frescas. Of course they don't compare to the ubiquitous carne asada fries in southern California. But if you have a craving and don't have a ticket booked to LAX or SAN anytime soon, Mission Taco's version will keep you satisfied. Their chile-dusted fries pair well with the carne asada. The flavored waters are oh so refreshing. Real fruit. Nothing else to say. read more

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Love this location just as much as the Delmar one. Our service was actually phenomenal. We came with a group of 6 and our server was so helpful! I wish I remembered his name... But regardless, same incredible food, larger location, more downtownish which is great. I love when I bring a group of my friends who are used to never trying anything out of the ordinary, just typical chain restaurants... And I bring them to a place like Mission and they're ecstatic about food! Also so glad the service, drinks, food.. Just everything was on point! Will be back again and again. (As for my review on the food, read my review on the other mission taco's location. But really you can't go wrong with anything here.) read more

I have eaten here a number of times over the years, but recently I tried the BLT taco and it was possibly the most delicious thing I have ever tasted! Definitely the best non-traditional taco. I also am a big fan of the mango habanero shrimp and the spicy chili crusted fries. I can't wait to eat it again! read more

Get the street corn with your chips n salsa. So good. Probably the best thing I eat. We had 5-6 different tacos. Carne asada was the best taco we tried. The Nopales wassss extremely hot. Thank goodness for the waiter warning us before hand. (I did not try it) but I tried a little thing of cactus, to knock it off my bucket list. Man, that was hot!! Margarita has fresh squeezed lime juice. It was yummy. read more

Session Taco - Cocktail Bars Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

Soooooo good! Loved the taco variety and how they were served. We had a good time trying different flavors. Highly recommend.

You have to get the chips and salsa when you go. Ones got a kick and the other one is a little sweet and my family and I inhaled both flavors. The build your own taco sampler is a great way to try new flavor combinations and the margaritas are cool and refreshing and hit the spot! Definitely would recommend for a great lunch! The churros are the perfect way to end! read more

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I loved the food here. Tacos are my thing and they have set the benchmark. This clean and quirky atmosphere is the perfect spot for friends to get street like tacos and other mexican style dishes at reasonable prices. Service was great and I'm thinking about going back tonight at 10 for their drink and taco specials. read more

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Mission is the perfect St. Louis staple for out of towners, or locals alike. Their main taco options are always a favorite, and their seasonal specials are always a treat. I don't think there is anything on the menu I don't like. Oh, and you HAVE to try their street corn. All their locations have a cool vibe, but the one in Soulard is our favorite with a sweet garage door that opens onto the street. Service is always great, and the wait staff is always extremely friendly. Late night specials are a must for everyone in the area (I'm talking $2 tacos and GOOD tequila shots), we literally wait on Friday nights just to hit it up. There's nothing bad about Mission. read more

You'll blow your macros if you get the carne asada fries. It's a big heaping plate of french fries, with typical nacho toppings (guac, sour cream, cheese, etc) and beef scattered on top. For $9, it could be a meal by itself if you eat the whole thing, or half, or a third of it. I only ate the top layer that wasn't cemented in by the melted cheese. Fries were crunchy, steak was decent, toppings were good. It's always a good sign when you can see whole pieces of avocado in the guac. As for tacos, they're decent. If I didn't get the fries, I would probably still be hungry. The portobello mushroom had this earthy taste. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. Probably wouldn't get that again. The fried baja fish tacos were okay. It's a little heavy on the mayo-based sauce, but all the flavors were good. The main attraction is the chorizo tacos. If I go back, I would get 3 chorizo tacos. There was a lot of flavor in the meat. You might need to tilt your taco so that some of the oil drains out of it though. I thought it was beautifully seasoned, with a little bit of heat to make it not a boring regular taco. The restaurant decor was pretty cool. The place was very clean, and the service was great. The real reason I was even in this area was for Bogarts, but I'm glad they were closed so that I could try this place out. read more

Session Taco - Carne asada fries - Cocktail Bars Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

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I wouldn't say that Mission is authentic. I would say they have great tacos for a complicated pallet or for people that won't wander into a "real" mexican restaurant. The Tortas are okay, I like the variety but they lack the authenticity. The tacos are delicious great spins on traditional tacos. It's good to see someone try a duck taco and be surprised by how good it tastes. I would go to Mission on my way to a ball game or whenever I am in either Soulard or The Loop. Both are bike friendly and have a great bar. Their drinks are delicious!!! read more

Session Taco - Torta de Milanesa - Cocktail Bars Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

Mission Taco is pretty amazing, as far as I'm concerned. A friend of mine introduced me to the place and we like to come in late night and get queso, frozen margaritas, and $2 tacos. I have now tried a lot of the tacos on their menu and they are ALL great. I love the seafood tacos in particular. The shrimp has a bit of a kick and is delicious! We always have the same server...and now of course her name escapes me. Long blonde hair, we shall call her. Everything is always out quick, she splits our tabs with ease, and is great to chat with. Overall, two thumbs up! And of course, now I am craving their tacos and a frozen hibiscus margarita. read more

I had the Kona Longboard beer & tacos. I had the duck, fish, & chorizo tacos. I've never had duck on a taco before, but like many other yelp reviewers, I found it tender & yummy! Definitely worth getting. The fish tacos were also excellent. On another visit, I had the chef's special taco, brisket, fish, and mushroom tacos. I enjoyed them also. I do not remember the beer I had with my meal, but it was good. It had some lime flavors, so it went well with tacos. They do rotate the beers, which is a plus on some sides, as you get variety, but if you had a favorite, it may no longer be available in the future, so enjoy it while you can. Update 1/4/17. I keep going back for more, and you can't beat the late night specials starting at 10pm: all tacos $2, $2 four roses and $2 tequila special shot. This time, I ordered Grilled cheese vegetarian taco of the month, chicken al pastor, BBQ duck, portabello, and beef brisket. All were great, but I just can't get enough of the duck, brisket, portobello, and chicken al pastor. Other visits, I tremendously enjoyed the fish tacos and shrimp tacos. I am not normally a tofu guy, but I also thought the mofu tofu was terrific and packs a fair bit of heat. Eva behind the bar is terrific and very knowledgeable read more

Session Taco - Cocktail Bars Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

Maybe I was super hungry but those fried fish tacos were life changing. So flavorful and good! I also heard good things about the shrimp tacos. The burrito is drowned in sauce but not as flavorful as the tacos. If you can resist the urge to just eat a ton, get the tacos! Would skip the burrito. A pro tip that I unfortunately couldn't use was their $2 taco deals after 10pm but if I am in St. Louis that late this place would be my go to! read more

I'm visiting here from California...... we have got some pretty great Mexican food in California but I have to say this is the best burrito the best Mexican street corn I've ever had and apparently from the length of this review the best to margaritas I highly recommend this place it's an historic soulard which is very cool I'm visiting here with my husband who is from this area but I would return to the establishment I highly recommend it read more

Customer service was A+z The tacos were okay and all were spicy. I understand the hype so go try it for yourself, it has a cool vibe. Not sure if I will return, though. read more

I seriously have to give this place a . Our server and the staff were fantastic. So upbeat and friendly. The street corn are just as good as described....amazing! The chips and salsa were just as good...salsa has great flavors. I tried the portabello, carne asada, and the grilled baja taco and all 3 were soo delicious....but my favorite had to be the portabello. I would def go back to this place. I think pricing for the food is spot on. Parking sucks but that's just Soulard for ya. read more

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We ordered 4 tacos and some drinks. The top shelf margarita was delicious. Didn't taste like mix out of a bottle. My husband ordered the "zombie" drink- it was so high in alcohol that you are only allowed to order 2 per day! It was quite tasty. The fried fish was the best taco. The baked fish was ok. The turkey was fine, and the chorizo was spicy! Service was great! read more

Session Taco - Zombie and a margarita - Cocktail Bars Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

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Mission Taco has been one of my most loved local favorites for several reasons. I was raised in Illinois just across the river but frequently came to STL to eat very often. It always delivers consistency when it comes to the food. I'm a big fan of the fried fish Baja tacos and the Ship taco! I've always had a great report from people when they took the suggestion for the visit. But best of all $2 tacos after 10pm everyday! read more

Loved finding this late night eatery with delicious tacos and guacamole. There is more to the menu, but it was late and we still had a long drive. This is a place I would come back too! Let me say the duck taco, shrimp and mango, and brisket tacos were scarfed down in complete silence. My daughter praised the portobello one. The only thing that could make them better were fresh made corn tortillas. read more

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We went here for our anniversary ad it was fun and perfect. We ordered one of each of the nine tacos on the menu and our favourites were: Portobello, Mango-Hop-Anero Shrimp. It's a really fun place with gorgeous flavours. Highly recommended! read more

Session Taco - Menu Aug 2016 - Cocktail Bars Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

Mission Taco is not where my partner and I go when we want a truly authentic Mexican food experience - but for creative and tasty tacos riffing off a Mexican food theme, these can't be beat. My partner loves their duck taco, and I'm a fan of the portabello taco - not even a vegetarian. They have a good beer selection, good chips and salsa, too. A nice neighborhood joint! read more

I love MT's tacos. My personal favorite is the shrimp and duck tacos. However, I was very disappointed in the drinks. I got a margarita and was done with it in what seemed like a few sips! They fill the entire glass up with ice so you don't get much of your drink. I was bummed that my drink was $11 something for a glass full of ice. I took a picture after about 25-30 minutes when much of it had melted and it was still full of ice! read more

Session Taco - Margarita filled with ice instead of the drink! Not too happy that I paid $11 something for a cup of ice. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

MTJ is always a hit if you are in the STL area. Their food is always great, you really can't get anything bad on the menu and the fry sauce is SO good! read more

Love the location of this MTJ! So easy to walk to and the food comes out so fast and always tastes delicious!!We've eaten here so many times, I can't even count! read more

Tasty and amazing The atmosphere is warm and inviting Service was quick Cost was $$$ Will definitely go back read more

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We went there after work for our monthly happy hour. The wait staff was excellent. Even as it got busier,we were never neglected. There were several beers and cocktails around the table - drinks menu is very helpful. I tried the margaritas and a daquerie. Favorite was the margaritas for sure. Daq was nit frozen and was very sour. We had the carne asada fries, which were so good I really could have stuck with them all night. We ordered a menagerie of tacos - my fave were the grilled fish. Street corn!!!!! I will just say it was the best. I took churros home and could have left my husband for the sauce, even reheated the next morning. My only negative experience was the parking. Couldn't find a spot and ended up at the new electronic meters - those things are annoying. read more

Session Taco - Cool artwork - Cocktail Bars Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

I can't believe I haven't written a review before now. I LOVE THIS PLACE. Everything we have tried has been so delicious. My personal favorites are: the margarita (OMG yum!), Mango-Hop-Anero Shrimp tacos, and chips and salsa. Other things we have tried: Baja Fish tacos, the Brah'rito, the South Beach burrito, and the Carne Asada Fries. I have not had anything I wouldn't order again. Pricing for food is very reasonable, but the alcohol is a bit on the pricey side. A regular margarita is $8, beer seems around $4+. Chris, the bartender we normally have, is great. All the bartenders and staff are friendly and have knowledge about everything on their menu. I personally like how their bartenders are trained on bartending. Sam, I think, even showed us how they make the margaritas and how they count pours. It's nice knowing what you're getting for your money. read more

Session Taco - Margarita!! Pink salt for breast cancer month. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

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Had an absolutely awful experience with a bartender at this location. While placing and order to be delivered at itap, she was extremely ill-mannered and short-tempered. Then, my ordered was incorrect upon delivery. After bringing the order back to the restaurant and explaining the situation, she said that I was in the wrong and need to place and pay for a whole new order if I want my food. I was, and still an, flabbergasted at how rude this woman was tonight. We are frequent fliers at Mission, and can't believe how awful we were treated. Do yourself a favor and go to ANYWHERE else in soulard. read more

I think I'm the only St. Louisan who's not a fan. I think that their tacos are ok- the shrimp tacos are the best thing on the menu. We also got the steak, but it was gristly and way over cooked. The tortillas were bland and soggy, which was disappointing because I know they make them there so I had high hopes. They do have outdoor seating at all both the CWE and Loop location and it's street parking. You are seated by a host and it's a traditional sit down service restaurant. They have a large bar with lots of alcohols and drink options. I just think it's a bit overpriced for what you get. They don't have a ton of variety, in my opinion. There's not a ton of healthier options. The service is ok, though not extremely attentive. The bathrooms were grimey when we visited. I think that it's a nice place to grab a drink and a snack, but it's just not somewhere I would go again. read more

Make sure you triple check your to go orders! I ordered a couple beers to go with my tacos and luckily I noticed before I left the restaurant that they forgot them. When I got home I realized they also forgot my order of guacamole so I called the restaurant. I drove back to get it (I ordered it for a reason) and when I opened the container it was just not half full. Very disappointing!! read more

$2 tacos and tequila shots.... You can't go wrong. Every night after 10pm. Get here early. It gets crowded fast. read more

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Such an amazing first experience. Service was outstanding, as was the food. I highly recommend the Three little pigs burrito. The staff was fun and in costume (around Halloween), great beer selection. We'll definitely be back with friends! read more

Session Taco - Cocktail Bars Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

Our server Nicole was very great, our food however was not. ALL the tacos that came to our table were cold, I don't understand how a fried shrimp taco can come out cold if the shrimp is freshly fried. The corn fritters were interesting but good. read more

Carne Asada fries are amazing! Drinks are great! Wide variety of tacos to try. Nice spot to hang out with friends after work

Who knew it was happy hour?!! $2 tacos and tequila (after 10pm) The wait was 20 minutes but the food came out quickly and didn't disappoint! Great service and super friendly staff. Definitely will return. read more

The fish on the fish tacos were RANCID I called the hostess put me on hold and basically told me it's nothing they could do after I spent over $50 on spoiled fish. read more

The fish tacos are absolutely delicious! So much flavor! The guacamole is a must here, with the fresh chips you'll be in heaven. The shrimp tacos are good but the batch I got had a little too much of the mayo, or whatever sauce comes along with it. The shell is not crunchy as you would suppose for a taco place. They are made with corn tortillas. This adds a great element of flavor and is surprisingly filling. A few tacos go a looong way. Also, the artwork on the walls is outrageous. I had a hard time focusing on anything else. read more

I'm sorry but just no. $10 for a hurricane, filled with ice, and that tasted of no alcohol. Margarita my mother was the same, filled with ice and she says she has had better elsewhere. She asked for a second one, told the server she wanted less ice in the glass and his response was "I'll either charge you double or you're getting a smaller glass." Excuse me but what? Now to the food, no one was really impressed. The street corn (overpriced for the small portion you get) was the table favorite as was the chips and salsa. I had the three-pigs burrito specifically saying NO ONION because they make me very sick. Mine comes out with onion as does the one on the other end of the table that asked for the same thing. This was that conversation: Server: Ugh, I can go have them take it off. Me: No, we have places we need to be after. Um.... (thinking of a solution) Server: Why don't you just take them off, they're just on the top. I was really shocked by this after saying they make me ill. Then I found more IN the burrito. Luckily I found them on my fork and got rid of them. I was hungry and only ate 1/2 of this thing. It wasn't good. Our waiter clearly was annoyed by us right after we ordered the chips and salsa and he went MIA for a bit. I'm not sure why. A table of 7 people. 3 checks. Should be a nice tip, correct? We will not be back. Food wasn't worth it and the service was atrocious. I'd never recommend this place to anyone. If this is something you like, great. But we like good service where I come from. read more