I've been to Val's on Ferret Street quite a few times because I really love this place! The food is always good, I love their cocktails (especially the margaritas ), and the atmosphere is just fun. I usually love sitting outside, but this time I was there with my daughter and husband, and we sat inside. Still a really nice vibe! All three of us ordered the Birria Burrito, and of course, I had to get my guacamole on the side. The burrito comes with guacamole, beans and rice, plus a side of consommé for dipping. The beef was tender and flavorful, and that consommé just takes it to another level! We also started with the queso dip and chips, which was really good. Between the queso, guacamole, chips and burritos, we definitely left full! And yes... margaritas were involved! I'm also including a few pictures from another visit I had with my daughter when we sat outside. The meal was pretty much the same--birria burrito, guacamole and chips--and, as you can see from the margarita picture, I had already done some serious damage to that drink before remembering to take the photo. Val's is just one of those places I enjoy coming back to. Good food, good drinks, a fun atmosphere, and a place I enjoy spending time with my family. Definitely one of my favorites. Cool vibe, attentive staff, good food and the perfect cocktails! read more

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I went to Val's and overall had a good experience. The first thing that stood out was the vibe and aesthetic of the place. It has a stylish, modern atmosphere that feels good as soon as you walk in. The setup, lighting, and overall energy made it a cool spot to sit back, eat, and enjoy the experience. Food: I had three tacos, and even though I forgot the exact names, everything tasted good. The tacos were fresh, flavorful, and nicely prepared. The portions were solid, and the food came out looking just as good as it tasted. Service: Service was smooth overall. The staff was friendly, the food came out in a reasonable amount of time, and everything moved along well during the visit. Ambiance: The aesthetic and atmosphere are definitely one of Val's strongest points. The place has a trendy, well-designed vibe that makes it feel like more than just a regular taco spot. It's the kind of place that's easy to hang out at for a while. Overall: Good food, great atmosphere, and a really nice aesthetic overall. My only downside was the service charge they automatically add, which I personally wasn't really feeling. Other than that, it was still a good experience and a cool spot to check out. read more

Vals - Seafood Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Somehow I only just got to Val's for the first time yesterday. It was overall pretty good. As others have noted, gratuity is automatically included, and our server did point that out to us. The elote was phenomenal, packed with flavor. The queso - way too thin, even when it cooled down. As a result, queso dribbles everywhere during the short journey the chip takes from the bowl to your mouth. I had a barbacoa taco which was excellent and the corn tortilla held it together well. A side of pinto beans was large (as it should be, at $7). Service was pleasant and the food came out quickly. We sat outside because it was quite loud inside. read more

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https://blainerestaurantreport.wordpress.com/2026/08/22/vals-new-orleans-la-report-1062/ read more

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Amazing staff and service. Spacious with indoor, outdoor and lots of bar seating. Vibey. Excellent cocktails, flavorful food dishes. read more

I tried Val's for the first time and really enjoyed it. The queso fundido with chorizo/corn tortillas was delicious. A great app to start with! I also had the chicken tinga tacos and the beef barbacoa tacos. The beef were my fave. They are pretty accommodating with gluten allergies if you talk to the server. You just have to be careful about the things that are fried in a fryer next to the regular fryer so I avoided the chips and elote (corn). They have lots of seating outside and the decor is so cute! Also a good spot to grab a drink. read more

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Val's has significantly improved their service from their bartenders to the friendly hostesses, to the friendly and helpful servers. We were here a year ago. The food was delicious but the service of the bartenders, hostess and the servers were horrible!!!! I gave them a one star, BUT I have to update that to five stars based on their improved service! Hostess is friendly, inviting and helpful. Servers are also friendly and helpful, bartenders have significantly improve their attitude. Food is still delicious. We got the Carne Asada tacos, fish, tacos, and the sweet potato tacos, Chicken Tinga tacos all delicious; chicken tacos had shredded delicious seasoned chicken. Carne Asada tacos were over the top as well as the fish tacos crispy delicious seasoned well. We had the chips and guac and salsas- delicious and fresh. We are certainly happy. They have improved their service from a year ago Kudos to management and your entire team, five stars for everybody, ambience is outside seating as well as inside seating and bar seating. But Service is 200% better thank you!!! read more

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I like Val's. I went back in October of 2020 and I thought it was just okay. I feel like it's improved since then. The presentation is better and the food is better. The service was great this last time I went. We started with the queso chorizo which was really yummy. The guac and all the dips were really good as well. My favorite was the birria burrito though. We also had tacos but I was so full by then, I barely tried them. The kiwi Margarita I had was just okay. It has really nice seating outside and it's nice to put people watch on freret. read more

Vals - Tacos - Seafood Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Amazing shrimp quesadilla. Great service as always. Perfect restaurant if you are in the mood for texmex

So, I was not sure if I was in a night club or restaurant. The service was good. They were fast and furious when sending the food out quickly to the table. Anyway, I did not care for the appetizer, Coctel De Camarones. It was like seafood in a tomato soup. I have to say though that their fried fish taco was delectable. The taste of the Beef Barbacoa was yummy, but I'd rather it over rice than on a flour tortilla. The server told us that during the week more families eat at the restaurant. I would go back just for the fish taco. read more

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I don't know why, but I love that there's a casual Mexican place in town called Vals. Part of me is like, make it make sense and the other part is like, I don't want it to make sense. We checked out Vals because we were in the mood for something more casual/less prohibitively expensive than some of the other joints on Freret where entrees fetch upwards of 35 dollars... and a little less casual than Dat Dog (no shade on any of the aforementioned places. These are tough times for restaurants). It was a chilly night so no patio for us, but they do have heating lamps out there. Inside is really nice, dark, with a large bar and comfy booths. Folk art and murals give it a bit of an Oaxaca vibe (not to mention all of the mezcal drinks). While there's not a lot of vegan options, there are a couple tacos. The guacamole is legit and I couldn't stop eating it. Prices are so reasonable. I don't at all mind the service charge as they explain it both on the menu and before taking your order. When our waitress brought the check, she reminded us again. And if you want to leave a little extra, you can. You can't mind when they are so transparent! So many places are not and you feel awkward about not giving another 20% on top of that. Can't wait to return on a warm spring evening so I can sit on the patio with a frozen marg! read more

Our favorite place was closed for an event so we decided to try Val's. It had been on my list for a while. We sat outside which was nice and enjoyable. Service was fast and super friendly. I was not big on the prices it's kind of bougie in my opinion. 20 dollars for chips and all the dips, the were good but I've honestly had better for the price. I was not a fan of the beans at all, tacos were good but not enough to make it a destination for me again. I was as sadly disappointed. read more

Vals - All the dips - Seafood Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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Food is delicious and the vibes are great. They do have an automatic gratuity which they are very upfront about. Not a big fan, but understand why they do it. Shared the dips and elote with friends and the steak tacos were amazing. Highly recommend Val's!! read more

Vals is a perfect taco spot! It's beautifully appointed on the corner of Valence and Freret. An old car repair garage turned gorgeous open air restaurant with a sexy moody interior and gorgeous outdoor seating area that features string lights at night. I'm always happy at Vals! I love the chips and salsa trio that comes with guacamole, salsas rojo and verde; I also always get the pickled veggies as an accompaniment. I got the cocktail of the day which was a frozen mango guava with the yummy spicy stuff on the rim. I also got the shrimp taco, the fish taco and the beef taco. I eventually hit euphoria! This place is dog friendly but be warned if you bring your dog, their will be other dogs there and that could potentially cause a scene. The waitress was kind enough to bring a water bowl and treats for my Ginger girl who was on her best behavior. Street parking only. read more

Vals - Chip and dip trio with pickled veg. - Seafood Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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Vals had a Chic ambiance at night it's dimly lit. Very intimate and they also have outdoor seating area. That's a great option when the weather is nice. The servers were cool and very informative on the menu they recommended the QUESO FUNDIDO it's served with fresh tortilla I had the chorizo version but you can also get it with mushrooms which I heard is also delicious. This was the perfect dish for the person. That's not too hungry but want something flavorful and delicious at the same time. The cheese pool on this was perfect and it's definitely filling And Price rite at $13. Just a heads up, they also include a 20% service charge on every bill so just be prepared for that. They have a front menu which I took a picture of that explains why they do it for their employees read more

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If you're looking for a comfy spot with good food- it's Vals. We sat at the bar and had some great food and tacos. If you're a chip person, I highly recommend the "all the dips" and chips. You'll get 3 salsas, queso, and quac. They were all delish and the chips were salty and yummy! It paired perfectly with the margarita. It's not overly complicated or fancy, but it hits the spot! read more

Vals - All the dips with a Vals margarita! - Seafood Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

This is one of New Orleans newer Mexican food restaurants and they are housed in a nicely refurbished old gas station. They have a lot of seating in their outdoor patio area along with less seating in their smaller indoor area. Vals seems to mostly be a bar that offers hipster versions of gringo Mexican street food for snacks as the portion sizes here are far too small for me to consider them a meal. Now the drinks and the food here are also certainly offered at a premium so I really didn't find it to be a very good value in either the food or drink categories. I actually just found my tacos and chips to be bad here. They also have an automatic and mandatory 20% "tip" here which ABSOLUTELY showed in the AWFUL service. Overall I did not enjoy the service here, I did not enjoy my tacos here and I did not enjoy my chips and dips here. My video review of Vals is here: https://youtu.be/YiWaRkzqISE read more

This place unfortunately is a hit or miss for me. As a California who lives in Nola, I'm always down for Mexican. Personally it's lacking in flavor, especially in the birria- both broth and taco. They served the rice and beans in a bowl already mixed up. They blast house music like a club so ehh, immediately I can tell which crowd they are trying to attract. The place is cute tho. Definitely more for vibes and not food. If you want good authentic Mexican food try another place. read more

Vals - The rice and beans Plus the cold tortilla from the fish taco - Seafood Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Food and service were great! Spacious outdoor seating and very attentive service. Tacos were amazing!

Didn't have the food, only drinks and they were pretty good. All the food I saw other patrons eating looked pretty good so I'll definitely be back at some point to try. read more

Val's is a must try in NOLA! Totally casual, but fantastic bar and indoor/outdoor seating. The love the pink/black decor inside. While the special strawberry margarita did not disappoint, the food was even better. Our eyes were definitely bigger than our stomachs as we tried the guacamole/salad/chips, the sweet potato tacos, the Caesar salad and the ceviche. While I thought almost everything was great, the ceviche seemed like thin tomato sauce with cut up boiled shrimp. Otherwise, we loved everything. Service was very attentive. I look forward to going next time in NOLA. read more

Vals - Guacamole, salsas, special Strawberry Margarita and champagne. - Seafood Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

The atmosphere was wonderful, the staff were friendly and gave good service but, the food had absolutely no flavor, no seasoning. While the food is beautifully plated it is deceiving to the stomach. The Pricing was actually a bit ridiculous for the amount of food give, they charge a 20% service fee which I'm 100% okay with because I agree with it. Needless to say I don't think I will be returning. read more

I went to school in NOLA and lived by Val's, so I've been countless times. It's one of the places I love to go back to when I'm in town. The food is great, as are the drinks, but will admit it's a bit pricey for what it is and the service can be hit or miss. That said, would still recommend checking it out - lovely place to catch up with friends and is located in an adorable part of Uptown. read more

Vals - Seafood Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

I've been here twice and so happy on this second visit! The Birria Burrito with the consomé from is their current special and it was sooo delicious! I sat in silence and finished the entire thing. If you thought you loved birria tacos, wait until you try the birria burrito! read more

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We were so excited to come to this restaurant. We were on a girls trip and mothers and 55 year olds. We went to the Preservatory for a great jazz concert then headed to Val's place! We were having a good time and immediately the head gal would not serve our friend a glass of wine. The manager was so rude and ran off with her to go box and was very dismissive. Won't be back. read more

A little on the expensive side for the amount you get, but nonetheless delicious food and drinks! Amazing and sweet staff. Very helpful. Beautiful aesthetic with a fun vibe. Perfect for a chill night, girls night, celebration, anything! read more

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Overall, a positive experience. We showed up at 6 on a Thursday and there was an hour wait (even though we were told 30 min) for a seat on the patio. Seems like there was an event going on so may not be typical but it is worth making a reservation anyway. But, the food made up for it. The mushroom fundido was incredible. It came with tortillas that were freshly made. The guacamole and salsa were both very fresh as were the chips. The fish taco was perfectly fried. The taco was small but there was a ton of fish in it. Elotes was delicious as well. Drinks were perfectly made and not too sweet. I particularly loved the Paloma. Tried bites of the beef and pork tacos as well as the tres leches. Seems like you can't go wrong! read more

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So went here for Happy Hour after bad experience at Pigeon and Whale. Got the same reply about no tables. There were alot outside. Walking out I bumped into manager. She said that the only way to seat you was that you would be kicked out in an hour when reservations come in (those were her exact words) . I am livid about it. We live in the neighborhood long before these places and the treatment we got was really bad. read more

We came by to have snacks and margaritas. Getting any staff to "see" us and greet us was pretty low. It seemed like a staff change over. But it was noon on a Sunday. Food was "ok". Margaritas were very expensive. Chips, salsa ,etc. and 2 margaritas each, with a house mandated tip was $100. Sorry. I will have Chips and salsa and Margaritas somewhere else next time. read more

Just had a light lunch here with a colleague that I was visiting from out of town. Chips and salsa with two sauces: very tasty, but way too little salsa for how many chips there were. It was also eight dollars which is kinda pricey. 4/5 Chicken taco: shredded chicken with a lot of sauce. Good flavor 5/5 Fried fish taco: I was in the mood for some thing light so I didn't expect this to be so heavy with the grease. It was decent but just not what I was feeling at the moment I guess. Loved the pickled onion though! 4/5 Cute outdoor seating, attentive service. Walking distance from hospital read more

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VALS. Our favorite Latin Restaurant in New Orleans. Excellent menu, Latin style food, hot and freshly prepared and delicious. Crispy tortilla chips with a variety of salsas and really well made guacamole. Superior service, fast, friendly, accommodating and smiling (Thank You, Grace T., we felt very welcome, and you did a Great Job). Very family friendly. Covered and open patio dining, with fans for the hot days and heaters for the cold days. Full bar, great barkeep, honest pours. Clean restrooms. VALS is the place we go when we want to get our Taco on! Five Well Deserved Stars. read more

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Great place for outdoor dining. Cool hip staff. We had all the outstanding tacos: my fave's were the cauliflower beef and chicken tacos. Yummy margaritas ! Reasonably priced and super casual. We got to camp out outside for an extra half an hour, enjoying the scenery. Go! read more

Vals - Bar - Seafood Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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I would give 3 and 1/2 stars (if Yelp did half stars!). Our experience at Val's was what I would call Inconsistent. The service was super friendly, but also could have been a little more attentive. My husband and I ordered the street corn, chips with green salsa, Birria quesadilla, and 2 tacos- sweet potato and pork. The salsa was delicious, the corn and quesadilla were pretty good, and the tacos lacked flavor and texture. I wouldn't say no to coming back, but would not choose it either. read more

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Decent food, but overpriced. Frozen margs never disappoint. There's certainly better Mexican food in town but I go if I'm in the neighborhood read more

We are regulars here because the food is reliable and good. But tonight we had a reservation and then sat at our table for 15 minutes waiting for a server. Eventually the moody hostess sent over a blunt server with braided pigtails and a hoodie that said "nevermind" to take our order. She stopped by the bar to talk to a friend frequently. I guess there is no initiative to provide good service when you automatically get a 20% tip. We probably won't be back soon. read more

This place has such a cute aesthetic, but the tacos were okay! I think I'm more of a simple street taco person, but I'd still come here again. The queso wasn't my favorite but I'd say it's different from what you'd usually see, it's got a burnt base on it that you have to break through and I feel like there wasn't that much queso. It might be someone else's cup of tea though. The service was very nice though and the seating outside has a bunch of fans and mists available if you wanted to sit outside. My favorite was the sweet potato taco and the fried fish taco. You'll like this place if you like these kind of "designer" tacos or just want to try a different kind of taco, but very cute aesthetic, nice people, and I'd like to try more food from here! read more

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I finally made it back to Val's to try the food and Val's did not disappoint. The place is beautiful and it like Mexican cuisine served in an ultra modern home. I love this place. The outdoor seating is lovely, beautiful and spacious. Wait staff is friendly, attentive and service is well paced. It was not busy during lunch but it's what to expect in NOLA post CoVid during the week. Food was served hot and immaculately plated. My Caesar Salad with anchovies was good. We also order the Elotes, queso fundido, Piccadillo empanada and high were all so good and filling. The Margaritasare so good also. One more note, my second time here and let me say this: they have the best playlist of curated music. They do everything right here. I will alway come back here. read more

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I must say that this is one of my favorites places in New Orleans, I come here for lunch everytime I visit. The corn is just the best thing I have tested and the tacos are pretty decent. The fried fish and corn and mushroom are pretty good. The ambience is pretty chill and always have a good time while eating here. The service is good too, all the girls that work there are supper nice. I'm not a big fan of the chips but the Guac is good, not the best I have had but good. The guacamole leans more towards a lemony flavor but the consistency is good. I was charged $1 for extra sauce which I thought it was unnecessary but it is what it is. With that said, Definitely worth the visit. read more

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So we make the mistake of doing Cinco de Mayo at Vals. I could forgive the food runner throwing the chips and dips on the table since the drinks were great and the server was lovely. But, what gets me, being in the industry, is how we have our check on the table, waiting with the card in it, no one has told us anything about time nor have we "acted up" - yet the host comes over with utter condescension to tell our party that she sees we have our check on the table with the card in it, but they have a 1.5 hour time limit and we are 15 minutes from being at the point they will ask us to leave. Then feels the need to take the check, run it herself, and have someone bus our table out while they're dropping it. I have personally had to ask people to leave, there's a multitude of reasons where it is acceptable; but there's three other table tables cleaned and empty next to us whilst we are try to pay out. Anyone could have easily asked our server the status, "They're waiting for me to run the card", but instead we're chased out while trying to leave. An otherwise pleasant experience ruined for nothing. read more

This place is such a nice vibe. The ambiance is warm and friendly with an escalated quality. They had a large young crowd when I went , but nevertheless it was in a busy area. Pretty popular on the weekends and you definitely have to reserve a table when you arrive. The elote was good but would have been better if the middle was warm or hot. The corn was very cold inside so that made it a little unpleasant. The tacos were delicious and I tried probably almost all of them except the vegan/vegetarian option. The drinks were delicious and we even had a few shots that were not pictured here. The service was good for the crowd they had. Also, the server was sooo friendly and nice. She had a really good head on her shoulders! I can't wait to come back with more friends. read more

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