There is no restaurant in Atlanta that I frequent more than Bartaco – it’s the perfect college spot because it’s the most amazing food and it doesn’t break the bank. I have the app downloaded to my phone, several servers know my name, and I could tell you which tables are my favorite without even thinking about it. That being said, I’ve had enough food at Bartaco to know what my favorite things on the menu are. So, without further ado, here are all of the tacos from Bartaco, ranked (plus a few fun extras):
#1. Carnitas
This one is my absolute favorite and I could probably eat these for the rest of my life. I tell everyone I go to this restaurant with to order these tacos and I would not be exaggerating if I said they appear in my dreams sometimes. The mojo and tomatillo sauces are what makes this taco amazing, and the pork itself is super flavorful and tender. The diced onion on top adds a nice little crunch, and I think that this taco does absolutely everything right.
#2. Spiced Chicken Verde
This is a good, classic taco, and it’s definitely a staple in every Bartaco order I place. It’s plain, simple, and amazing. The chicken on these tacos is prepared in a chile and herb marinade, so it’s not at all short on flavor. On top of that the aguacate salsa is not only an amazing flavor addition, but it does a lot for the texture of the overall dish, too.
#3. Glazed Pork Belly
This rounds out my usual Bartaco order. The tacos placed in the top three are ones I get every single time I go to eat dinner here, and I have ordered them on multiple late night study sessions as comfort food. The glazed pork belly ones specifically are some of my favorites because they don’t need any sauces or extra additions to make them amazing – they come with red pickled onions, cilantro, and nothing else. The pork itself is covered in a sweet arbol chili glaze making it flavorful, but not detracting from the flavor of the pork itself.
#4. Baja Fish
Full disclosure, I don’t eat fish so I don’t actually know what this one tastes like. However, my friends who helped me compile this list said they would never go to Bartaco with me again if this wasn’t in the top five, so I felt an obligation to include it. That being said, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten at this restaurant without a friend ordering this and raving about it. This taco is cod fried in spicy tempura batter, sitting on top of chipotle slaw, and apparently is the perfect spin on a more traditional fish taco.
#5. Sesame Ribeye
This was the first taco I ever got at Bartaco, and it’s another staple. I don’t always order it anymore, but I’ve never been disappointed by it and will occasionally throw it in my order to mix it up a little. To me what makes this taco so amazing is the sweet sesame soy sauce that the ribeye is prepared in, as well as the fact that the meat is shaved rather than sliced, so you’ll never get a bite that’s too tough or chewy. It’s then topped with spicy kimchi, which really mixes up the flavor profile and adds a fun twist to a more classic taco.
#6. Roasted Duck
This is another one I’ve never ordered, but I don’t think I’ve ever been with someone else who ordered this that didn’t say it was the most amazing thing they’d ever eaten. The duck is slow roasted and then shredded, leaving it super tender and flavorful. It’s then topped with cilantro and tamarind glaze to round out the flavors and textures of the dish.
#7. Crispy Oyster
This is another one that I can’t eat, but my friends all praise nonstop. When I asked someone about it for the purpose of this article, she suggested that I put my dietary restrictions to the side because it is “a transcendent experience that everyone should have in their lifetime”. I’ll just let that speak for itself. This taco is made up of two fried oysters over a remoulade sauce, which adds a perfect sweet and sour element to the dish, and the crunch of the fried oyster really rounds out the experience.
#8. Crispy Avocado
This taco I have tried, and to me it is the epitome of what Bartaco stands for – a twist on traditional Mexican street food. It definitely isn’t in my usual rotation, but all of my friends who swear by avocado toast, avocado salad, and everything in between absolutely adore it. It’s also probably the most intricate taco on this menu with tempura fried avocado, veracruz slaw, cilantro vinagrette, and cotija cheese. The taco tastes like a dressed-up avocado salad with a nice tang and amazing textures from the crunch of the slaw and the creaminess of the avocado.
#9. Falafel
This is one of my friends’ favorites, but I’ve never fully been able to get behind the idea of falafel in a taco. That being said, it is definitely an interesting concept and it does taste amazing. This taco has falafel on top of Greek tzatziki sauce, which balances out the textures quite well.
#10. Cauliflower
My little sister orders this one because it’s vegetarian and she loves it. Personally I like sticking with the meat tacos, but as far as vegetarian options at taco restaurants go, this is one of the best renditions I’ve seen. The cauliflower on this dish is roasted and then topped with cilantro, onion, and romesco sauce, which adds a sweet and creamy flavor to the rest of the ingredients.
#11. Portobello
This is another favorite in my family, but it does rank lower on my list. Like everything else here I have nothing bad to say about it, but I personally wouldn’t order it. The mushrooms are roasted with garlic and poblano peppers, and served with queso fresco to give the whole thing a light and refreshing taste with a little bit of a kick from the peppers.
#12. Grilled Corvina
I’ve never ordered this nor have I ever seen anyone order it, but it’s been listed among many of my servers’ favorites on multiple occasions. Seeing as I trust them with absolutely everything they recommend, I would bet it’s amazing. The corvina is served with veracruz slaw and nuoc cham sauce. The sauce has so many complex flavors at once, balancing out the fish and slaw to round out this taco.
#13. Tuna Tatako
This is only at the bottom of the list because again, I don’t eat seafood. I’ve seen people order it and, like everything else on the Bartaco menu, they enjoyed it. That being said, it wasn’t the most amazing thing they’ve ever tried, but I don’t think that anything on the menu at this restaurant is a miss. The tuna is crusted with ancho chilis and comes with slaw, vinagrette, and soy glaze. It’s also served on a bibb lettuce shell, which makes it different and super refreshing.
So there you have it – my all encompassing list of every taco on the Bartaco menu. But this article wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the other staples of this restaurant: the guacamole (a large order, obviously) and the street corn (which I promise is better off the cob so you can eat it with a spoon). I couldn’t stress enough how much love I have for this place, or how hard it was to make this list because I couldn’t rank everything as #1. So next time you pull an all nighter and you want to Postmates comfort food or you can’t decide where to eat, hit up Bartaco and try the things on this list – I promise you won’t regret it.