Don't Look Back Taco Bar

2/8/13:

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Drink Specials, Service, Food

Cons: Price

     Friday night... the week has dragged on and been a mind-killer. The weather at the end of the week was crappy, rainy and cold. Pretty much just the kinda week that makes you want to quit and go be a bum on the beach somewhere. Unfortunately, that isn't a logical option for EG and myself. So instead we wondered where we could get some dinner and a drink. I, being a fan of tacos, suggested Don't Look Back Taco Bar (Don't Look Back Taco Bar) in Carytown. It has the words taco and bar in it. Where could we go wrong? Carytown... AWAY!!!

   Don't Look Back is located across the street from the Byrd Theater in a thin little place. It's long with a patio out back (that we avoided due to the rain). The inside is cozy with tables at the front and the bar along one side in the back. The other side of the back is a big open lounge area. There was a wait for tables, so we decided to sit at the bar. The hostess was friendly and polite. She invited us to take any open bar seat we could find. We were greeted by the bartender, who promptly handed us menus. She answered our questions about on-tap beers. She went so far as to give me some samples in order to help me choose. She also answered our questions about their weekly drink specials, which look pretty decent. Some of them were asking for me to come try them out (they serve Natty Boh on Tuesday's). After we ordered our drinks we perused the menu.

     The menu is very basic. It's just taco's, burrito's and small plates. There are 8 different types of taco including 3 types of vegetarian, which kinda looked good. You can get them served either "traditional" style, which is with lime, onion & cilantro or you can get them "gringo" style, which is with sour cream, cheese, lettuce & salsa. You can also choose corn or flour tortillas. I decided to go with a fish taco traditional style, a chorizo taco gringo style and a carnitas taco gringo style. All on flour tortillas and all are $3 each. I also ordered a beef and a chicken taquito, as they were only $1 each. Can't go wrong there. EG ordered chips and salsa for $2, a chicken taquito and a cheese quesadilla for $4. This seemed like a good range of food which would really allow us a chance to try out the cooks in the Don't Look Back kitchen.

     When our food came out it took up a lot of real-estate. It all looked pretty good and I couldn't wait to dive in. I grabbed some hot sauce (of course) and began on my taquitos. They were super hot, temperature wise, as they had just come out of the fryer. The shell was crispy and crunchy. The inside of the chicken one was flavorful and delicious. I could have eaten 6 of them. The inside of the beef taquito was a little dry. I wasn't a big fan of that one, but the hot sauce helped. As I was finishing my taquitos, I glanced at my tacos. I heard them calling me and who am I to ignore them. I started with the fish, as I assumed it would have the most delicate flavor of the three. The fish was flaky and delicious. It paired well with the cabbage, cilantro and lime. I was very pleased and glad I started off so well. I next attacked the chorizo taco, my hopes high. It was alright, not great. The flavor of the meat wasn't mind blowing, which was kinda disappointing. So, now I've had a great taco and a mediocre taco. Here's hoping this carnitas taco would pull it towards the good side. The meat was cooked perfectly. It wasn't dry or tough in anyway. The flavor on it was smokey and tangy. It was an excellent taco. A meal vindicator, if you please. When I asked EG about her quesadilla, she seemed very pleased. It was big, cheesy and cooked to perfection. It filled her up, but not to the point of discomfort. Another successful meal for us both then.

     The only real complaint I have about Don't Look Back Taco Bar is the price of the tacos themselves. Everything else was fairly priced for the items. Like $1 taquitos. I know you can get like 25 for $1 at 7-11, but those are crap. These are worth paying for. But I feel like $3 for 1 taco is a bit much. And I'm not saying that you need to slash the prices to $1 or $1.50, but come down a little. I would feel much better paying $6 for 3 tacos then paying $9 for 3. Maybe that's just me, but that was my only complaint.

     If you find yourself in the mood for some tacos and don't think that Taco Bell is gonna do it, stop in to the Don't Look Back Taco Bar. Grab a beer and go for the fish taco. You won't be disappointed.