Chop Shop Taco is a vibrant, industrial-chic taco haven in Alexandria, celebrating '90s hip-hop vibes and serving up creative Mexican bites and tequila cocktails.
"Chop Shop Taco is a Mexican eatery opened by Ed McIntosh in a converted auto body garage in Alexandria in 2019. McIntosh was affiliated with this restaurant before the pandemic." - Tierney Plumb
"Chop Shop Taco, an edgy eatery opened by Ed McIntosh in a converted auto body garage in 2019, features a meaty menu of taco toppings like brisket braised in beef fat and roasted pork shoulder. McIntosh took a break from day-to-day operations during the pandemic to teach culinary classes to low-income immigrant families in Arlington." - Tierney Plumb
"The owners of this converted auto body garage in Alexandria claim that it used to be a real, illicit chop shop. The original garage floor is all buffed up, and white bricks interspersed with hanging greenery lend the industrial space a Mexico City feel. — G.H." - Gabe Hiatt, Tierney Plumb
"A former auto body garage in Alexandria got a second life this spring as a grungy-cool destination for elaborate riffs on Mexican food and tequila cocktails. Chef and co-founder Ed McIntosh’s compact food menu reflcets the shop’s size — 47 seats across 1,000 square feet — with four tacos to start, but no burritos or enchiladas." - Tierney Plumb
"A once-sleepy Alexandria strip will get a dose of grungy-cool vibes this week with the arrival of a ‘90s hip-hop playing, taco-and-tequila slinging bar set inside a converted auto body shop. Chef and co-founder Ed McIntosh already has taco street cred, most recently manning a the roving Tortilladora across the area. The name refers to its 1,000-square-foot home’s former life as a garage, with lots of its original hardware making comeback appearances inside the industrial-style restaurant. A local artist painted a colorful 8-by-10 mural that reads “chop it up.” The original garage floor is still in place, resurfaced and shined for foot traffic purposes. Original sturdy doors were also repurposed and reused. Stainless steel plates ideal for outdoor camping resemble hubcaps and mirrors. Banquettes look like the front seat of a classic car, while dining room chairs feel like retro bucket seats. McIntosh plans to go “old school” with the music selection, blasting some of the 1990s hip-hop he grew up with in New York City." - Tierney Plumb
