Circo

Circo in downtown Sarasota is such a fun spot if you love tacos, bourbon, and a lively atmosphere. The restaurant has a playful circus theme, which makes the space feel energetic and unique. The tacos are the real highlight creative, flavorful, and made with fresh ingredients. I especially enjoyed the Mongolian Beef and Thai Shrimp tacos, but there’s something for everyone, including vegetarian options. Their cocktails are just as impressive, with a great bourbon selection and margaritas that perfectly complement the food. The staff is welcoming, attentive, and always make you feel at home. Whether you stop by for happy hour, Taco Tuesday, or a casual night out, Circo delivers a memorable dining experience that keeps you coming back.

We were greeted as soon as we walked in. It is seat yourself but we hadn’t been there so we weren’t sure where we wanted to sit. E had lots of questions. We were told about Happy Hour specials. We asked about the tacos. Our server ate there every day and had tried all the tacos so she could help us decide what we would like. We ordered margaritas. I had the house Margarita and my husband had the Bourbon Margarita. We loved them. We tried the guacamole with goat cheese as an appetizer. And then we tried the tacos. We ended up trying 5 of their tacos - all the Happy Hour ones (B1G1F, mix and match) and the Cheesy Chicken. I liked the Mongolian and the Thai Shrimp ones best of the 5 we tried. We will be going back!!!

First time trying this place out. We ordered a variety of their tacos and the chips and queso for an appetizer. They have a pool table, large bar and lots of outdoor seating. Our server was great and the food came out in minutes. My only complaint is that the chips and salsa have to be purchased.

Fun, fresh, and fabulous spot to hang out! This place has an awesome vibe and an even better taco selection—from Mongolian beef to Korean pork belly to Thai shrimp. And of course, they’ve got the classics like the “Gringo” for when you're craving the basics. The margarita was spot-on, and Taco Tuesday is a real treat: buy one, get one free! Plus, happy hour also offers BOGO on select tacos. Great flavors, great deals—definitely worth checking out.

4.5- almost perfect! Talk about some good non traditional Mexican tacos, this is the spot! While I don’t like places that do a a-la-carte this spot was reasonably priced. The chef deserves a 5 star all the way . Highly recommend checking it out! (Only reason it didn’t get a 5 star is because they brought out my husbands food first and I waited a couple of minutes for mine and that is a big no no.

🌮🌯 Circo Tacos & Bourbon is a vibrant spot that delivers a lively atmosphere and delicious food! From the moment you walk in, the eclectic decor and colorful signage set the tone for a fun dining experience. The interior is inviting, with a blend of rustic and modern touches that create a cozy, yet energetic vibe. The tacos are absolutely incredible! I tried the ones loaded with fresh ingredients, including crispy fried toppings, pickled jalapeños, tangy slaw, and sweet mango chunks. The combination of flavors was perfectly balanced, offering a delightful mix of savory, spicy, and sweet in every bite. The tortillas were soft and fresh, holding all the goodness together without falling apart. The staff was friendly and attentive, ensuring our experience was smooth from start to finish. Their bourbon selection is also worth mentioning for those who enjoy a good drink to accompany their meal. If you’re looking for a place in Sarasota with creative tacos, a great bar, and a fun atmosphere, Circo Tacos & Bourbon is a must-visit. I’ll definitely be back for another round of tacos and drinks!☀️🌴❤️🌮

If you come here thinking you’re getting take out forget it. Just sit down and order. And like this review after bc you’ll find out I’m right. Julia has been amazing and the service was incredible! We had a wonderful time and all the food that was recommended was amazing. My husband also had an old fashioned and thought it was really good. I tried it and she was strong alright haha. Anyways, if you are here and don’t know where to go, this is your place! 100% we ordered the ahi tuna, Mongolian beef, Thai shrimp, Korean pork, and Nashville hot.

Great time at Circo Sarasota Cool and lay back Mexican restaurant, bar vibes in a fun atmosphere, colorful decor, family friendly. Food is tasty and drinks are good, everyone seems to be enjoying their time here, background music and friendly and good service. We had tacos and margaritas and they both were great!!! They have specials very day. Definitely a good spot to take a pause and have a bite while strolling downtown.

The best tacos since I dont know when.. 1) filling 2) decent price: $4.50-6 max 3) fresh ingredients. Protip: sign up for their vip club (which free) you get a free margarita...which also doesn't taste cheaply made. Win win. Service: friendly and if you love to chat...well pop a squat Ambiance: their decor is reminiscent of tiajuana flats mixed with iguana mia. And if you want to feel at home..there are leather couches in the back. Just go! You won't regret it. For you craft tap lovers: 99 bottles is next door.

This restaurant is located in the downtown area with street parking nearby. We found a parking lot across the street that we parked in. There were several tables inside of the business with colorful decor. We were greeted when we arrived. Our server Kennedy C was nice and very attentive. It was taco Tuesday when we dined here so there was a BOGO $5 taco deal going on. I got the Thai shrimp tacos. They were really good. I would come back and try other tacos that they offer.

During our day trip to Sarasota we were looking for a spot that's close to places we were planning to visit and had a fun vibe. Circo turned out to be the perfect spot! Service was excellent. Everyone was very friendly from the second we walked in. This place is very family-friendly with great kids menu options. The freshly in-house made chicken tenders were a big hit with our girls. Bar team did a great job whipping up a mocktail for our daughter as well. The drinks are delicious. We had desert pear margaritas and they were amazing. I can't wait to be back to try other flavors. The menu has great options for every taste. I love the new spin on some of the taco flavors and combinations. The goat cheese guacamole was very good and what a great way to incorporate goat cheese! Also, their Birria taco is a MUST TRY!

Great place with an array of tacos.....REALLY good tacos! Servers are kind and attentive. Fish, Shrimp, Mongolian Beef are delish. (Haven't tried the rest....but will be back!) Comfy cozy place with outdoor seating, bar seating, sofa seating, regular tables and high-tops. Pool table and neighborhood feel easy parking. Dog friendly.

Great taco place. The vibe is lively and surprisingly they also boast a bourbon collection. The bar is large and they also have a pool table. The service is friendly. This is a tex-mex place so you're not coming here for the traditional mexican taco. They have all these different types and fusions of tacos. My korean pork taco was a winner. The ahi tuna taco was good too. We split a queso and practicall licked the bowl clean. As for hot sauce make sure you get their house made one. The prices here are reasonable too for the amount of food you get.

This place rocks and "Chatty Kathy" made our experience over the top. The tacos are amazing, phenomenal bourbon selection and an overall great atmosphere. Kathy took care of us like we were family. Will definitely be coming back here again!

I work in the area and I can't say more about Julia. She is so amazing knows when I'm having a bad day. And the happy hour is amazing

8.00 margaritas were so cute looking!!! The nachos were good .... would have been better if they were hot! Want salsa for your 5.00 taco that is extra! Chicken taco was really good. We also ordered the gringo taco (almost nothing was inside ) sent it back as to not be charged 5.00 for a pathetic looking taco!

Great happy hour! Select bogo items like margs and tacos during 4-6 on Monday and 2-6 Wednesday - Friday! The full menu is in the photos below. The food wasn't bad and the atmosphere was fun!

Was out and about looking for some happy hour drinks and food and wandered into Circo. The place was fairly empty and we grabbed seats at the bar. Bartender was quick to take our drink order and WOW that old fashioned had great flavor and a big kick to it! Ordered some tacos and they came out fairly quick. Excellent flavor and just the right size bite for what we had in mind. Was quiet while we were there but imagine it gets quite loud when it gets busy. Great spot, good food, definitely worth a try.

Just attended the latest Bourbon tasting featuring Knob Creek. This was my 3rd time enjoying great bourbon accompanied by great food. I plan to keep coming back to Circo...their food and drinks are amazing, staff is always attentive,friendly and caring and their bourbon and tequila events are always something to look forward to. One request...please bring back the pork rinds!

God bless America and their obsession with fusion food. This place will put anything in a taco. Came here for happy hour on a Friday. Cool spot, great prices and service. I loved their decor, and they even had a pool table. Got 2 margs and 6 tacos for under 25 for everything with their BOGO deal. Enjoyed their shrimp taco, the gringo tasted like a nicer Taco Bell taco, a very classic American taco. I would advise that if you're craving authentic, I'd continue looking. If you like American tacos and a good time, it may be worth your time.

Designer tacos is what I call them! We tried almost all of them and they are delicious!!! It's a fun atmosphere and the service was amazing! Kathy our server made our night that much more special! She was funny, knowledgeable, accommodating and a pleasure towards our young kids!!

We were driving through Sarasota as part of a return trip and were looking up taco places to eat. We found Circo online and decided to give it a try. It wasn't very busy for a Sunday afternoon and we were instructed to seat ourselves. The restaurant is nice and has very eccentric lighting and decorations. I really like that they have couches as part of their seating. We were very hungry so we decided to try a variety of tacos. Of the things we ordered, the elote corn salsa (which was very delicious, I highly recommend), the Falafel taco, the Birria Beef taco, and the Mongolian Beef taco were our favorites. I wasn't a fan of the house margarita because it was extremely sour - I couldn't even finish it. We didn't really care for the Buffalo Chicken or Nashville Hot tacos either. Overall, it was a good dining experience and we'll be back to try more of their menu if we're ever back in town!

Ambiance was a hip taco shack. Pretty lively. Service was attentive , you walk in and sit where you want to sit and the waiter / staff member will bring menus and come to you. Tacos were good , tasted fresh and filled with a lot of substance . I enjoyed sitting next to the window where I saw a guy with a snake on his shoulders walk by so that was fun.

Another great taco Tuesday. We are frequent flyers at Circo taco. Tonight we sat at the bar and Kathy was amazing. She was a friendly and efficient server and made us feel so welcome. The got the buy one get one at Circo taco on Tuesday is a great deal and don't forget to get the Margharita special.

We stopped in before checking into the Westin and had a great dinner! We weren't sure how parking worked, but they had street parking as well as a parking garage directly across the street. We were greeted as soon as we walked in. It was super cute inside with a lot of different types of seating. We loved that they had little cozy areas with couches to sit. We all ordered a few tacos and loved all of them. The gringo was BOGO so we had a few of those. Shredded beef had a great taste with a little spice and a crunchy shell. The guys loved the chicken biscuit taco. I had the Thai type taco and it had great flavors. We would definitely come back.

Circo is fun. We'll be back the next time we're in town. Trendy but not fussy. Great fusion twists on tacos. Thai shrimp and buffalo chicken were our favorites, but the shrimp salad taco was also great. The birria taco -- I don't know what this trend is all about. Too greasy for me. Good cocktails. We had the bourbon margarita and the tequila old fashioned. (Get it?! They switch the liquors! Because they can!) Not cheap, but they're using premium spirits and mixing them well. Service was friendly and attentive on an early Saturday evening. No problem getting a table. One quibble: They charge $8 for chips and salsa, and I get that they don't want to feel bound by being a traditional Mexican restaurant, but I know of Michelin starred Mexican-inspired restaurants that give out free chips, and their purity is not sullied by doing so. The fact is, free chips would have made us thirsty enough to order another $30 worth of cocktails. And even if they're handmade, making chips is neither hard nor expensive. Oh, and the bathrooms are way cool. Be sure to check them out.

We came during happy hour by coincidence and it was great! There were so many tacos that were BOGO and you didn't have to get the same 2 to qualify for the discount. They also have a kids meal that isn't listed on the menu. Their selection of bourbon is great too. Christina, our server, was great. She was friendly and answered all our questions. The bathrooms are clean and the atmosphere is cool. This place has indoor and outdoor seating. I would definitely recommend this spot for anyone that loves tacos based on their price point and quality!

Chloe was our server and she was incredible! I also got a dessert for my bday and died from delicious chocolate overload.

Excellent food great prices. Good service very attentive. The ambiance is casual and very comfortable atmosphere.

Queso is amazing! The variety of tacos are out of this world! Get a jug of margaritas and split with your table (trust me)! "Chatty" Kathy was the best server! We came from California and our only regret is that it is t closer to our house!!!!

Always a great environment and amazing food, but our server Julia really makes the visit truly enjoyable. Her personality really rubs off on you. Couldn't find a better fit for you the hospitality industry. She is a gem!

They seem to be having an issue with procuring ingredients. Twice in the past month I order tacos that came without key ingredients. When I asked my server, I was told they were out of those ingredients. The server should have told me when I placed the order.

authentic flavors that hit all the right notes. Every dish looked fresh, from the salsas to the entrées. The atmosphere was just as impressive: vibrant yet relaxed, with just the right touch of warmth and charm. It's the kind of place where you can enjoy a lively meal with friends or a cozy dinner for two.

It's a super cute place and much bigger than it looks from the outside. Service a tiny bit slow---- I think the waiter was newer. He was very sweet! We loved the birria tacos and the buffalo chicken tacos. Everyone was pleased with the meal.

Thai shrimp taco is the best. The southern bowl is really good too. The waitress was very kind and helpful

Well...went last night (Sunday) and got there somewhat late (8:00 pm and closes at 9:00 on Sunday)...the food was ok but not great Service was ok but not great...we were three people and there only was one more couple in the entire restaurant, so can't really rate the ambiance...so only a few people in an entire restaurant and yet the service was just ok...had to send one of the plates back to reheat the "cold" food and I get it...Sunday night almost closing time, BUT the worst part was the smell inside the restaurant...it smelled like rancid oil (my clothes are still smelling up the other stuff in the hamper) don't know what it was from, didn't ask about it (I should have) but again...I give them the benefit of the time and day of the week so, everything was semi-justified except that terrible rancid smell of hot cooking oil! I don't really see us going back.

Ms. Alana the bartender first day. Just because you are a good server doesn't mean you will be good at bartending. Our so-called top shelf Margaritas were awful/ weak/ sour tasting. I wish I had just ordered food because the food was amazing. Tuesday is the day you should have lunch because you buy one taco and get on free day. My favorite appetizer was the mango salsa. The chef's skills were amazing, the fresh chips and tacos in town. My friend ordered the best chicken biscuit taco. I was impressed when I ate the birra beef taco.

Awesome little place downtown with plenty of seating, a nice bar, and even a (awkwardly placed) pinball machine. I love Stern's Deadpool, but didn't want to play that close to people eating. Korean - A nice treat. This was much spicier than I was expecting (Usually I can't even notice spice) so this taco is a huge plus if you like spicy. The meat was moist and very well done. You get a nice bit of sesame taste and it's oh so good. Weekly Taco (Jerk Chicken) - Can't say anything good about this. I love jerk chicken, but this wasn't jerk chicken. The other tacos made up for it. Walking Taco - A Frito pie. This is comfort food for me, but I wasn't expecting such a flavorful take on it. Easily the best "bang for your buck" taco here, but still as pricey as the rest. There was a lot of delicious beef, queso, and lime crema here that made this awesome. I'm going to add lime crema to my Frito pies from now on because of this place. Going to end this by saying the taco prices are a bit steep for what you get, however, Circo has weekly happy hours, Taco Tuesday, Thirsty Thursdays, and I think another special on Mondays. My favorite taco place from my Florida trip.

We arrived at a quiet time and had plenty of choices for seating and immediate attention from wait staff. Food was good. And they accommodated the very specific requests from our friends who requested dairy free and gluten free. They made it work! Prices were also reasonable. Definitely recommend for a casual easy option in the Sarasota area.

What a gem! The staff were extremely friendly and very attentive! We got queso, tacos (4 total) and the Mexican street corn. My star of the night was the queso! Wow it's extremely delicious, creamy and makes you wants to scrape the bowl clean. I personally got the birria taco which had a quick too it. I'm not too much of a spicy fan but way better than other birria tacos I've had. I had the picnic chicken also and it was so good, I low key want to make it for even a meal prep! The street corn was also delectable! I also got a strawberry margarita that tasted like juice (how dangerous)! The vibe is so fun and vibrant! They have games, a pinball machine and an extensive bourbon menu. Need to go back and try again!

Love my tacos on Tuesday!! We wanted margaritas and tacos today. I searched and Circo came up, reviews and photos looked amazing. It was such a beautiful evening, we sat outside, NOVA was our server, she was incredible!!! Very informative and friendly. Gave us great details about the restaurant and how the foods were made. We loved the Circo margarita, comes in a little milk pitcher for 2 and had some delicious tacos! Oh My GOSH!!! Delicious and great service! Thanks Nova, you're awesome! Will be back!

This was our go to spot when we stop in before a nice day out on the beach, but this will definitely be out last time eating at Circos, this is mostly about the service than the actual food. We got inside and we found a place to sit well our server was not in the best mood.. I debated on staying but we decided to go for it In hopes he would lighten up but that was not the case. He walked up and asked what we wanted to drink I told him 2 waters and 2 sweet Teas and he goes their bottle is that okay I asked if there was a price difference he said no so I said okay. I waited for my husband to get back to order and before he did our server who I'm guessing was fighting a cold kept coughing while he had our drinks but didn't care just dropped them off and walked away. The table to the left of us started to complain and I knew it what was next... We waited awhile for him to come back to us to order so we asked the other server if they could get him for us to order he replied you guys haven't ordered yet? I said no we've been waiting for him to come back so he went off to get him.. a couple minutes go by and he gets to our table to order it wasn't a easy process but luckily we got it right and he was on his way again.. the kitchen staff and the table runners were quick to serve which was great because we were starving! Finally we got done with our food and was ready to get on the road.. the bill came and I noticed a charge for sweet teas for $10 I figured it was a error because he said it wasn't different in price so I told him that the charge for the sweet tea bottle was different than a cup he goes yeah that's what it is!?! I told him I was under a different impression he said well are you ready to pay? I said sure... gave him my card in the meantime I went over to the other gentleman working and explained to him our experience he told me he was sorry to call the manager to let them know about the issue which was so many in the 2 hours we'd been there. Just sucks because they food is great but the customer service was awful.

My current favorite taco place in Sarasota by a long shot. This place sells really good and premium tacos for a decent price (often with bogos). It's decorated in a fun way, the service is usually pretty fast, and the tacos have excellent and sometimes subversive flavor pallets to them. I had stopped dining here for a while, but their quality has remained at an exceptional level, so I will return when I get the chance.

Just a short walk down from Embassy Suites. Love the shrimp tacos and the gringo. The margaritas look good but haven't tried them.

Great happy hour specials. We got a "jug of margs" for $17 and that filled up two glasses 4 times. Also got a big portion of chips and mango salsa for $3. Our server, Julia, was the bomb dot com. Would love to come back and try more of the menu.

Crico is our go to spot for whiskey! Wife and I are huge fans and the selection is not only awesome but reasonable prices for us to try some gems! Nick was awesome for helping too!

Loved it for what it was. Good food , great vibe! Fair prices, excellent service. Loved inside vibe too but too cold in there

Julia was an absolute dream. Prompt and correct delivery of food and drinks no matter how many times we come in. Highly reccomend for the ambiance

I attended this place on a food tour and it did not disappoint. It was a very modern looking spot with cool artwork and even a pinball machine that changes monthly. They had a number of different and appealing types of tacos on the menu. We had chips with salsa, mango salsa, queso, and their guacamole. The homemade chips came out warm and were tasty, nice crunch. My favorite dip was definitely the mango salsa. It was not too sweet, but had enough flavor from the mangos for an appetizing taste. The queso was solid once mixed while the guacamole was a little plain. It needed more seasoning. The regular salsa was pleasant. We also were given a Mongolian beef taco. It had shredded beef, hoisin BBQ sauce, Sambal sesame slaw, tempura, scallion threads, cilantro, and toasted sesame seeds. This was a great tasting taco. The small flour tortilla was filled with all of the toppings. The beef was flavorful while the slaw and BBQ sauce enhanced the overall taco. Will I go back? Definitely.

Circo is the place you wanna be! Queso-fundido and quac with the goat cheese BlackBerry marg is off the charts All their tacos play their part Ask for our girl Jess, straight up amazing Could sit there all day doing nothing but grazing. Definitely check them out-leave full and happy Then hit up the beach, lay a towel and get nappy!

Delicious tacos and vegetarian options. And you can sub out the meat options to add tofu. Yum!

Great Mexican fare. Everything had a distinct flavor, not like many Mexican restaurants where everything tastes the same. Vegetarian options are great -- Falafel taco was awesome. Tiffani took really good care of us.

One of those times that I want to go 5 stars but I have to be honest with my adoring public, or short of that, the unfortunate soul who has to read this dribble. Sat at the bar. Service was excellent. Bartender was very helpful and made my two drinks-a smoked old fashioned and...I don't remember the second-perfectly. I know I know, if I don't remember then how good could it have been, but keep in mind, we're talking about alcohol here, so not remembering is a mark of a great drink. I started with their chips and salsa. They have 4 of them, a red and green a mango and a black bean. I think. Double check the menu. I asked for a suggestion and the bartender said she preferred the red, so I got it. However, this was a very disappointing salsa. Bland, no spice, very runny. Chips were good but the salsa was a miss. Still, there are 3 others to try. I also got 4 tacos. Their impossible taco and the tofu taco as well as a chicken cobb taco. First two were amazing. Seriously, they do vegan wonderfully here. The cobb one though was bland and boring and I don't know why. Plenty on it, but no flavor. Bartender explained the elderly crowd likes it but not the younger crowd, which makes sense. Elderly people tend to not like spicy foods. To make up for finishing my tacos on a bland note, I also got their taco of the week or day or whatever. It was a brisket taco that was a home run. Clearly the cobb taco was just a bad order. I really liked it here. Great bourbon menu, excellent drinks, and fantastic vegan tacos and special taco. The miss on the salsa and the cobb taco is why I can't go 5 stars but regardless, I will absolutely be back.

One of my favorite spots for happy hour! You can't beat their BOGO taco & cocktails offers (Mon 4-6pm and Wed-Fri 2-6pm; as well as late night happy hour on Fri and Sat 8-10pm). Great variety of tacos, good cocktails, and really fun & relaxed atmosphere!

Very nice place. Looks great. The day I visited circo was on a Sunday night. It wasn't busy at all. I ordered during happy hour. I choose the strawberry margarita, churros, poutine and chicharrones were like potato chips from 7-11. All which were okay. I ate tacos too. They we're the Argentinian taco which were mild tasting also I had the Korean and Thai tacos that tasted great. Over all it's a chill place food is americanize cool.

First...start with the name CIRCO in 'the circus town' 5 stars! Second on Second Street d o w n t o w n...indoor and out...right across from a free parking garage. WHOA. What a downtown should be...hip and happen' and this is the place. Space, service and food leave little to be desired. Park yourself inside or out order up from the wondrously curious array of drinks and taco manifestations - any and all ... delicious. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah...not Mexico prices at $18+ per person for lunch. But worth every paseo Pedro. I'll be back.

This place is so cute and has dark moody vibes in downtown Sarasota! I loved the chicken biscuit & falafel taco was the best falafel I've ever had! The drinks were okay, would not recommend the blackberry or jalapeño margarita but the service was great! They have indoor and outdoor seating and you pick your own seats. Perfect for girls day or date!