Amy Lauren S.
Yelp
A member of the 82 Queen restaurant family, Jalisco is one of the fancier Mexican restaurants on James Island, and my husband and I visited for a date night.
Jalisco's interior is fun, with a large bar, high-top tables, and lots of booths, including small booths meant for couples. Due to rain, we ate indoors, but outdoor dining is available and looks quite pleasant. The tables outside are also lower, making them more accessible (the booths inside may be a little tight). The bar area has many TVs, although the music was a bit loud.
We started out with the Tres Salsa ($9), including avocado salsa, salsa verde, and morita salsa. You have to pay for chips and salsa here, but they were unique and we liked the option to order multiple salsa. Jalisco offers eight different salsas, and I wish the menu described them, but the server explained them all to us. The chips were crispy, and the avocado salsa was my favorite of the three.
For my entrée, I had three tacos ($14)- two pescado (flounder) tacos and one camerones (shrimp) taco. The tacos were on homemade flour tortillas that were soft and held up when eaten. The pescado tacos were amazing- crispy but not greasy and the cilantro lime aoili added a slight bit of heat. Although I love the avocado salsa on chips, the shrimp taco needed some heat. I added morita salsa since we had the trio.
My husband heard positive reviews about the Tacos Birria ($18), so that's what he ordered. The raving reviews of this dish are why we chose Jalisco. The tacos held up well, the tortillas staying crispy when dipped into the consommé. The only drawback to the Tacos Birria is that you can only purchase three tacos. It would be great to offer a 2 taco option at a slightly lower price point, as the tacos themselves are quite rich and some people may not want three tacos.
For drinks, the house margarita ($7) was a great choice- it was sweet and strong, but meant to be savored/sipped. The mix was clearly made in-house, and the portion and strength were appropriate for the price.
COVID-19 precautions were on point. All staff properly wore masks, hand sanitizer was provided, and the bathroom even has a PSA sign for getting a vaccine to stop the spread. Outdoor seating is also a plus, and I'd recommend it even if you are vaccinated, due to the lower tables and nice outdoor atmosphere. They offer online ordering and takeout, too.
Overall, we really enjoyed Jalisco. It seems like a fun place to visit with friends, especially before or after a visit to Folly Beach. I would return for a margarita and more fish tacos.