Radio Roma/Taco Roma
Mexican restaurant · Ojai ·
Intimate mezcal bar & hi-fi lounge with Oaxacan tacos
Intimate mezcal bar & hi-fi lounge with Oaxacan tacos
"Tucked behind the main facade of an Ojai massage parlor, this sleek hi-fi mezcal bar attached to the adjacent taquería Taco Roma channels Mexico City, Oaxaca, and Tokyo’s listening bars, with music floating from a vintage Klipsch sound system while tacos — especially the crispy lamb carnitas that eats like a hybrid of lamb barbacoa and traditional pork — fly from the kitchen. The mezcal list runs just deep enough; I start with a simple sipper of Madre from the Oaxacan hills of San Dionisio and Miahuatlan, and use the mezcal-and-jamaica ranch water as a palate cleanser between bites of tacos, ceviche, and tostada de atún. The fried fish taco, dressed with a crisp cabbage slaw, is no slouch, and cinnamon-sugar-dusted churros stacked beside a fatty dollop of whipped cream make a sweet finish. A giant mirror ball glints over a neon-red-lit bar, vinyl stretches floor to ceiling, and dim nooks (including an upstairs alcove) make it a great place to start or end the night, though it gets busier later and patrons spill onto the small patio. Elder millennials mingle with the college-aged crowd, drawn by some of the town’s only late-night hours for food and drink (the bar stays open until 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays); avoid the wait on busy weekends by making a reservation ahead." - Nicole Fellah
"Word that Serge Becker has opened a tiny Tokyo‑style listening room cum mezcal bar here proves true the minute I slip into a seat and find perfectly seasoned tacos being served until the wee hours; it’s an intimate, late‑night hang with serious flavor." - Lauren Mechling
"A few blocks away, the new mezcal bar had people dancing as downtempo house beats radiated into the courtyard, giving the night an easy, celebratory pulse." - Christina Pérez
"“My mind still hums from the recent (deeply needed) getaway I had in Ojai, California. For the long weekend, I highly recommend a trip up to the mountain town, which has seen something of a restaurant boom in the last three years. Our first stop after arriving at the hotel was a sleek hi-fi hideaway tucked behind the main facade of an Ojai massage parlor. This is Radio Roma, a mezcal bar and taquería that seems to take influences from Mexico City, the Oaxaca region, and even the listening bars of Tokyo, Japan. Music floats from a vintage Klipsch sound system while tacos, like a superlative lamb carnitas rendition with crispy edges, fly out from the kitchen. The mezcal list runs just deep enough, although you may start with something simple like a sipper of Madre from the Oaxacan hills of San Dionisio and Miahuatlan. The ranch water, here made with mezcal and jamaica, will be a nice palate cleanser between bites of tacos, ceviche, and tostada de atún. This is a great spot to start or end the night, though know that it gets busier — its crowd spilling out into the small patio that foregrounds it — as the hours get later.”" - Eater Staff
"A hi-fi lounge serving reasonably priced Oaxacan tacos, Radio Roma is a local hang akin to a high school friend’s living room. Come for the late-night menu of lamb taco, shrimp cocktail, and tuna tostada by chef and co-owner Ryan Farrar, but stay for the tunes on the vintage Klipsch sound system." - Meaghan Clark Tiernan
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