Radio Roma/Taco Roma
Mexican restaurant · Ojai ·
Intimate mezcal bar & hi-fi lounge serving Oaxacan tacos
Intimate mezcal bar & hi-fi lounge serving Oaxacan tacos
"Ojai (and frankly, much of Los Angeles) seems to have caught on to Radio Roma, Ojai’s mezcal bar and hi-fi listening room that spins vinyl all night. Attached to Taco Roma, which opens for lunch, Radio Roma comes alive at night as guests settle in with glasses of chilled red wine or frozen palomas. The star of the menu may actually be the churros, freshly fried and sliced in thirds with a dollop of whipped cream and slashes of dulce de leche. Nostalgia twinges with the arrival of these cinnamon-sugar-dusted sticks, whether your first memories of them were at Costco, Disneyland, or a churreria cart on the street. Radio Roma’s churros encapsulate that feeling with each bite as the sounds of Italo disco or synth-pop drift through the dim room. — Rebecca Roland, deputy editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest" - Matthew Kang
"Ojai (and frankly, much of Los Angeles) seems to have caught on to Radio Roma , Ojai’s mezcal bar and hi-fi listening room that spins vinyl all night. Attached to the adjacent Taco Roma, which is also open for lunch, Radio Roma comes alive at night as guests settle in with glasses of chilled red wine or frozen palomas. The star of the menu may actually be the churros, freshly fried and sliced in thirds with a dollop of whipped cream and slashes of dulce de leche. There comes a twinge of nostalgia with the arrival of these cinnamon-sugar-dusted sticks, whether your first memories of them were at Costco, Disneyland, or a churreria cart on the street. Radio Roma’s churros encapsulate that feeling with each bite as the sounds of Italo disco or synth-pop drift through the dim room." - Eater Staff
"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
