Lisa G.
Yelp
One visit here and I'm in love with this place. If you want great easy food and drinks in a chill setting, I highly recommend coming here. It's good for couples, groups, kids, dogs, they've got stuff for keto diets, vegetarians, even a special mocktail - everyone will have a good time. I had made a reservation for a perfect-weather Saturday at 6p, and I was surprised upon arriving that the place wasn't packed. So reservations probably aren't always needed (good news for those who don't typically reserve things in advance). Regardless, I think this restaurant deserves to be packed every hour of the weekend at least - it's an exceptional restaurant with all the qualities of a hidden gem / local favorite. I'd love to see them get more business, I want this place to stick around!
The ambience and decor are perfection! It's all colorful and modern, and completely enclosed - you would NEVER guess that you're literally 300 feet away from the 101 Freeway! Their spacious seating area is all outside and dog friendly (a MAJOR plus to me!), with part of the seating area covered while the rest is more exposed. It's glorious to while away a breezy afternoon or balmy evening here, and when the weather gets cold, they've got heating lamps.
The service is lovely and laidback, as well as friendly and helpful. You order inside - there is a line/area for just food orders, and for drinks you order at the bar. When your order is ready they text your phone for you to pick it up. Super easy. And it's also easy to get someone's attention if you have a random question or need something, they're all nice.
The food and drinks are creative and delicious, with a 15+ types of margaritas and a food menu that changes seasonally. I didn't know quite how seasonal the menu was until I started ordering based on what I had seen on their online menu, but a few things had already been replaced. No worries though - the things they rotate seasonally are always interesting, worth trying, and tasty, so I went with some newer items. Everything is handmade with locally sourced fresh ingredients, and you really can taste the quality. Here are my takeaways for everything I tried:
Spiked Horchata - This drink was off menu, something that used to be a special earlier in the year. Luckily, perhaps because it wasn't super busy, the bartender said he'd go ahead and make one for me, and THANK YOU SO MUCH SIR! I freakin love this drink. Such a delicious creamy cinnamon-y boozy cocktail, so smooth. I highly recommend this if you see it on the menu.
Pineapple Margarita with Tajin & salt rim - A perfect margarita with perfect amount of pineapple
Beekeeper (bourbon with blackberries, honey lavender bitters, & fresh lemon juice) - So fruity and refreshing and easy, could easily down a few of these on a warm day!
Al Pastor Taco - A classic, executed well
Roadside Taco - This is their version of the Americanized Taco Bell-esque hard shell taco, and it's a pretty great imitation!
Fried Fish Taco - This is a classic fried fish taco but huge in portion size. The tortilla's covered in more than enough cabage slaw and the pice of fish is pretty big! This is tasty and done well, just make sure you have the appetite for it.
Street Corn - You have the option to add cheetos or hot cheetos to this, but I passed on those, and maybe I should have tried them because this tasted otherwise just fine. If you have a street corn craving, this will take care of it!
Chicken Birria Taco - I'd prefer a beef birria taco rather than chicken but this was still juicy and excellent and a definite standout. MUST get the +$1.50 consomme to dip it into - SO good! I didn't come close to using all the consomme that comes with this taco, but I regret not using more of it, it was so so delicious, mmm
Carne Asada Taco - This (the carne asada) is my favorite type of classic taco, so and here they execute the classic very very well, so this is a favorite of the menu here for me - I'll be getting this every time!
Carnitas Taco - If you love carnitas meat, you'll love this taco which highlights carnitas in its most simply, juicy, delicious form. It's far more flavorful than it looks, and I recommend trying it - I was pleasantly surprised, it's the best tasting carnitas I've ever had.
Cheese Taco - I love a grilled cheese, I love pizza, and I love a bean and cheese burrito, so maybe my hopes for this were too high, but to me the cheese taco was lacking flavor and the texture was odd being so 100% soft and moist, it jsut seems like it's missing something. But it isn't bad.
Churro - This was a yummy straightforward cinnamon sugar churro, served with sides of chocolate sauce, lechera, and big dollop of whipped cream. The churro itself was a bit hard, and dare I say had too much sugar coating, so I wouldn't call this a must-order, but it fits the bill if you want something sweet and sugary.
Bottom line - Get your mouth over to Roadside Taco for good grub and drinks and soak in the chill vibes.