Vals

"Val's experienced a pop-up at Framebar, where they earned about $30,000 but faced high labor costs of around $24,000. The venue did not allow them to practice an equitable business model as they aspired, highlighting a power dynamic in the arrangement." - Serena Maria Daniels

"When he designed the menu at Vals, chef Fredo Nogueira didn’t try to reinvent the taco. He distilled the best of Mexican street food into a compact lineup that might include a Baja-style fish taco, crisped beef belly, and a juicy green mole taco, each piled onto toothsome discs of corn. The garage-turned-taqueria on Freret is from the smart folks behind Cure and Cane and Table — so yes, the drinks are outstanding. Tons of covered outdoor space too so come rain or shine." - Beth D'Addono, Clair Lorell

"Neal Bodenheimer and his partners pushed through the pandemic to open Vals, a former garage on Freret they’d been eying for more than five years. The space is warm and inviting, chef Fredo kills it with his charred tomato salsa, green mole chicken tacos, and ceviche of the day — and no surprise, the drink menu is amazing. The covered patio is vast and welcoming (if full of college students)." - Beth D'Addono, Clair Lorell

"Vals feels like a party as soon as you approach, with a large, covered patio lined with picnic tables and surrounded by bright green turf beckons for tacos and margaritas. Outfitted with ceiling fans for hot weather and heaters for cold, it’s easy to stay warm dining outside here, especially with a spicy margarita and bowl of pozole." - Clair Lorell

"Another winner from CureCo, Vals opened a year ago during the height of the pandemic. But the garage turned taco joint with expansive outdoor seating thrived from the start, better still once its bar could beopen for business. The menu of tacos and not tacos, margaritas and not margaritas, deserves careful scrutiny — start with the locally-made Mawi tortilla chips and house salsas and keep going." - Beth D'Addono