Even before Nashville became the culinary hot spot it is today, there was never a shortage of street tacos in Music City. Nolensville and Gallatin roads are dotted with taquerias and mobile taco carts, places that dispensed love wrapped in tortillas long before the food truck craze. Then came Mas Tacos Por Favor, with its trusty Winnebago.
Even with neighborhood favorites in place such as Baja Burrito, El Jaliciense, The Local Taco, Taco Mamacita and Taqueria del Sol, several upscale taco joints have opened their doors this year. They offer higher-end interpretations of a food I love for its simplicity and affordability. They also pour a lot of tequila.
I set off to taste a lot of tacos with equal parts joy (tacos!) and skepticism (do we really need chain restaurants bringing in more tacos?).
Bartaco opened in October; the 12South location is the chain's 10th, with other outposts in New York (where the company started), Connecticut, Georgia and Florida. (As I reported on the recently, Bartaco's parent company also is opening Barcelona Wine Bar and Restaurant in Edgehill Village.) Boasting a killer patio space, the restaurant is just up the street from Reese Witherspoon's new Draper James shop, and on an unseasonably warm November day Bartaco had a wait for tables even in the middle of a weekday. This did not temper my skepticism.
The restaurant is bright and airy, with a Hamptons-esque beach vibe, and servers and bartenders wear checked shirts for a not-quite-a-uniform look. Many of the beach photos on the walls were taken by the owners, but they still feel "curated" in a way that makes you aware that you are being directed to have a certain kind of experience. This did not temper my skepticism.
The vibe is fun, loud without being oppressive, and the drinks flow. The margaritas, in particular, are a hit, made without sugary premix syrup.
Once I was seated and looked at the long list of tacos available, joy first started to edge out skepticism based on two words: falafel taco. Two of my favorite things together, for just $2.50 (some other tacos varieties are $3.50). In addition to the tacos (duck, pork belly, shrimp and more), there's a selection of rice bowls with interchangeable proteins, plus small plates and sides. The cross-section of options is ample and vegetarian-friendly, creative but not offbeat.
The falafel recipe was recently tweaked so that the chickpea goodness fits in the corn tortilla better, and it was the right balance of spice, topped with cilantro to make sense as a taco. Crispy on the inside, fluffy on the outside, the taco offered a pairing of textures and tastes that made it hard to tear myself away to try anything else.
But I did so in the name of research. Another favorite was the cauliflower taco, served with a romesco-style sauce giving it a little kick, but not too much. (Three hot sauces on every table make it easy to increase spice levels.) Not everything was a win, however. The sesame ribeye was tough rather than tender, and the two ears of grilled corn, though delicious served with cayenne and cotija cheese, were impossible to eat without creating a mess; they seemed out of place in a restaurant with such a strong date-night emphasis.
As for service, it was some of the best I've experienced in Nashville, thanks to more than a dozen staffers who came in from New York to train locals the Bartaco way. It'll be interesting to see if this continues when the trainers head home.
Shifting from 12South to downtown, Bakersfield, opened in January, is nestled amid the landscape of cranes that has become Nashville's skyline. The SoBro restaurant is the chain's fifth location but the first in Tennessee (others are in North Carolina, Indiana and Ohio). Like Bartaco, the emphasis is on tacos and tequila — in this case, more than 100 different tequilas and whiskeys, with an atmosphere to match. (For those keeping track, 100 whiskeys falls more in my joy column than my skepticism column.)
Bakersfield's big open space, minimalist decor and communal tables make this more of a party stop than a date-night eatery. The dark room with exposed brick makes for a clubby scene, and it welcomes dining companions who are considerably younger than those sipping at Bartaco's light, beachy bar. It is fun and energetic, but a difficult place to have a conversation — even at the bar, and even on a weeknight.
The street taco collection features $4 tacos on handmade corn tortillas, with more sauces and spices than Bartaco's more traditional approach. Winners include the short rib with queso fresco and radish, the vegetarian hongos with portabello mushroom and poblano peppers, and the huitlacoche "corn truffles" (a fungus most people call corn smut). Add-ons spice things up, particularly if you try the house-pickled jalapeños.
Other menu items lean to similar ingredients in other Mexican dishes, including tortas and tostadas. The salads are named after a country-music trinity: Johnny, June and Willie. No word on whether the Man in Black was a fan of hearts of palm.
Named for the guitar used in a mariachi band, Bajo Sexto Taco is another newer downtown taco joint, this one located inside the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (with access directly from Fifth Avenue South). Opened in March, this taqueria is another project from celebrity chef Jonathan Waxman (of Adele's Nashville and the Music City Food + Wine Festival).
In addition to Waxman, Bajo Sexto has some serious street cred in the kitchen. Chef Kaelin Ulrich Trilling was born in Oaxaca, Mexico, and his mother Susana literally wrote the (cook)book on Oaxacan cuisine. The tacos are made to order on a line with homemade tortillas (largely flour, but corn available for some dishes).
The Mexican staples are solid — particularly the chicken tinga taco and the taco featuring the vegetable of the day. While not the party-time patio of Bartaco, the restaurant has decent alfresco dining when weather is warm, perfect for sipping from the menu of margaritas and other tequila-centric beverages.
But for all its positives, Bajo Sexto (which has a second location in the works for Sylvan Park) has a different vibe from Bartaco, Bakersfield and others. While originally planned to be dinner only, Bajo Sexto is currently open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., closing as the museum crowds leave. That means it's not somewhere you can go for a late-night taco after a show at Bridgestone. While the food is better than just-for-tourists, its hours and locations give it the feeling that it is somewhere to stop and grab a bite, rather than a gathering spot.
In the end, I'm still skeptical as to whether or not we "need" upscale tacos. But I'll joyfully eat them.
Taco TuesDays (and every day)
A look at other local upscale taco options
Butchertown Hall, 1416 Fourth Ave. N., 615-454-3634, butchertownhall.com. The Germantown gem isn't just a taco stand, of course, but its Tex-Mex "street plates" tacos are made with homemade corn or flour tortillas. You can go for an assortment of two or three: Try the beef brisket option.
Saint Anejo, 1120 McGavock St., 615-736-5301, mstreetnashville.com/restaurants/saint-anejo. M Street's Gulch taqueria has a "tequila library" and a bar-friendly scene to match. An order includes three tacos; the hot chicken option is a Latino take on a Nashville standard.
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