Run a quick interwebs search on taco spots in Richmond and you will hit hundreds of articles, toks, and reels touting the best places to get your taco fix. Even here.
This is not one of those articles.
We are fortunate in the River City to be in a taco (and barbecue) boom. New places continue to pop up serving this ubiquitous and delicious handheld. So which way do you go?
Well, usher forth these three new taco spots to your hit list. From excellent carnitas to “doing it all for the ‘gram,” as everyone is wont to say lately when telling you where to go for your next feeding frenzy. Run, don’t walk.
Taco Bamba
1601 Willow Lawn Dr.
Willow Lawn has nabbed a James Beard-nominated chef. The newest location of Taco Bamba, a fast casual taqueria by Victor Albisu (Poca Madre and Huevos) opened in June with 100 free tacos, while sporting a Richmond-centric menu and a full bar focusing on Mezcal. Albisu, who has bested Bobby Flay, been a judge on Hell’s Kitchen, and was nominated for a James Beard award in 2015, is known for fusing his Peruvian and Cuban heritage with whatever is local. This location is no different. It features loud music and quick eats like the Scott’s Addiction spot, a local beer-braised, brisket taco drizzled with Richmond white barbecue, a substantial mayonnaise-y sauce. Another nod is the Rich Men, barbecue pork carnitas studded with pickled chilis and crispy pork rinds.
But it’s breakfast that really shines with a solid breakfast taco, all cheesy, eggy and tart onion. A rare sighting in Richmond, Migas (eggs cooked with tortillas) shows up inside a taco with bits of bacon and little touches of pico de gallo. If you like your tacos with a side of goodwill, Albisu is one of the original founding board members of World Central Kitchen, and now works with Smile Around the World taking chefs and doctors to underserved areas to provide aid.
Cochiloco
3340 W. Moore St.
Smack dab in the middle of bustling Scott’s Addition at the foot of the towering new development, The Otis, sits this new spot from Paulo and Nelson Benavides (Y Tu Mama , Hibachi Box, Hibachi House).
Multi-colored tiled walls, screechy metal tables, a takeout window and boppy tunes make the open space feel like you’ve been transported to a place where there could be parking. The food is excellent. The Campechano, a specialty taco with exceedingly tender carnitas, a dusting of chorizo, a brief swipe of guacamole, and pickled and raw onions, is so over-packed with epic, slow-cooked pork that the corn tortilla is barely visible.
Fried Taco Dorados, a specialty hailing from Jalisco, the Benavides’ hometown, are shatter-crispy, plump with potato and enveloped with chorizo or those unreal carnitas. There are two per order and served so hot you’ll need to stare at them for a couple minutes before you attack, but that time will be well spent with sides of cooling, pickled veggies and queso fresco. Get beer, water or a softy here; the mixed drinks haven’t quite hit their stride.
Tito’s Taqueria
733 W. Cary St.
https://titostaqueriabarvirginia.com
This may be old news but on the off-chance you’ve been under a rock, ‘grammin your food is still in. And there’s a whole host of grammable at this new taco place in the old Mojo’s building downtown. The street-taco focused spot owned by Tito Padilla (Amigos) is definitely doing it for the ‘gram and we are here for it.
A quirky tableside trompito is as fun to eat as it is to order, with tender al pastor sitting on a small trompo, a vertical skewer with stacked meat typically rotated in front of a vertical grill, capped on each end with pineapple and served with cilantro and chopped red onion. The sharable Pizza Birria is all but a Taco Bell Mexican pizza with its layers of beef, cheese and onions between flour tortillas.
But when looking to shoot your shot for that tiny square on IG, it’s Tito’s cocktails that really level up. If you can picture this: Some margaritas come served in glass purses with a flower garnish, while other colorful, boozy drinks are served in bubbling, blinged-out, mini-bathtubs complete with tiny rubber duckies, and smoking sippers arrive inside gold mini-cages with glitter. For what it’s worth, happy hour has the best light and the best prices.
