Tacolina

This review is for our server who ran down three blocks because we forgot our takeaway. Thank you for your wonderful service and for just being a great human being! Ambience: Located in a busyish neighborhood, lots of street parking available. It's all patio seating but coveredd and heated with blankets. They gotchu. Reserve via resy, no fee. Restrooms available. There are stairs to the main room and to jaguar, their speakeasy (which has 4 different cocktails and some diff drink offerings from the main room). Food: we went during dine LA week but decided to do regular menu since we're primarily vegetarian. We split salsa flight, loaded potato, two types of tacos, calamari between us. The only thing I did not like was the fish taco. Everything else tasted good especially salsas and the hot habanero. They even accommodated a mushroom allergy for us. Drinks were good too.I think this place has all the fixinz to be successful!

Wow this is a absolute head scratcher, this place really should be wonderful. The space is lovely, staff is awesome, the block is popping. But don't forget the food!! With so many other giants in LA (Holbox, Komol, Loreto, Mirate) you have to be wonderful or what's the point? Well, the food was so bad, my wife and I left an abysmal review on Google. They immediately wrote us offering to "make it right" (that is comp us a meal). We sent them a long email of things that could be improved and things that were just too far gone. They never replied. It was an honest and thoughtful list of problems. It wasn't too harsh and there were many suggestions of what to do better. My wife and I have been working in restaurants for a LONG time, so I think the list was useful as long as they can execute. Here's a few takeaways:drinks stinksome of our food was hot, some was room tempthe quality was all over the place. salsas are inferiorservice was great!overall feeling was this is a joke for the $$$Go to Holbox!!!!

I should start out by saying that I HATE leaving negative reviews. No really, for context I've only left one other negative review for a nail shop that literally caused me to go to the hospital... but here's my second ever bad yelp review, on what was supposed to be a really great night, my birthday.This is gonna be long so here's the cliff notes:Pros: ambiance, ahí tostada, matchbooksCons: OUTRAGEOUSLY TERRIBLE service (including arguing multiple times, self proclaimed condescending comments, messed up order), charged for a mistake they madeI should start off by saying the pros. The ambiance is gorgeous. De Buena Planta had a gorgeous patio, something they didn't change much when Tacolina opened. Some of the food is excellent, specifically the ahí tostada and calamari. Sadly I'll never come back for either but it was very delicious and you can tell the tuna is fresh. Also, as a phillumenist, I was super excited to see they had matchbooks. They're really cute too!Con's: the entire experience. The first red flag was when I called to add guests to our reservation. The woman sounded flustered, put me on hold, then said we'd have to push it back an hour or it wasn't possible. When I mentioned seeing availability on Resy, she replied, "Well, make your own reservation then." It felt rude, but I brushed it off, trusting the positive Yelp reviews and knowing friends were driving in from all over SoCal. Didn't want to risk not finding a new venue.When we arrived I checked in for the party of 8 reservation under my name. About 10 mins later they were ready for us. They somehow thought it was for the original reservation (under a friend's name) and were quite peeved about the separate reservation. (A little strange since it was an employee's suggestion). They asked us to wait a little longer and about 5 minutes later, they escorted us to our table.We were seated in a beautiful area and I thought all would be well. Spoiler, it wasn't. Our server walked over to my gifts area where I had presents and a cake a friend bought me. We were just going to sing happy birthday and not eat the cake at the restaurant as the plan was to take the cake home. He notifies us of a cake fee (understandable, most restaurants have them). My best friend kept trying to express her concerns regarding the cake and the server blatantly started arguing with her instead of letting her get her words out. All she wanted to do was to arrange the candles a certain way and he kept speaking over her and insinuating she was trying to fight the fee... a measly $32 for all of us. In the end it seemed like he understood what she was trying to say. I was kind of shocked at him raising his voice and speaking to her the way that he did. It was enough to get up and leave, something in hindsight I wish that we did. From the argument on, the waiter was clearly pissed, and the service showed it. One friend's drink didn't come out until the 3rd course. Another ordered one drink, but he brought two, insisting angrily that two were ordered. When another friend offered to take the extra comped instead of wasting it, he charged her anyway.I tried to break the tension, but it was useless. After the second round of appetizers, he disappeared. My elote never came, and when I finally flagged him down after I finished my entree, he argued that I should've said something earlier... except he hadn't checked on us since appetizers. When I pointed that out, he half-remembered but still didn't apologize, just said he'd bring it. At this point, I was done. I had spent my entire birthday tiptoeing around his fragile ego, and he had the nerve to argue over his mistake. All the drinks and waters were empty at this point but I just wanted to wrap up this terrible night.He said he'd bring the cake in ten minutes so my friend could set up the candles. Twenty-five minutes later, it showed up--candles already lit. As I went to snap a picture, he snatched it away. No letting us cut it, no saving for later. Instead, he brought out huge pre-cut slices (exactly what we were trying to avoid), and even swapped my slice with another with the used candle toppling over. I was so confused.The check came, and we kept it simple with one card. He returned, saying he "forgot" a fee, disappeared to revise it, then came back with a smug remark and an actual giggle responding to himself saying "that was condescending". We walked out tense, thirsty, and cake-less, paying way too much for the worst birthday dinner. Had to shorten my experience for yelp's word count but I have so much more to say. Safe to say, I won't be back to Tacolina.

Food 3.5/5: the shrimp entree was good but steak came out raw when we asked to have medium rare. They remade it for us but had to wait another 15 mins.Service 2/5: we called to put our names down at 7:30pm, got there after 10 mins, sat at the table around 8:15pm, ordered around 8:30pm, got the food after 30mins, and waited another 30 mins for the actual entree. Not worth it. They did gave us complimentary dessert but that was another 15 mins.Ambiance 4/5: very tropical.Overall, everything is too slow. Not worth it.

Dined here last night and never wanted to leave. From the moment you walk through the door you're transported to an outdoor oasis w Baja Mexico vibes, amazing food, and awesome service! (And I found a parking spot on Sunset, score) Margaritas - 5 Stars. On the healthier side with lime juice and packed with flavor. Shrimp Aguachiles - 5 stars. Bright, acidic, packed with flavor and not shy on the shrimp. This was delicious and paired perfectly with their tostadas. Ahi Tostadas - 5+ Stars. I've been to Mexico City a few times and fell in love with tuna tostadas there. This variation was packed high with fresh ahi, guac, ponzu, and some other ingredients that gave it great complexity that I couldn't resist. Definitely a large enough portion to share between two people. Red Snapper Tacos (2 tacos) - 5+ Stars. Lightly fried fish served with a herb slaw and crema, this was my absolute favorite dish of the night. This has brought fish tacos to a whole new level! Elote - 4 1/2 Stars. Requested this off the cob because I'm not an animal, this was a nice variation between the fish dishes and was rich in flavors and delicious. Great to scoop up with their tortilla chips. Key Lime Tart - 5 Stars. I rarely order this dessert but read that it was great and gave it a go. The crust was light and flakey, the tart was so fresh, packed with flavor, and very tart. The perfect finale to a great meal.Our waiter, I believe his name was James, was so nice, extremely accommodating, and very personable. The complimentary chips & salsa were delicious (not the case these days in most Mexican Restaurants), and all food items were coursed out so everything tasted fresh when it landed on the table. The patio itself is one of the best in LA -- beautifully decorated, and packed with heat lamps and blankets which was great on this chilly LA winter night. Well done Tacolina, you nailed it! Can't wait to head back to explore more of the menu.

My husband and I love this place. It's super cute and cozy. Food is excellent. We've gone here a few times now and have ordered everything off the menu. You can't go wrong with anything you decide to order. The salsa flight is a great way to start. Such great flavors. Drinks are delicious. Thankfully, service has been really friendly and attentive to us each time. I can't say I have anything negative to say about our experience. I hope they stay around for a long time!

FIIIIIVES ALL AROUND!!! I don't even know where to begin We'd hosted a company event at this venue, which, for having just opened a few weeks ago or so, went off WITHOUT. A. HITCH. And lemme tell you it was no easy feat, we had 200 people there!!!The interior design is so thoughtful, playful, inviting, sophisticated but doesn't take itself too seriously if that makes sense. Fire pits all around, beautiful foliage, I didn't feel like I was in LA at all anymore. The layout is done nicely so there are pockets you can escape to and other areas that are a bit more open. The jaguar room speak easy is also SUUUUUCH a vibe. There felt like a surprise or really a sight to see around every corner. The drinks here are unique and really interesting conceptually. I love their spin on classic cocktail recipes and paying homage to Baja/Mexico.Idk how but I didn't end up grabbing a bite during our event! I was running around quite a bit but heard great feedback from our employees. I did try the tres leches cake which again was unique in its own way when thinking about traditional recipe. Absolutely Delicious nonetheless. What I will say is that what really made the experience for me is the wonderful management and staff. I cannot give enough praise and thanks to David and team. From the tasting, discussing layout, menu, music, like just everything. David was incredibly hands on, and the team through and through was so welcoming, hospitable, attentive. Day of the event as well, we had some last minute adjustments and we were able to pivot smoothly and accommodated. David is an absolute powerhouse, and reeeeally cares about the experience of the patrons and team. We were so well taken care of and just cannot say enough great things. This'll be a hard one to top, that is for sure! THANK YOU, TACOLINA!

Saw this restaurant somewhere, liked the ambiance, so decided to give it a try on the way home. Had a reservation but probably didn't bed it as there were plenty of seats available. But had a nice booth. One fun thing, everywhere you sit, there are blankets in case you're cold, along with heart lamps, if neededStarted with controls, each of us getting a Guava Daiquiri. Usually daiquiris have a run base, but these were tequila based. That being said, they didn't really work with the tequila. Maybe it was the tequila used, but, for bye, the flavors didn't work with each other and created a contrast that wasn't pleasant. Maybe it was the tequila used, either way, wasn't very goodFood wise, we started with the taquitos and elote. The taquitos were fried perfectly, great crunch on the outside with a BBQ sauce and chipotle aioli. Just a great combination of flavors here. The elote was nice for the first few bites, when you get that mixture of corn with the crema and different seasoning they used. Probably would have mixed it all together instead of just diving in to eat it, as, after the first few bites, it became just corn without the seasoning/crema. Learn from my mistakes. For entrees, we grabbed a couple tacos. The cochinita tacos were great with dinner pickled onions and radish. A lot of flavor in each bite. The red snapper tacos were also great, we had them grilled instead of fried, and paired with the chipotle crema, gave a nice juxtaposition to the fish. Overall, a very good meal. Wish the Guava Daiquiri had been better, I would say to pass on that drink personally. The food is a little more expensive than I feel it should have been, but it was still good overall. If you're looking for something new to try, give Tacolina a try

I couldn't be more elated with Tacolina, the restaurant I picked for my birthday! If I could describe Tacolina in one word (or maybe one place), it would be: Todos Santos. The red walls, the lush trees, the light strings, rooftop, the rustic tables and private areas (there's even a little green room!) around the patio reminded our party of a little getaway in Mexico City.Our servers were the sweetest, giving us complimentary "shots" of fresh cranberry aqua fresca (so seasonal!), chips and salsa, and the best recommendations for tacos. We ended up ordering vegan mushroom tacos, the grilled red snapper tacos, ahi tostada, and the elote. Everything tasted so vibrant, so fresh, and satiating but not heavy. My friend also loved the guava daiquiri! Finally, we ended off on a strong note with a slice of sweet potato tres leches for my birthday! It was the PERFECT dessert and my new fall obsession.Tacolina gets five stars, a 10/10 rating from me. I can't recommend it enough and I will absolutely be back!

What a fantastic addition to Silverlake!!! FYI this is from the same people who run Blue Plate in Santa Monica. Tacolina has great food and even better vibes. The ambiance is gorgeous and feels like a mix between Mirate and Ka'teen. It's outdoors but they have plenty of heaters and even blankets at the tables just in case. As for food I recommend the red snapper tacos, cochinita tacos and shrimp a la diabla. The cocktails are solid--love the guava daiquiri. Also, this spot is super dog friendly and even has puppy tacos.