Vals

I don't know why, but I love that there's a casual Mexican place in town called Vals. Part of me is like, make it make sense and the other part is like, I don't want it to make sense.We checked out Vals because we were in the mood for something more casual/less prohibitively expensive than some of the other joints on Freret where entrees fetch upwards of 35 dollars... and a little less casual than Dat Dog (no shade on any of the aforementioned places. These are tough times for restaurants).It was a chilly night so no patio for us, but they do have heating lamps out there. Inside is really nice, dark, with a large bar and comfy booths. Folk art and murals give it a bit of an Oaxaca vibe (not to mention all of the mezcal drinks).While there's not a lot of vegan options, there are a couple tacos. The guacamole is legit and I couldn't stop eating it. Prices are so reasonable.I don't at all mind the service charge as they explain it both on the menu and before taking your order. When our waitress brought the check, she reminded us again. And if you want to leave a little extra, you can. You can't mind when they are so transparent! So many places are not and you feel awkward about not giving another 20% on top of that. Can't wait to return on a warm spring evening so I can sit on the patio with a frozen marg!

Our favorite place was closed for an event so we decided to try Val's. It had been on my list for a while. We sat outside which was nice and enjoyable. Service was fast and super friendly. I was not big on the prices it's kind of bougie in my opinion. 20 dollars for chips and all the dips, the were good but I've honestly had better for the price. I was not a fan of the beans at all, tacos were good but not enough to make it a destination for me again. I was as sadly disappointed.

This place unfortunately is a hit or miss for me. As a California who lives in Nola, I'm always down for Mexican. Personally it's lacking in flavor, especially in the birria- both broth and taco. They served the rice and beans in a bowl already mixed up. They blast house music like a club so ehh, immediately I can tell which crowd they are trying to attract. The place is cute tho. Definitely more for vibes and not food. If you want good authentic Mexican food try another place.

Vals had a Chic ambiance at night it's dimly lit. Very intimate and they also have outdoor seating area. That's a great option when the weather is nice. The servers were cool and very informative on the menu they recommended the QUESO FUNDIDO it's served with fresh tortilla I had the chorizo version but you can also get it with mushrooms which I heard is also delicious. This was the perfect dish for the person. That's not too hungry but want something flavorful and delicious at the same time. The cheese pool on this was perfect and it's definitely filling And Price rite at $13. Just a heads up, they also include a 20% service charge on every bill so just be prepared for that. They have a front menu which I took a picture of that explains why they do it for their employees

Good: delicious food, oyster and sweet potato tacos are yum, carne asada plate hubs enjoyed. No reservations, long wait.Bad: hostess takes your name told us can wait in the bar, they never come and get you. Rude girl bartender (short brown hair in pony tail) makes our margaritas puts them in to go plastic cups and says we can't sit at bar, says it's for bar customers...very rude, took our plastic cups of margaritas and sat at empty tables in the bar. Hostesses would rather dance to ABBA than seat or tend to customers. After 20" of waiting, saw people after us being seated, so frustrating. Our server was good, just a long wait time on food too. Won't be back.

So, I was not sure if I was in a night club or restaurant. The service was good. They were fast and furious when sending the food out quickly to the table. Anyway, I did not care for the appetizer, Coctel De Camarones. It was like seafood in a tomato soup. I have to say though that their fried fish taco was delectable. The taste of the Beef Barbacoa was yummy, but I'd rather it over rice than on a flour tortilla. The server told us that during the week more families eat at the restaurant. I would go back just for the fish taco.

Vals is a perfect taco spot! It's beautifully appointed on the corner of Valence and Freret. An old car repair garage turned gorgeous open air restaurant with a sexy moody interior and gorgeous outdoor seating area that features string lights at night. I'm always happy at Vals! I love the chips and salsa trio that comes with guacamole, salsas rojo and verde; I also always get the pickled veggies as an accompaniment. I got the cocktail of the day which was a frozen mango guava with the yummy spicy stuff on the rim. I also got the shrimp taco, the fish taco and the beef taco. I eventually hit euphoria! This place is dog friendly but be warned if you bring your dog, their will be other dogs there and that could potentially cause a scene. The waitress was kind enough to bring a water bowl and treats for my Ginger girl who was on her best behavior. Street parking only.

Vals was a great little spot for a relaxing evening with friends or a casual date night. We ordered frozen margs, chips and queso, and chicken tinga tacos. The margs were great, but small for sizing, really enjoyed the housemade chips and the queso was tasty as well. The tacos were decent, nothing super special about them, but the house made corn torillas were a plus. Service was great and very quick. I will certainly frequent vals, at least for a frozen marg and some chips and queso.

I went to school in NOLA and lived by Val's, so I've been countless times. It's one of the places I love to go back to when I'm in town. The food is great, as are the drinks, but will admit it's a bit pricey for what it is and the service can be hit or miss. That said, would still recommend checking it out - lovely place to catch up with friends and is located in an adorable part of Uptown.

This is one of New Orleans newer Mexican food restaurants and they are housed in a nicely refurbished old gas station. They have a lot of seating in their outdoor patio area along with less seating in their smaller indoor area. Vals seems to mostly be a bar that offers hipster versions of gringo Mexican street food for snacks as the portion sizes here are far too small for me to consider them a meal. Now the drinks and the food here are also certainly offered at a premium so I really didn't find it to be a very good value in either the food or drink categories. I actually just found my tacos and chips to be bad here. They also have an automatic and mandatory 20% "tip" here which ABSOLUTELY showed in the AWFUL service. Overall I did not enjoy the service here, I did not enjoy my tacos here and I did not enjoy my chips and dips here.My video review of Vals is here:https://youtu.be/YiWaRkzqISE