tl;dr with borderline bizarre ingredient choices and sky-high prices, the ambitious lineup of global fusion tacos falls flatFrom authentic to adventurous, food truck to fancy, Philly's taco game is no slouch. In a neighborhood already saturated with Mexican eats, Revolution Taco's Rittenhouse niche is in its innovative, globally inspired array of taco combinations.The long, narrow space is modern and thoughtful. You enter, greeted by a vibrant taco-themed mural. Black ceilings, whitewashed walls, and sleek muted furnishings allow the intentional splashes of color to pop. The tables are pushed against both walls, clearing a path to the checkout counter in the back. The menu is displayed on screens, which switch between images at a dizzying pace. A wall toward the back showcases dozens of chili varieties from across the world.My first visit to Revolution Taco was toward the beginning of the pandemic, back when takeout was a luxury affair. My memory of the meal was soggy tortillas and lukewarm fillings, but the flavors were inspired enough that I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. Nearly 2 years later, the day finally arrived that I give Revolution another go.A friend and I visited recently for early weekday dinner and arrived at an empty restaurant. After a short deliberation, we decided to split duos of 3 varieties: the BBQ Spiced Cauliflower, the Grilled Salmon, and the limited-edition Ancho Chili Coffee-Braised Short Rib. Oddly, a patron who ordered behind us was sinking his teeth into his tacos well before we had our plates. But a few minutes later, I was hoisting 2 stainless steel trays back to our table.First, we sampled all 3 salsas: roja, smoked pepper, and verde. The former 2 had intense yet classic flavors, each with a hint of spice. In contrast, the salsa verde was overwhelmed by lime. Turning our attention to the eats at hand, each moderately large taco was wrapped with two limp, cold corn tortillas and supported by sturdy taco rack. The smoky cauliflower tacos, topped with tomato slaw and crispy tortilla strips, were the highlight of our meal. While flavorful, the cauliflower nonetheless remained a nice vessel to complement the salsas. The salmon tacos packed an initial pleasant punch due to the pineapple salsa and red pepper crema, but the aftertaste of salmon was unsettlingly jarring. A white fish or shrimp would have been a much more palatable pescatarian-friendly alternative. Finally the short rib tacos, slathered in garlic aioli and sprinkled with escabeche (pickled cabbage and radish), had a distinct and exciting essence of coffee, but suffered from poor execution. The ingredients were overly wet, my small portion of meat was beyond fatty, and the bold flavors conflicted.The 10% weekday student discount only slightly eased the sting of our expensive bill: $32 after tax and tip. And gone are the days of mix-and-match. You need to commit to 2 of any single menu offering (up to $15 for some varieties!) just to try a bite of a potentially underwhelming taco combination. While not actively bad, Revolution Taco was disappointing, and I don't anticipate giving them the benefit of the doubt another time around.
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"When I went they were OUT of there items, several of which we wanted to get.It looked pricey / Rittenhouse but when the food came overall it's worth and extremely good! One time isn't sufficiently determinant but would definitely come back and try more items!Also banger music playlist"
"GOOD for a quick bite during lunch break and looks like it would be a dope spot to watch the Sixers lose in 7. Aka: Good spot to watch a sporting event with a log of brew on tap and great cocktail choices. Their wraps are what they're known for...duh. But looks like all around good food. What we snagged: -A few DownEast Ciders (Always great option to keep it sweet and ready to tackle the next half of the day) -Sweet Potato Tots (HIGHLY recommend) -Scott Louis Wrap (Eh, it was good BUT very heavy. Wasn't crazy about the amount of sauce. Drowned out the chicken and onions) -Sherri Special Wrap (Looked great. Light and a healthier option) Overall, good experience. Would 100% for back when I'm in the area for a quick bite or to catch a game."
