The first thing you notice about Garage Taco Bar is how on the nose the name of the restaurant is. If the restaurant wasn’t built in what used to be an actual garage, then it took painstaking measures to make it appear like it was. The structure lends itself to a good mixture of indoor and outdoor seating, with a setup of tables and awnings outside and a bar inside. We elected to go with the indoor seating, where new wave rock was playing from speakers and dim neon lights created a comfortable atmosphere.
As the name suggests, the main focus of Garage Taco Bar is its selection of tacos and other Mexican-inspired cuisine. For Restaurant Week, the restaurant is offering a lunch and dinner meal for $12 and $20, respectively. Lunch is served from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and dinner is served from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. We went during dinner, but the menus are mostly the same, with the main difference being you get an extra taco for dinner.
On the dinner menu, Garage Taco Bar offered three different appetizers: a lime citrus salad, calabacitas and a street corn bowl. I got the lime citrus salad, which was made with mixed greens, pico de gallo, queso fresco and a house dressing. The salad was tasty and perfectly mild, although those seeking a hotter taste could get hot sauce included. My photographer got the street corn, which is made with butter, queso fresco and chili seasoning, giving it a good blend of sweet and spicy.
For an entree, you will get three soft shell tacos with four different options: Korean-style barbecue cauliflower, grilled chicken fajita, chorizo street corn or grilled skirt steak. I got my three tacos with grilled skirt steak, which also comes with caramelized onions, pickled cabbage, queso fresco, chimichurri, cilantro-lime aioli and cilantro. Like the appetizer that came before it, I thought the tacos were delicious and were much higher quality than a typical Mexican-inspired restaurant. The wide array of fresh ingredients used made a noticeable impact in creating a quality taco. The tacos were pleasantly mild as well, but as with the appetizer, that could be changed with just a bit of hot sauce.
For the desserts, the options are a cheesecake burrito, a margarita or a Modelo beer. Unfortunately, being under 21 means I have only one real option, but it’s hard to complain too much given how heavenly the burrito was. Served with whipped cream and a mixed berry sauce, the savory cheesecake burrito proved to be an excellent end to the meal. I imagine it would have been even more perfect if you were someone that prefers spicier foods, as the the sweet finish would provide a great balance to the meal.
By delivering excellent food in a comfortable location, Garage Taco Bar is a solid choice for anyone looking for a good lunch or dinner. Boasting excellent appetizer options and different types of tacos, any fan of quality Mexican-fusion food should definitely check out Garage Taco Bar this Restaurant Week.