I went to the Darien location and met Edward who was phenomenal. Completely on point with everything despite the fact that we got there right before the rush hour.
Edward works in both the Fairfield & Darien locations & we definitely look
Forward to seeing him again soon. Also, we were introduced to Bodega in Fairfield so
having a place you love when your hometown is California is a very good thing.
We also love Diego, Joe & Edmund who always make fantastic suggestions and are as nice as can be. Customer service exceptional no matter what is going on. Highly recommend Bodega. In fact beats any taco bar in CA, there I said it.
Interesting place, looks like a converted diner. Still has bar stools and counter. Order their version Om the lobster mac and cheese appetizer, found very little lobster and just okay, needed something, but for $14 what can you expect. Service was indifferent with very few people there.
Review Source:This place was made for girls out on "girls night out" or for women to lure men into a trendy restaurant under the pretense of receiving real Mexican food. Â Sorry for the sexism here, but really, go see for yourself!
While you might expect Mexican fare (nachos, tacos, burritos, enchiladas), this restaurant is trying to be "upscale" and/or "chic" while serving up "gourmet" taquitos. Â And, while the tacos were tasty, the sheer lack of food on the table after receiving our order was a little frustrating. Â I ordered a salmon salad and a few tacos (which are $4 a pop), and found the salad to be bland. Â There was no real spice in the tacos, either, except that they were served with a single, sliced jalapeno pepper, which I ate because after the teeny tacos, I was still extremely hungry.
The drinks, while expensive, were good. Â The Margarita was not overly sweet, but it did need more alcohol.
All in all, this is a good date place (but crowded would be an understatement), not a real Mexican restaurant. Â It may be better to have appetizers and drinks here, and then go out for dinner...if you have any cash left.
All-in-all, while this review may sound like a complaint, I found the place to be interesting enough to try again.
Bodega Taco Bar- I really really wanted to like you. Throughout the whole meal I kept trying to convince myself I was enjoying my meal. By the end I felt robbed, disgustingly covered in grease, and hungry. Safe to say you left a bad taste in my mouth- Quite literally.
The pork belly arepa was beyond greasy and sweet. I could only take 2 small bites (and really $8 for that thing??) I can still feel my arteries clogged and not in a good way. It was not enjoyable and I dont even understand how you're supposed to eat it.
The tacos were equally greasy and unflavorful. Â Each one was pretty much meat slathered inside a corn wrap. Not sure which one was steak or which one was pork. Nothing to break up the texture or flavor. Sauce was brought AFTER we had ate everything.
The drinks were equally disappointing, overpriced and underwhelming.
Staff was laughable at best. It's awkward to have a full staff in an empty restaurant standing around and joking with each other while patrons are left unattended.
All in all I would choose to go to La Salsa (excuse me Senor Salsa) down the road for a mexican fix. Hell I would even choose to hop on the highway and head to Chilis before going here again.
OK so I'm going to go against the grain here. Â The food here is less than mediocre. Â There's not a lot of flavor, the presentation is sloppy, the descriptions way oversell the actual product. Â This is not a place to go to eat. Â It just isn't. Â Maybe if you bring your kids here and they like the balndness of the tacos and other items it's worth it to keep them happy, but if you're going out to eat in Fairfield pretty much anyplace, including McDonald's, serves better tasting food. Â We tried all kinds of things and were disappointed with all of them. Â The atmosphere can be pretty decent for drinks so I'm not saying don't go here. Â Just don't eat here unless you're starving or buzzed.
Review Source:Yum yum yum. I love this place! Especially bc the owner also owns valencia in Norwalk... Tacos are great, specials are great and drinks are great. The guac is pretty good also. It's a pretty small restaurant tho. I wish they had more authentic food but I still love it. Also, the corn tortilla tacos are from nixtamal and that restaurant is in queens, ny is amazing. Their tacos are awesome.
Review Source:Been here a few times. The tacos are excellent, my favorite being the American & Mahi Mahi. So flavorful. I often find myself craving them. The one con I have about this place is how little it is. You really have to come at a time there's not many people or hope you're lucky and can squeeze in at the bar.
Review Source:Love Bodega's! Cute little spot--and I mean LITTLE--expect a wait. We tend to do girls nights here. Thus far I've sampled the guacamole(delish, though I wish the portion was larger), the quesidilla, and the pork belly arepas. All consistent, all great. My general go to is the sangria...although I had an amazing spicy martini here as well. Not the greatest place for a date or kids--it does get noisy and since the space is so small, it doesn't have much of a waiting area. Definitely check it out!
Review Source:Shame on me for not reviewing Bodega BEFORE this past Tuesday. Â That review would have looked very different. Â Four stars. Â Praise of the Blistered Brussels Sprouts piled higher and deeper. Â You get the idea. Â But Tuesday was a game changer. Â Arrived with my date around 7pm to find a packed bar but a few empty tables near the front. Â We were quickly seated and handed menus, and even more quickly asked for our order. Â Repeatedly. Â Over and over. Â Our server, failing to mask her desire to turn over tables, feigned attentiveness. Â
We ordered a pitcher of red sangria, thinking it was a better value than two margaritas each. Â And it woulda been if there'd been much alcohol in it. Â Thirty two bucks for a pitcher of fruit juice is pretty steep, especially when conditions are cramped and the din of men and women screaming to be heard drowns out civil dialogue. Â Meanwhile our server, with a miserable grimace forced into a smile, doggedly pursued us for an order. We'd barely had time to read the specials, which required of my date the kind of neck contortion last seen in The Exorcist. Â Is it too much to ask for specials to be printed on a cheap piece of paper and slipped into the menu? Â At least that way my date, who's in the business, would have noticed that the Real Deal Ceviche was made with deal breaking Tilapia, not Red Snapper. Â We also ordered the grilled octopus (pulpo), which sounded promising written in chalk, but turned out to be whatever leftovers the chef found lying around in the pantry. Â Capers out of a jar I get. Â But aside from the gritty watercress, everything in this dish came out of a can or jar. Â Green olives with pimentos. Â Artichoke hearts. Â Even the octopus had crawled not out of the briny deep but directly from a tin onto my plate. Â The smoked chicken meatballs were tasty, but at four bucks a pop, were indefensibly precious. Â The other dish, which featured half a chicken thigh, was barely more than two mouthfuls. Â
We finally relented and asked for the check in order to spare ourselves further exposure to the pained expression on the server's face. Â The total for guacamole (the ONLY really fine thing we ordered), a pitcher of sangria, and four small plates was a whopping NINETY-ONE BUCKS! Â And here comes my favorite part of paying a check with cash--when you hand the server six crisp twenties and she asks if you want change. Â Really? Â Yes, my date replied politely. Â The server soon returned with a five, four ones and an intact $20.00. Â Expecting a 25% tip on rushed and mediocre service, she got ten percent, which was more than she deserved. Â BOO to Bodega for having once aspired to awesomeness only to surrender to mediocrity. Â Stick to the sister place, Valencia, in Norwalk.
Very busy place, usually difficult to get a seat at the bar or a table during prime dining times.  Great taco's.  I love the buffalo lamb ribs, unfortunately it is no longer offered as an appetizer, just an entrée. But overall the food is excellent and for the most part reasonable priced. Service is decent.  When it comes to drink anything other than beer is pricey.
Review Source:A friend and I ate here yesterday afternoon. As it was around 2pm when we arrived there was no wait, but I can definitely see how cramped it can be when filled with people. The dining room is tiny.
We were promptly seated and greeted by a friendly waiter who guided us through our drink orders (we both ordered the bodegarita which was awesome!) We then ordered the guac which was delightful.
For our meals we each ordered two tacos and got the 3 for $10 side deal with the brussels, braised kale, and grilled avocado. Aside from the grilled avocado, which tasted fine but wasn't anything special, the sides were amazing. The brussel sprouts were the favorite by far.
With two drinks each and our food, the bill total came to $44 each including tip. A pricier lunch, but definitely not overpriced considering the amount of food we got and the quality.
Will definitely be back next time I am in the area!
This place is GREAT!! Â Their food is delicious and on point with flavors. Â Generally good service, I like sitting at the bar the best. Â Their selection of tequilas is very good. Â
Almost everything on their menu is soo good!! Been here multiple times and can't wait to go back!! Great place to get some food and drinks... bc their drinks are good. Ask about their hibiscus infused tequila (very popular their)... the bartender would probably poor you a little taste to try... very good!! LOVVVEEE
Solid spot on the weekends.
Food was great, atmosphere was great, service.....not so much.
You practically have to fight for a seat at this place on a Friday night, my date and I went and basically shoved another couple out of the way for 2 bar seats after standing awkwardly sipping on drinks for 45 minutes. Didn't really mind the wait as the place is small (like an actual cornerstore Bodega) and seating was limited from the get-go. Margartias were solid, guacamole was even better. I have a weakness for Mexican mole sauce so I went for the pollo with mole dish...pretty awesome stuff. My date had a few different tacos and overall the food left us satisfied. (Do yourself a favor and jump on the $5 tequila taste if its been a long week of work)
The main reason for the 2 star review is the wait staff is brutal. Nice guys/gals, but they were so overwhelmed, and the host kinda blew us away when we walked in and told us "you have to fight for a table otherwise you might not get one". My date told him she forgot her gym bag in the car and he basically gave us a "ha ha ha...no seriously" type of answer. Turns out he was right as tables were in pretty high demand all night and people were jumping on them the second they were available.
Obviously you can't knock a place for being popular (well deserved)..but a little order would have been nice as the battle for seating put everyone on edge. Will definitely come back for the food though, but probably not on a weekend night.
First time I went was a year ago. Â It took me a year to return as service wasn't great that time and I wasn't totally blown away by the food. Â Driving by late afternoon en route to Molto, I took a quick turn into the Bodega parking lot instead.
Nothing has changed with the service one bit. Â In fact, it was kind of a joke as Justin Long was at the bar and the bartender girl couldn't gush any more over him. Â (rolling my eyes)...
Food was fine. Â I wanted to love the chips and salsa, which are an extra charge, but my chips were greasy and the salsa actually a little too spicy not in a good way. Â The flavors didn't blend well.
It is a great place for interesting vegetarian options, so I will definitely give them that. Â Wish the vegetarian taco was a tad more interesting. Â I know Michael, the owner, can definitely put something creative together in that department.
Probably won't return. Â I do still love Valencia though.
I think it's time to do something about the sticky plastic jars they give you to hold the green and red sauce. Â I can just feel the stickiness as I write. Â I'm not sure how to improve that though.
Even though it has been around a couple of years, I only heard about it when eating at Valencia Luncheria, in Norwalk and asked if the owners run other restaurants. This is one of three restaurants they own. it is not really accurate to call this Mexican, as it is really Latin American, with a Mexican core, but even then, when on of the tacos has Korean chicken, what can you call it. The atmosphere is lively, crowded, but service is efficient and good. The tacos are excellent, the side-dishes (I recommend the brussel sprouts highly!), and the other dishes interesting and varied. I need to try out bruncn some day.
Desserts are great!
Delicious! The garlic crab guacamole is a requirement! The pineapple Brussels sprouts are delicious. And any taco you like can be ordered 'lady Tata' style, meaning wrapped in lettuce. I highly recommend the Gamba!
The service is ok, they get busy quick and they are kind to make up for it. Order the Bodega Girl!! Delicious!
No reservations and take out is just as enjoyable.
So we show up on a Saturday night around 6 pm, my mom, my cousin, and myself. The place was pretty busy and the host said about a 25 minute wait. We happily decided to wait. While we waited, other groups of people who arrived after us were being seated prior to us.
So after waiting for a half an hour, I ask the host what the deal is. He says, it's going to be difficult to seat us because we are a party of 3. What? We can't get a table because we have 3 people? My disgruntled mother asks him why he's letting other groups sit before us and he says its because he only has tables with 4 seats open, and those parties had 4 people. So the three of us couldn't sit at a table that had 4 seats because we only have 3 people? Absolutely absurd. My angry mom asks him if that's the reason why he isn't seating us and he said yes, he didn't want to use up a table and waste an extra seat since it was so busy. We left and went to another restaurant.
Ridiculous. I'm sure the food is great, I mean how can you go wrong with pork belly arepas? But an absolutely deplorable host. So I guess if you are a party of 3 at this place your out of luck.
I don't like to write reviews either unless shit like this happens. This is unacceptable. I'm not trying to wreck their reputation or discourage people from going. Again, the food looked awesome and other people that I know that have been there have said the same. But bad service like this needs to be pointed out.
Drive the extra 15 minutes and go to Valencia in Norwalk instead.
I don't like to give 1 star reviews, I really don't. But the service I received at Bodega was so reprehensible that it needs to be noted.
I did not visit Bodega to eat or get a drink. Rather, the Sunday before Christmas I was looking to purchase a gift card for my family's Yankee Swap tradition (which has a $20 limit on gifts). I had heard some pretty glowing reviews of Bodega, and as a fan of craft beer, good drinks, fun food in a hip setting I figured it was a good chance to check the place out and maybe turn a family member/friend onto it with a small gift card. Two days before Christmas on a Sunday night I walked in with my post-college grad younger sister. I will say, the ambiance was cozy and the place was pretty full, but by no means packed. We then walked up to the bar to ask if they sold gift cards, and at that moment I received the RUDEST service I have ever experienced at a restaurant in my life.
The bartender replied that yes they did sell gift cards and when I told her I'd like to purchase a $20 one she scoffed and proclaimed "that won't get you a single meal HERE!" as if such a notion should be dismissed outright. I'm not very good at responding to abject rudeness, and I stammered how I only wanted a small gift, as if explaining myself would put me in the good graces of her highness so I could purchase my pittance of a gift card. I should have walked out then and there, since Bodega clearly didn't need my money, but for some reason I handed over my credit card and received the gift card and bill from the waitress with the kind of deference you show to a leper. No thank you, nothing.
People have bad nights, but you don't take it out on the customer. Needless to say, that experience zapped my holiday spirit for the rest of the night as my sister drove incredulously home. Bodega, you look like a fun place, the kind of joint I LOVE to frequent in Manhattan with friends, dates, and family. But until you clean up your act and get a more amiable bartender I won't be back, my sister won't be visiting, and that family member who would have received your gift card wont be spending their money there either. I wouldn't want to recommend a place that treats customers so shabbily. That $20 card will sit in my drawer, where it will stay.
I tried this place for the first time today. I liked the atmosphere and our server was lovely. I ordered chips with 3 salsas, shrimp tacos, and Brussels sprouts. Â Everything was very tasty and fresh, but I wish the portions were bigger. Way too expensive for the amount of food you get.
Review Source:Truly some of the best food I've had in Fairfield County. Everything about Bodega is wonderful--great service, great food, great ambiance. My bf and I have eaten here twice--we had the "fresh-slapped" guacamole, veggie tacos, shrimp tacos, and blistered brussel sprouts. I never thought I'd say that I like brussel sprouts....the charring brought out the sweetness and they were delicious.I also have never been a fan of corn on the cob, but the grilled chili lime corn on the cob was unbelievably good. Â I highly recommend the house margarita as well. Â Note that the chips, guac, veg and shrimp tacos are gluten-free. We came for restaurant week and we'll be back!
Review Source:I didn't actually eat here, but I did sit down intending to eat lunch here. At around 12:30pm, my husband and I sat down at the bar to have a quick bite to eat. I couldn't find my driver's license right off the bat in my slightly cluttered wallet, which apparently flagged me as a 19 year old college student trying to elude the law in order to get wasted over lunch hour. The ensuing five minutes involved us getting kicked out of our seats at the bar (though there were only about 3 people in the whole restaurant) and both the waiter and the bartender, on separate occasions, coming over to our table to ask to see not only my driver's license which I had found, but also two other forms of ID, which I gladly handed over, and which the bartender eventually took into the back of the restaurant "just to make sure". At no point did anyone ask if we wanted any water or any food.
If you are 23 to 28 years old and want to be harassed by an extremely paranoid staff who will probably suspect you of being underage and ask multiple times to see your ID and/or draw your blood for DNA, please do attend this restaurant.
Otherwise, stay away.
This is a place you need time for, or show up before the dinner crowd gets there. Â Seating is pretty limited, one night I waited one hour for a seat at the bar.
The food however is good, especially things like the guac! Â Some of their main dishes are a little small so definitely order something to start. Â They offer a few good sauces but strangely don't bring limes or anything with their tacos/burritos. Â
The drinks though. Â The drinks! Â Get a margarita- they truly are the best. Â This place must have every flavor of tequilla behind the bar... The bartenders are amazing (well almost all of them, find one you like and sit in their section). Â But really, you need to order drinks here, they are always creating new ones and they use fantastic ingredients. Â I would visit again just for the drinks alone.
Probably a 3.5
I have eaten at Bodega several times and have loved every experience! The guacamole is to die for and I thoroughly enjoyed all of the side options the kale being my favorite.
I have eaten some great meals there but have felt that my options were very limited. being that I am a semi vegetarian and only eat chicken and fish I found there wasn't much on the menu to satisfy the sort of diet. I found that a lot of the recipes involved pork and would love to see some more vegetarian friendly options.
I also wish the space was bigger, I usually feel as though I am sitting at another person's table when I am there, but I am sure that is everyone's complaint being that the space they are in is rather limited.
I hope that they expand one day because I do think it is one of the better places to go for Mexican in our area.
This is one place that I'm not particularly raving about but I keep coming back for more.
Bodega shines in a few areas, the drinks are pretty good, the guacamole (crab and habanero being my favorite) is great, and the tacos are very good by Connecticut standards.
My complaints come with the inconsistency of the food and service. I understand the inconsistency with service, some people might be newer/not as into the food as others but a Mexican place not knowing what "horchata" was? (If you're reading this Bodega please get horchata) The inconsistency with the food kind of stinks because with my favorite dishes: fish tacos, plantains con crema, grilled corn it's never the same. When I catch them on a good day I'm very happy with my meal but other times I start doing math in my head of how much a plane to Texas would cost me so I could get some real food.
Trendy place, a little crowded at times but generally I like it.
Feel like some "freshly slapped" guacamole or some soft shell tacos, but don't want that fast-food style of cheesy goopy mess? Â Then, head on over to Bodega Taco Bar in Fairfield. Â
We all love Chef Young for his creative and delicious take on traditional Latin cuisine at Valencia Luncharia in Norwalk, which focuses primarily on Venezuelan beach food. Â It has been a hot spot for years, famous for its Arepas, Empanadas and much more. Â As a perfect compliment, Bodega Taco Bar offers more of the Latin fare but this time with a focus on Mexican beach food.
Fresh, homemade tacos really make a world of a difference, don't they? Â
With lots of great small-plate choices as well as salads and sandwiches to choose from, it is a perfect spot for brunch, lunch or dinner. Â Tacos selection priced at $4, allows you to order as little or as much as your heart desires or your budget requires. Â And if you are really hungry, there is a great selection of main entrees to choose from - like the Hangar Steak with Chimmichurri sauce, or Pan Seared Mahi-Mahi with Asparagus and Salsa Verde, or my favorite: Short Ribs! Â Yum!
I'm in total agreement with Colin P. about the ridiculous 1-star reviews from the folks who didn't even eat here. As he said, "truly irresponsible Yelping".
And, like Nicholas C. states, I wish you could give half star ratings as I too would give this place 3.5 stars. Here is why...
We arrived on a Monday night around 8pm. The place was packed to capacity with a "15 minute wait", but absolutely no room to wait at the bar, or even order a drink. So, we stood near the door, and ended up hovering over someone's table as there was no place else to wait. 15 minutes later we saw two spots open up at the bar and we took them. Good thing, as it seemed most people there were just hanging out and shooting the breeze with no intention of leaving. Of course, shooting the breeze comes off more like a shouting match as the noise levels here are off the charts. As others have mentioned, this is not a good place to bring the kids.
The bartender seemed harried, but got our drinks and menus pretty quickly given the crowd. There were a few times he seemed a bit snippy, but he could have just been having a bad night.
For cocktails we had margaritas and mojitos. The margs were OK, but nothing to rave about. I understand that mojitos are tricky to make, but these were totally inconsistent - the first one had way to much sugar, the third one had no sugar. The drink prices were a little high- $9 for each, which wouldn't be so bad if the glasses weren't so small. 2/5
For apps we had the guacamole with lobster. It was outstanding, with a nice kick. At first glance it seemed like a small portion, but there was more than enough for the 2 of us. 5/5
They serve their big plates and little plates at the same time so you need to specify if you want something to come out earlier. Not a big deal for us, and we didn't wait long to be served. We tried a good sampling of items. The pork belly arepa, the short ribs and tacos (crispy Korean chicken, hanger steak, and burnt tips). All the tacos are served on corn tortillas. I prefer flour over corn tortillas, but know that corn is authentic.
Pork belly arepa - great flavor, but as this was my first experience with pork belly I wasn't prepared for the huge swaths of pure fat and overall lack of actual meat. I learned later that this is just how pork belly is, but I'm not a fan. Based on flavor alone... 4/5
Short ribs - while the ribs themselves had decent flavor, the flavor of pozole mash completely overpowered them, and took away from the overall appeal. 3/5
Crispy Korean chicken taco - chicken chunks were totally dried out. Decent flavor, but the dryness killed it. 2/5
Argentino (hanger steak) taco - great flavor and my favorite of the three. 5/5
Burnt tips taco - decent flavor, just ok. 4/5
By almost 9pm the place was more than half empty, and the noise volume had dropped to normal levels. I'd say we enjoyed the food and reasonable food prices, but the cramped quarters, and noise level detracted from the overall dining experience. With more room and some acoustic work - easily 4, maybe 5 stars.
I wish we could do half stars, bc if so, I'd give it a 3.5.
Bodega's food really is amazing. The Gambas taco and the Baja (Mahi Mahi) tacos were really exceptional. The fish and shrimp were grilled to perfection and blended well with the rest of the ingredients. The pulled pork was also very good. The dipping sauces on the table - out of this world! I'm a fan.
For an appetizer we had the guacamole (good, not great) and the Tuna Tartare, which was served on a flat, crispy tortilla  of some sort. I was pretty impressed with the Tuna, which was also blended with lots of cilantro and onion.
The reason I drop this place down 1.5 stars: It's crowded and cramped. We went on a Friday night, so crowded is to be expected, but the place is really too small. I could barely get up to go to the bathroom (1 room, 1 stall....another Con) without making 3 people move for me...literally. Â When the food arrived, the appetizers were served with all of the entrees at the same time (boo) and everything was just kind of dropped - which we barely had room to fit it all.
I'm also not sure why the tacos are served family-style and nothing else is. So everyone else had their own plates, but myself and two others had to pick and choose and rearrange to see which were ours. Sorry, but I ordered 4 tacos, and I just wanted them on my own plate. The size of the place and size of the tables do not mesh well family-style.
I would go back, but I would AVOID AVOID AVOID Friday or Saturday nights, especially since they don't take reservations. Go for lunch mid-week or on Saturday, and if you're drinking and like spice, order the Tomatila margarita (jalapeno-infused tequila with red chili flakes! Amazing!) . Just be choosey about the time you decide to head to Bodega.
One cannot blame it on April 13, 2012, as being Friday the 13th. There are three important measurements...food....service....respect for the customer...Bodega fails in two.....food, since our last visit just fair....respect....NONE....we were three people..enter around 6:45 and told 35 minutes....at 8 we were told we were the next....at 8:45 we were told "oh you can't have that table it's only for fours, you have to wait for the side tables for twos or threes" which they never told us and had mostly people sitting, drinking and relaxing, which they had a right to do.....after heavy conversation with the owner we did sit at the table for four....Things should never get to this, if you are honest with your patrons and clearly explain your policies....so went the evening and a restaurant that one should avoid.
and the waitress was excellent...friendly with a smile....thank you!
First things first: I want to note that a couple of the one star reviews here really abuse Yelp as a platform and I would urge readers to ignore those particular reviews. Issuing a one star review because the establishment was closed for a private party and you didn't get something for free, or because it's so popular and you can never get a seat is irresponsible Yelping.
Onward, review! Why is this place marked as having "hipster" ambiance? I was expecting the worst array of nonsense tchotchkes on the wall and a fleet of smug bespectacled servers. Sure, a couple of the servers look like they just stepped out of an Urban Outfitters dressing room, but the place itself is clean, simple and quite sharp looking. They did a really nice job of making you forget you're in a strip mall.
It's also quite small - including the bar, there is only seating for about 40-50, but has the energy of someplace larger and not filled with suburbanites... I credit the background dance music and dim lighting. We were lucky to stroll in around 5pm on a Sunday evening and get a seat. The manager (?) greeted us almost immediately as we moved through the curtains at the entrance. Just 2 high tops and 2 bar stools were available and they were occupied within ten minutes of our arrival.
Our server, Molly, was remarkably sweet and attentive, with a refreshing energy and sincerity that the other servers seemed to lack.
We split a Brooklyn Sorachi Ace (750ml, $14) and, to get a little taste of everything, three sides (3 for $10) and three tacos ($4 each). I was tempted to get the arepa, guacamole and queso fundido, but had to remind myself that we really just stopped in for a snack. The sides were the Brussels sprouts that other reviewers held in such high regard, the platanos and the yucca. Tacos were the tuna special, pork and hanger steak.
The Brussels sprouts are as good as everyone says. They have a mild teriyaki flavor that is just perfect. The plantains were delicious as well, and the yucca fries could have used some coarse salt. My dining companion and I both agreed that the pork taco was best, followed closely by the hanger steak. I sampled the cilantro sauce on the hanger steak taco and could honestly eat that stuff by the spoonful. The tuna taco was pretty good, with wonderful fresh pineapple, but I prefer my tuna medium rare.
To finish things off, we ordered the special dessert which was flan atop chocolate cake. It wasn't exactly what I expected, but tasted good. I had envisioned a standard flan over a disc of dense flourless chocolate cake, served warm... what arrived was cut like a slice of pie and quite low-profile, just over 1/2" tall. We wolfed it right down.
The beer rang up a few dollars higher than the menu price, but that small error was corrected quickly. Next time, I'm definitely going to try a margarita and explore the other parts of the menu.
This is a 1 star because of the poor service for a place that I have not eaten at .
I had made arrangements with a friend to meet for dinner on a Friday night . We
arrived around 7 PM and were informed that there was a private party and that if we
wanted to eat we would have to come back at 8PM.
Nothing on the website gave us a warning that this might happen but worse than
that there was no offer to invite us back or to offset our inconvenience. Either a
coupon or someting offering us a free drink or appetizer would have been a nice
gesture. All I can say that arrogance only leads to ultimate failure , Fairfield has had
it's fair share of hot spots that ended up bombing . I will be curious to see how this
place shapes up .
This is not a review of the food because I have technically never dined here. Â I have attempted to do so on two occassions but the restaurant is always packed. Â The space is VERY small and crowded with people sardined next to one another. Â The lighting is so dim I could barely see what people had on their plates, if anything. Â
I get the impression this is more of a popular hang-out than anything. Â On both occassions I noticed more people chatting and drinking than actually eating a meal. Â Of course you could say the overcrowding and long wait are signs of a thriving business. Â Personally, I just think its annoying. Â
I am obviously interested in tasting the food based on its good reviews but I doubt I'll ever get the chance. Â Just another Fairfield hot-spot...
Well, I gave it another shot but I will make it brief.
Still so NOT as good as taco shops in California on price, portion or flavor.
But, happy to say the service was a very marked improvement!
I had the burrito jarlica which was flavorful- rice black beans, chilis, chicken. I prefer their red hot sauce rather than the tomatillo crema which is practically flavorless,
The decor is cool. Nice prices for small plates, solid & broad tequila & beer choices.
"I hate Brussels Sprouts and Okra". Â This is something I've said out loud many times.... But then I came to the Bodega Taco Bar. Â Now my statement is amended to say " I hate Okra". Â Â Can you guess that I enjoyed the Brussels Sprouts? Â Yes, I did. Â I enjoyed them very much, and you will too.....
Started with 'Tres Salsa & Chips'. The chips were perfect, and the Mango Cucumber Salsa was my favorite.
The Frito pie was authentically (New Mexico style) served in a snack size Frito bag. I loved it, but the Chili may have been a little burned...
Had a sample of a yummy Shrimp Taco, and a Lamb Barbacoa Taco all to myself. Â The lamb meat and BBQ sauce was a bit too rich for me, but the flavor was pretty good...
Bottom line: Don't miss this place, it is creative and delicious!! Â and get the unique Brussels Sprouts.... It's not authentic Mexican food, but it's pretty good.
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