Favorite place to eat in the loop.
Joel the bartender is awesome (even if he is a Cubs fan) and mixes good drinks!
Margaritas are perfect.
The Cowboy Burger is amazing and sinful comfort food with fall apart in your mouth brisket.
Best fish tacos yet - get them grilled - yum!
Guacamole that is good is very hard to find, however, this stuff is really good!
Chips are perfectly blend of thin, crispy, salty, and the salsa is really good too, not too spicy but perfect consistency.
We will return again and again and again even if we just keep ordering the same stuff!
A definite must try for mexican, authentic or tex-mex, lover's soul.
I tried out Mission Taco a couple weeks ago and wasn't exactly wow-ed. We ordered the chips, salsa and guacamole as well as the floutas to start. The floutas were good but there was a bit too much sauce on the plate so they started to lose that good crunch. We also had a good variety of tacos--carne asada, brisket and chicken. The chicken taco didn't have much flavor, it was a little smokey for me. The carne asada were my favorite, I really enjoyed the avocado sauce! Everything we had was good but nothing I tried really had a wow factor. The menu is pretty large so I'd like to try out some different items next time!
Review Source:Two words: so good. Â When Mission Taco came onto the Loop and everyone started talking about it, I knew I had to try it. Â And I'm so glad I did. Â I got one of five of the taco options. Â I wanted to try a little bit of everything and see what I loved. Â Luckily, I really liked all of them. Â The fish taco was a bit fishy for my taste, but it was well made. Â The brisket taco was good as well as the duck taco, which the server told me to get because it was his favorite. Â I have not yet tried the Southwest burrito but I've heard great reviews from my friends.
The atmosphere is also great. Â The wall decorations are reminiscent of the Bay area and the music is super chill and 90s. Â It's perfect. Â Mission Taco can be a bit inconsistent with quality from day to day but I've had only positive experiences there. Â 100 percent recommend it.
OK place, greasy forks, good space. smelled like fresh paint.
we got the fish, the shrimp and the tofu tacos. they all came with unseasoned bitter tasting cabbage, cilantro, scallions and lime. and three different sauces on the spectrum of okay to bad.
the grilled fish was pretty good. not salty. the shrimp deep fried. the tofu was disgusting. it came with some picked onions and the mixture of the two was pretty awful.
the homemade tortilla was pale, tasteless and falling apart.
What is not to love about Mission Taco? Great cocktails from the bar, yummy chips and salsa and oh what was the other thing....oh yeah, the TACOS!
Can we take a moment here and talk about how darn cute those taco holder things are? Where do i get myself some of those? Friggin' brilliant. Something that holds your over stuffed taco so that when you place it back down it doesn't turn into a disastrous mess on a plate.
Okay back to the food. So I'm not a vegetarian by any means but I tend to order veggie. I ordered the tofu and cactus tacos. While the tofu was good, it wasn't the best tofu taco I've ever had. Then i got to the cactus....mind. blown. What tofu? Don't even bother with it. Stick to the cactus. So flavorful, kind of tart, just purely delightful all the way around.
Next trip will have to include a fish taco since I'm a HUGE fan of Tortillaria's and Milagro's fish tacos. Can't imagine they would fail me at Mission Taco.
Oh and btw, LOVE the homage to one of my favorite neighborhoods in my hometown: the Mission!
Love me some Mission Taco. Â I try to frequent Mission Taco anytime I have the slightest craving for anything Mexican. Â The chips and salsa and guacamole are really great. Â The chips especially with two salsas is really nice, it gives you options and two different unique flavors. Â Even adding a little hot sauce will add a little kick and fire to your mouth.
I have only even had the Fish Tacos but saying this, I LOVE the Mission Taco Fish Tacos. Â I could eat 20 of them if my stomach permitted. Â Yum... Â My friends and family have tried many of the other taco choices and there are always raves about them. Â I have heard that the steak tacos and the pork tacos are really amazing. Â I had one friend try the cactus and she said it was "not that bad"... I guess it is just an odd combination...
The cocktails are also really delicious. Â Grab a seat outside on a nice summer day and get a drink for multiple pleasures!! Â I will be back and back and back...
Another great think about MT is that their tortillas are corn...so for you Gluten Free people you can eat anything on this menu!!
Myreview is a bit late. I know. I did like the wide open space of the place. being a BBW, i never felt cramped. our group grabbed a 6 seater bar table and shared almost everything.
I do wish that they gave you a bit more quacamole for the table. It was barely enough for me. I held back. I enjoyed the queso dip very much. Â ooh...I did like the quacamole. moving on......
I got a chicken burrito, a brisket taco, and a duck taco. I loved the tacos in the corn tortillas. I really really loved the brisket. The duck was close to it but it is served with goat cheese and I am not a fan of goats, much less cheese made from goats. Â I don't care what Giada says. the burrito was good. It is served with a healthy douse of guacamole, but really it tasted like I could have got it from Qdoba.
overall, I will be back! Â there are other things to try, although the menu is relatively small.
Stopped in for dinner after a visit to Big Shark to buy a bike. Â This place is very cool looking and inviting. Â Loved the taller tables in the front room. Â
We started off w/ chips and their salsas of the day (both very good) and I got one of their signature drinks called the Ol' Tom Collins kinda sweet but not too much so....yummy too, didn't taste much alcohol...girly drink. :)
We didn't want to get anything too heavy so we ordered 5 different tacos and a side of their street corn.....HOLY JEEBUS...I could eat a bucket of that corn...man-oh-man just thinking about it....mmmmmm.....
Moving on....the tacos were all soft shell and came on this cute taco holder....(nice idea) and we really did like them all but our favorites were the fish taco and the cactus taco. Â I took a lot of photos so that'll give you a better idea of what the tacos look like, small and easy to eat. Â They make the tortillas in house.
Our waiter was Dave ( I think) and he was just excellent and very informative. Â
We'll for sure be coming back.
If you're looking for a two hour wait for over priced everything then you're in luck, Mission Taco will meet all your needs! The only reason I'm giving two stars instead of one is because the guac and fish tacos were pretty tasty. Customer service and price were worst I've experienced in STL. We'll stick to Chimichangas or Amigo Joes for our taco needs!!
Review Source:I have found myself at Mission Taco on 3 different occasions this week alone. I blame the fact that I started working a block away. I'm not complaining, but I'm becoming somewhat of a regular. In the times I've been there I have tried almost every type of taco, multiple appetizers, drinks, and their dessert. First, before I give you my run down let me mention that I love that you can mix and match tacos to create my own entree. Okay here we go:
- Fish Taco (crispy)- awesome, I love fish tacos, but besides the crispy fish there wasn't much texture otherwise.
- Yucatan Chicken- awesome- lots of different flavors.
- Duck Taco- wasn't my favorite but I know a lot of people like this one.
- Brisket- not a fan just because I happen to get a really fatty piece of brisket so in my first bite all the meat was gone.
- Cactus Taco- amazing!! If you like spicy foods this is for you- its "kick you in the face" spicy. To cut down on the spice you can ask for it without the jalapeno sauce.
- The chips and salsa is awesome! You get 2 different types of salsas and big basket of chips (you can ask for more).
- Queso con Chorizo is really good!
- Margarita- very strong- I personally think my recipe is better
- Ol' Tom Collins- my favorite drink by far!!! Has some raspberry syrup that gives it a little different flavor and sweetness
- Churros- not good. The fryers are too hot so the churros come out way too dark and almost raw in the inside. Inedible.
As you can see I have made my way through the menu quite efficiently. I would definitely recommend this place! There are lots of tables inside and they have a few tables outside. Since there is construction on the block next to it, parking is a little tight- but there are tons of free lots along Delmar if you don't mind walking a block or two.
Came into town and my friends suggested Mission for dinner. 45 minute wait on a Saturday night was no big deal (mind you we hadn't seen each other in about 10 years, so 45 minutes went by fast) We were able to get drinks and hang out outside while we waited, that was a definite plus. The margaritas were fair.
OK, the tacos. DELISH! I had the lobster (it was the special) the nopales, and the duck. Of the three, the duck was my least favorite, a little to rich, but still really good! I love to try anything once (especially in taco form) This was my first attempt at  nopales, and they were the best! Spicy, but not killer spicy. I also got a side of the street corn, OMG good! I could eat that all day every day, its the best corn I have ever had. Seriously, greatest corn ever. Epically delicious corn. I mean it.
The service was nice, everyone was smiling, we were checked on regularly, and even though it slowed down a lot after we were seated, we never felt rushed because of the wait.
So I am going to have to go back when I get the chance, and work my way through the whole taco list. And always, always, get the corn.
Carne asada fries! Get them, and thank me later!
I kinda sorta love Mission Taco. I've been here a handful of times, and they've been impressive each time. The staff is friendly, the food is reasonably priced, fresh, and filling...and they have liquor...what more can a guy ask for?
So far, I've had the Chorihueva torta, a small selection of the tacos: birria, Yucatan chicken, and carne asada, and the aforementioned carne fries. I'm looking forward to heading back soon, because I've heard so much wonderful stuff about their street corn, but have yet to taste it...yeah, I know...shame on me.
I've come here a couple of times just to have a drink or two...pretty solid beer selection...Civil Life, Newcastle, Modelo Negro, etc....but I love the margaritas...surprising, because I'm not a margarita drinker.
Seriously energetic spot, great experience, and as I type this review, I'm thinking they might be the move for lunch or dinner tonight.....
I feel like Mission Taco is having its growing pains and I walked right in the middle of them. Since its Mom is Milagro, I know there is huge potential, but I didn't get that much of it during my visit.
It's a great space along with fun outdoor seating; it'll even be better when the construction dust across the street settles. It was pretty busy when we were there, but service was pretty good. The food came out in a timely manner, but we had to wait for the check. It wasn't that long at all. Â I was surprised that with our group of five, and with a packed restaurant, it only took 75 minutes, contrary to what other reviewers have complained about.
The girls had already started on the chips, salsa, queso, and guacamole by the time I got there. I got to partake though. I felt that they were run-of-the-mill, nothing to write home about, and I was surprised about that. I actually expected more of the guacamole, especially since I've had Milagro's and love it. If it's the same recipe, and I wouldn't be surprised...there needs to be some quality control, then. Maybe they are sacrificing quality for timely service?
I ordered three tacos (~$3 each), based on a lot of the reviews on here:
1) BAJA FISH TACOS (wood grilled) chipotle baja sauce, cabbage, pico de gallo, queso fresco: This was the best taco out of the three, but I kinda want to know what kind of fish it was. It tasted like plastic! Or at least previously frozen.
2) NOPALES wood grilled cactus, poblano, pickled onion, goat cheese, Â jalapeno salsa: So I think I read on here that it was bland. And I've had soggy nopales tacos before. This taco was neither. It was super spicy...so spicy that I couldn't even finish it. I'm sorry...that spice was way too much. It wasn't soggy though and I wish I could have finished it...but man, for someone who just spent three months in spicy country, I couldn't even handle half of it.
3) MOFU TOFU chile grilled local tofu, avocado, arugula, ancho bbq sauce, pickled onions: I agree with another reviewer that the tofu was too wet...and in being so...was pretty bland. Which is weird because with tofu taking on the same taste it's being mixed with, it gives you an idea that that tofu was pretty soggy.
I wouldn't order any of the three tacos again.
What I WOULD order again is the street corn ($3). Yes, that was the highlight of the meal. Maybe a couple of orders would suffice.
We ended with the churros ($4). I wasn't impressed. They were super dense, which is fine, but in being dense, they were kind of soggy inside too. The Mexican chocolate sauce was good however...and I don't even like chocolate. I could drink that up all by itself though.
I think I'd go again after they've had a chance to iron out more kinks...but really not about to run back in for another experience any time soon.
Our Yelp UYE turned into a girl's night out and I'm very glad Kat picked this place. Â I thought the guac was pretty yummy but I'd skip the queso next time. Â Not enough chorizo! Â The carne asada fries were to DIE for! Â
Loved the atmosphere, the staff was super helpful and friendly and the cider was a huge hit after a stressful day. Â The check was a little high but it was all quality ingredients and I'll certainly go back.
Came here tonight with a bunch of Yelpers for dinner. Â The street tacos were spicy & delish! Â I have been having sinus issues. Â The spicyness of the food totally killed my headache & opened up my sinuses. Â The churros came out insanely hot (as in temperature hot). Â Fresh from the fryer. Â I couldn't have any of the chocolate sauce (dairy & high fat). Â But, the churros were delish without the sauce. Â The chips, salsa & guacamole were fresh & delish! Â I couldn't detect a kick in the guacamole, but it was ok. Â Ambience was awesome, kind of hip & cool. Â The food came out fast. Â Service overall was wonderful. Â Food was served family style. Â I was happy that they accommodated me with my dietary issues. Â Love, love, love the high top tables & chairs. Â This is a true gem (albeit a spicy gem) in the Loop.
Review Source:Stopped by this place for a street taco on our way to get burgers and have been hooked ever since. Â It is a neat place that caters to everyone. Nice atmosphere to hang out with your friends or family.
The tacos are amazing. I have tried all of them and they are all good. The winner would have to be the fried fish taco. Â I would also strongly recommend the street corn and the crab taquitos. I am committed to ordering the street corn every time I go, that's how good it is.
Two words: STREET CORN.
Holy guacamole. This shizz is GOOD. Sweet, cheesy, grilled cob corn perfection, nice heaping portion.
So I take back what I said about forgoing the sides. Getchu some-a-dis-right-heah.
I would say skip on the Chaplinesque, as it tastes like cough syrup to me. But my mom liked it. The margarita wasn't bad, but not my favorite marg in the world. Probably because it's served tall - lots of margarita flavor (and plenty of drink to boot), very little tequila flavor. But maybe that's your thing. I like booze too much.
The guac is really good but only best for one person. Maybe two if you're not really hungry, but we were. I wanted to physically fight my dining partner for it, but since she's my mother, I thought it might be a poor choice.
The tofu taco is REALLY tasty. You can't even tell you're eating tofu, and it's got the same sweet tangy ancho BBQ sauce that's on the Three Little Piggies, which goes really nicely with it.
Yup. So here's my TL;DR summary of my two experiences:
+ You (probably) can't go wrong with any of the tacos (I've tried tofu, cactus, and fish)
+ Three Little Piggies = winner winner piggy dinner
+ Get the Coctel de Conac. Skip the Chaplinesque. Get the marg only if you're desperately in the mood for a marg.
+ Get the street corn or I will track you down and force feed it to you. Skip the rice.
+ Chips and salsa are okay, good for multiple people. Guac is delicious, good for one-and-a-half people, so bring a midget. Unless they have a voracious appetite. Then order two.
Still lovin' this place.
Such a cool place. Â We went late at night and went to their "walk thru" window. Â Super fun and super quick. Â While we waited we got to watch them make their tortiall shells fresh from scratch.
I had the cactus taco, which I had never tried before (anywhere). Â It was awesome. Â Perfect balance of spicyness and earthiness. Â My friend got the baja fish taco and he was extremely pleased as well.
Can't wait to go in and sit down for a meal.
I LOVE LOVE MISSION TACO JOINT.
Yeah, I know it's not as legit tex-mex fare that you'll get in the southwest & Cali, BUT I would argue it's one of the best Da Lou has to offer.
It's taken me a while to write my rec. The first time, I was pretty impressed but didn't want to make rash judgments. Second time, I still was enamored by it. By 3rd, 4th times I was sold.
Here's a couple of solid recs: 1) Carne asada fries, 2) fish tacos- either grilled or fried- both amazing, 3) Brisket taco- moist, flavorful, delish. Alsoooo the tacos are cheaper and tastier than Tortillaria (even though Tortillaria owns Mission Taco Joint).
Ambiance is trendy, young, hip and happening. Sit outside in the patio, order a margarita, have some tacos and you have a night.
Great spot in the loop! Went here last saturday night while I was in the LOU! Came here with my best friend and sister!
A star for the the shrimp taco they had on special, very delicious.
A star for outdoor sitting
A star for food coming out fast
A star for lots of variety and unique menu though i really disliked the tofu taco, i love tofu and quickly realized it is not good in a taco. Especially the taco I received. It needed more seasoning, a lot more! My best friend heard the cactus taco was great, but she hated it, i tried it and i hated it too! I would not suggest it.
The service is Meh. The server was nice but honestly if it is busy they need to hire more servers. She forgot to bring us napkins and our waters were empty most of the time. The food is hot so water is needed!
I told myself I wouldn't write a review until I've been here a couple more times, but I can't wait any longer! IT WAS AMAZING!
Andrew and I got the fish tacos and OH MY GOD. We used the little carry out window, and went up the street for some bubble tea to pair it with. The perfect Loop meal, am I right?!
I want to go back and order every single taco on the menu!! We were in a hurry to see a show otherwise we would've tried to eat inside. However it did look a little crowded...
I'll write an updated review if I go back and my opinion changes! Otherwise, I recommend you stop by :)
Like Jake K. HH specials would be a great offering, but considering the location and the amount of business MIssion is already receiving, there would be a wait list for HH.
I do however think the  incredible duo behind this local mexican influenced resaurant group is open to ideas..... for instance I love chips, salsa and guacamole! If you've dined here you know that the bottomless chips and salsa is one menu item and then guac and chips is another. I would love to see chips and salsa and the options to add/purchase small or large orders of guac.
....First time in was a Saturday evening, the wait was roughly 35 minutes. We grabbed a drink from the bar - margarita and a Tom Collins. Â The hostess was fantastic, friendly and polite. The bartender experience was drastically different. (no worries it did improve upon visit 2 when my friend and I met Joel). We grabbed the drinks and headed outside to the side walk, there is a little area to sip a drink and watch the hustle and bustle of Delmar.
Table was ready, we opted for a seat in the back. I love the giant mural on the back wall! We started with chips and guac and waited for the tacos!
Tacos: Carne asada, brisket, wood grilled fish, fried fish and the special soft shell crab taco X's 2. They were all absolutely delicious! The carne asada meat was flavored perfectly, the wood grilled fish reminds me of being in Huntington Beach. The soft shell crab I would eat it every day if I could! The brisket was great packed with tons of flavor. All of these are a must try.
I should mention we tried the churros at the end.... it wasnt very appealing. We eat with our eyes first right? I think a 3 inch long churro served in a basket that allows them to stand up right with wax paper and the chocolate sauce along with a tres leche sauce on the side would be 5 stars.
If you are expecting authentic mexican, it's not here. But that's not what they are trying to do. This is 100% a  southern Cali vibe. Imagine the beach right out the window!
P.S. There is a walk up window for those on the go!
Mission Taco has been on my list ever since it opened and I am seriously disappointed that it took me this long to get here. I now understand what the fuss was about
I arrived for a late lunch on Saturday and the place was packed however the hostess was kind enough to let us sit at the bar, which was full service. We started off with a Four Hands Single Speed beer, it was ok not my favorite. They do have a decent beer selection however you won't find any Budweiser here, which is a plus!
I ordered the Chicken Flautas to split with the table. The menu describes them as "chipotle roasted chicken, roasted corn, Chihuahua, crisped flour tortilla, ancho bbq sauce, and Mexican crema" however I say they are simply amazing! Â I almost wanted them all for myself.
As far as tacos go I leaned towards the Carne Asada by getting two, and had one Roasted Duck. Both were amazing, I will say that the tacos's are a little on the small side however they are big on flavor. The tacos themselves are made fresh, and have the look of a crunchy taco but the shells are soft. The grilled flank steak in the Carne Asada tacos was great, and cooked perfectly. I usually am not a fan of avocados but I have to admit that the avocado serrano sauce went together perfectly with the steak. I have a feeling that this will be my taco of choice.
As far as atmosphere this place is a perfect fit for The Loop, its fun festive and very open. The do have limited outside seating but it looked like it was closed today.
I have to say that I am now on a mission to return to Mission Taco and try the Carne Asada Fries that Steve B raves about, they sound delicious!
I'm so happy to have this place in my neighborhood. However, so is everyone else. I am giving them a 4-star, but could easily give them 5 if they offered a happy hour and if they let locals seat first. I know my second request is a bit ridiculous and I don't think I'm going to get it to catch on, but I've decided that great local places should allow priority seating to those who live within a ten block radius. Anyone else feel this way?
I have been her numerous times and each time I've been extremely satisfied. One time I went in with 15 of my closest friends on a Thursday night. We had friends in from out of town and wanted a cool place to hang and have great food. We were on a "Mission". We had no problem getting in, as it was about 8pm and the rush was just starting to fade. The service was tremendous. They had 3 people helping us on the regular and a number of others assisting. The drinks were great, the food amazing and it was such a great time had by all.
Other times I've been here I've had to wait 30 minutes to get seated. This is where my "local patrons" theory would be handy. Flash an i.d. showing you're from the "hood" and bingo bango you're shooting tequila, eatin' a taco and walkin' home with a nice warm feeling.
I am glad to see local places thrive, especially when that local place makes a great fish taco. Grilled!
Parking is a bitch on Delmar, but not a worry for me, as I walk. I think it should be mentioned because if you think, "Oh, we'll head on up to The Loop and try this place out" just know you should plan on parking blocks away or pay $3 if you're lucky enough to get a spot in the garage before it fills up. I think the parking lot next to Chipotle (recently redone) should have been another garage. Again, not the point of this review.
I've read such great reviews and decided to put Mission Taco Joint to the test. I was seated after a 10 minute wait, which is a good thing because the food must be great? A table that sat after me received their drinks before me. It took 13 minutes from the time my server took my order to when the water was delivered. And yes, I timed it! However, my food arrived 5 minutes later and I was immediately happy again (hungry customers are grumpy customers!). My order was pretty simple:
Yucatan chicken tacos: 5/5. It has a nice spicy kick to it and they use white meat chicken. Totally recommend.
Carne asada tacos: 2.5/5. The meat was cut into slices which made it harder to bite into when it's served medium rare (gross).
Carne asada fries: 4/5. Yum! The fries are seasoned and topped with carne asada (chopped and made well done), pico de gallo, guacamole, and drizzled with sour cream. My only complaint was that they charge for extra pico de gallo - I think like $0.20. And when I received it...it tasted kinda funky. Yeah, that turned me off.
Service: sucked. Sorry, it did? The hostess delivered my drinks, another server delivered my food, and my initial server decided to swing by and drop off my check.
Next time, order for pick up!!
Mission Taco Joint is owned by the same folks as Tortilliaria in the CWE. Sadly, the quality does not carry over to this new place.
I'd heard really great things about this restaurant, and I LOVE Mexican food, so we decided to try it out. The atmosphere was dark and loud, but neither of those are a deal breaker for me. The wait wasn't too bad, for a Friday night, though we did stand in the doorway for several minutes before anyone noticed us. Again, I can get past that.
While we waited for a table, I ordered a beer and some chips and salsa. It was a bummer to see that the chips & salsa were extra, but $3 isn't unreasonable. Two salsas included, the house salsa from Tortilliaria, and a spicier offering. What disappointed me more than paying for chips & salsa, was finding out that the meager cups of salsa cost extra to refill. This, people, is the SAME salsa that is available from a help-yourself salsa bar at Tortilliaria. Bad form, Mission Taco.
To his credit, our server seemed to change his mind a few minutes later, and brought us a refill on the house. Great, right?
Wrong.
This serving was runny and had a funny taste. Almost like someone's leftover beer "accidentally" spilled in the bowl. My stomach almost immediately began feeling ill after just a few bites, and my tongue felt slightly numbed.
And this isn't even the entree yet, folks.
My dining companion ordered the yucatan chicken tacos, which she said were pretty good.
I ordered the Cowboy burrito. Beef brisket and spicy salsa, etc? Sign me up!
Sign me up for pot roast in a flour tortilla, apparently.
No thanks.
Will I return here, you may ask?
No.
So I rolled in here for some takeout tacos after a show at the Pageant. The little takeout counter is very cute and the woman working was super nice. Unfortunately, that's where the good ends.
Have you seen that website where they show the advertised fast food photo next to the real thing? The beautiful hamburger with glistening lettuce and tomatoes on the perfect bun compared to the sideways smashed road kill looking burger with random sauces oozing out? It was kind of like that. When I opened my box, all the toppings had fallen off and were in a little jumbled piles. I tried to resurrect my tacos using online descriptions. But sadly, my tacos were a mere shell (pun intended) of the ones promised in the menu.
I ordered the grilled fish taco and the duck taco. Per the menu, the fish taco is supposed to come with fish, sauce, cabbage, pico de gallo, and queso fresco. I got fish (thank God for that), about 3 shreds of cabbage and maybe a quarter of a cherry tomato. My sauce was ordered on the side. No queso to speak of. It was basically a sad little piece of fish all alone in a tortilla.
The duck taco is supposed to have duck, pork belly, avocado, and sauce. This one fared slightly better, but still no avocado. I'm not 100% sure about the pork belly either, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt on that one.
Looking at even the Yelp photos of beautiful tacos in the cute little taco holder made me feel even worse. I'll have to try dining in next time. Yeah, so I ordered takeout and didn't check my food. Rookie mistake. But, I gave Mission more credit than that.
I wanted to enjoy this place so much more than I did.
The environment is hip and exciting, very busy. I felt lucky that me and my dining companion were able to get a table immediately.
Service was a bit slow, but I'm happy to forgive that when a restaurant is busy. What wasn't forgivable was my cocktail not being available due to a lack of a required ingredient and a replacement cocktail not being furnished until well after the appetizer had arrived. Â The appetizer, the carne asada fries, was super delicious and almost redeemed the evening.
The duck tacos were very underwhelming, being very dry and underdressed. The fish tacos were acceptable in flavor but would have benefited greatly from being hot rather than lukewarm.
Wow that was so underwhelming it made my jaw drop.
The Three Little Piggies burrito was pretty much a bean-snooze. I didn't taste any fatty pork belly, just dry, bland shredded pork meat. Did I say dry? My husband's fried egg with chorizo sandwich would have been much better if they fixed the bread to chorizo ratio. I don't think it was too much bread, just not enough chorizo.
The guacamole, at a whopping $7 a pop, was bland and did not have enough pico. We added quite a bit of salt in it.
Drinks were good and the atmosphere was nice.
Meh....I won't be coming back here anytime soon to satisfy my Mexican craving.
Mission Taco is--in true Mean Girls fashion--Fetch.
  Considering it was dinner time on Cinco de Mayo, it was packed. But even at max capacity the wait didn't take long at all. I absolutely love the layout and vibe of this joint--it's hip, urban, and has a kickass mural in the back room. Their theme and vision is so strong and spot on, making me feel like I was right in the heart of trendy San Francisco. I love the high top tables, the array of bottles and their signature sign on the wall and even more so, I always appreciate a place that has workers that help each other out. They all pitched in and poured drinks, brought food, picked up empty plates, checked on us for other needs--it was nice to know we would never be overlooked.
 With the housemade corn tortillas and some lethal salsa and chips, we were already heading down the path to "food coma". I decided to try the Baja grilled fish taco and the special taco: sweet potato and chorizo, only priced $2.50-3.00 a piece. Oh my. I never thought I'd get so much flavor and variety packed in to two small shells. The tortillas are very well made, they don't break apart when you fold them--a sure sign of great craftsmanship.
  Â
We didn't try the specialty drinks, even though they sound amazing and the bartenders were in such high spirits---shaking those cocktail mixers like polaroid pictures. We can't wait to kick back and have a few drinks next time.
I have now had every taco on the menu.  After 35 years cooking all over our great country from Houston to NYC and in-between  , I have decided that the best litmus test for those that think they have a calling must take before they can enter( or be taken advantage of by) culinary trade schools.  They must be able to make tofu as ass kicking good as Mission Taco!  I'm still not a fan of the texture or mouth feel but the MOFU TOFU should be sending local herbivores into fits of happiness.
Chicken flautas are insanely delicious! Â Tender chipoltie roasted chicken, roasted corn, chihuahua cheese , Ancho bbq and crema are as much a must try as street corn!
Three little pigs burrito made me a happy little pig. Â Roasted pork shoulder and pork belly carnitas ( pay attention here wanna be culinarians this is how you start something great) chorizo queso, black beans, pickled onion and ancho bbq!. Â Half came home for breakfast the next day.
We are very sad That Betsy our best gal pal is going back to Dixie, darlin we're going to miss you but wish you every success and happiness. Â We'll just have to remember you fondly and drown our selves in more Mission Margaritas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm impressed. Â The Carne Asada fries here are freaking awesome... easily the best fries in town. Â They are spicy but topped with some pretty impressive guac, cheese, and seasoned beef. Â My only suggestion to top this would be to put a fried egg on top and serve it atop a stripper.
Roasted corn was creamy good. Â Chorizo torta was fine... I also had a couple of tacos. Â They were good too... but did I tell you about the fries? Â
When your server comes to the table just order the fries and a cocktail... and tell him you won't speak to him any further until you've made it through both. Â Maybe bring your own stripper.
We heard great things about his place, and we wanted to try something new. Â Throw in a text from friends asking about dinner plans, and we chose this place to meet up.
Let's start with the wait time. Our friends got there before us an put us on the list for four people. Â We were not expecting much for 7pm on a Friday, but 10-15 minutes sounded promising for a busy little place on the Loop. Â Heck, it took longer to find a parking spot! Â
However, 15 minutes turned into 30 minutes and we were pretty tired of standing at that point. Â Come to find out, the hostess put us down under a different name, so when she called it, none of us responded. Super aggravating!!
The server was very nice and prompt. Â Love this!
Margaritas tasted watered down, and I expected a lot more out of a place that hand shakes their margs. Â I have had waaay better at Amigo Joe's in Kirkwood and Milagro Modern Mexican in Webster Groves.
Tacos come family style with small appetizer plates for each person who order tacos. For a table of tacos, it was mildly chaotic to make sure everyone got the taco flavors they ordered. There was peace in the valley once that was sorted out. Â Everyone really loved the flavor of the tacos, and it is probably the main draw of this place - check the name if you need verification.
I had the Flautas as opposed to every else's tacos. Again, Milagro wins this imaginary competition.  They were oily and somewhat bland.  They did not have the chutzpah of  Milagro's flautas.  I do not like super spicy food, so for me to call something bland...consider it nursing home food.  (Just kidding - nursing homes have great food prep services.)
My a la carte side of street corn, as always, was amazing. It was a mirror image of Milagro's street corn if you've ever had the chance to devour it. I would say consume it, but it is so good "devour" is the only way to partake of its roasted goodness.
You don't have to agree - these are just my two cents about my first experience here. Â Happy Yelping!
I was pretty enthusiastic to try this place. So enthusiastic that I saved all 1200 of my daily calories for it. And my weekly "allowance."
For a place that seats yourself, someone should always greet you. With a hello or smile, or something. Not here (and it was not busy.)
We sat ourselves and waited for a server. One arrived, she was friendly enough but didn't really seem enthusiastic.
We ordered drinks. Mine was awesome.
We asked our server some questions - she didn't really know the answers or what some of the ingredients/sauces were. Kind of a must at an "ethnic" restaurant, no?
We seemed almost bothersome. She was a bit rushy to take our order, so we threw in an appetizer.
The seafood taquitos. HEAVEN. Seriously. Thats where the goodness really ended.
We ordered a few tacos, a burrito and a torta.
The tortillas on the taco were cold and mealy. I know what tortillas are supposed to taste like, this is not it. ( The better half is from a non-white country and his momma serves up some dang yummy and fresh tortillas.)
All of our meat was under seasoned and not hot. Hispanic food is all about the flavors and these dishes were seriously lacking.
The torta was drowned in sauce - looked terrible and didn't taste much better. The pork was dry and bland ( the pup did enjoy it the next morning in her bowl.)
The burrito was okay - not fabulous, not noteworthy.
The fries were tasty but didn't taste like the spice-encrusted they boast on the menu. We did queso to dip them in and that was pretty yummy.
I probably wouldn't give them another shot. Unless it was specifically for a cocktail ( mine was seriously refreshing, delicious and perfect.) or the taquitos.
Totally missing FLAVOR , food and service.
This is what it sounds like when elevated expectations hit the floor.
We went on a Friday night and it was BUSY. Which was expected and fine. The hostess took our name and gave us an estimated wait time. She was friendly enough. We knew we had to wait so we headed to the bar to order some drinks. It took a long time for us to get noticed and there were 3 people behind the bar. None of them seemed to be particularly busy or in a hurry to help anyone they didn't know or that wasn't a small group of single looking woman. Fine, whatevs. However, once we were helped the dude didn't seem particularly interested in helping us. It's not like we pulled a douche move in a busy bar and ordered complicated drinks. Wine, beer. NOT FREAKING HARD.
Once we were seated our waiter came quickly but seemed fairly disinterested. He was nice enough but, just, Idk. Maybe he was just busy. We saw the busboy the most. He was friendly and kept our waters full and the table clean AND asked before removing plates that still had food on them (which I find important and courteous).
We started off with Guac and Chips which were made with smashed avocado, sea salt, topped with pico de gallo, and queso fresco. The guac was good but for $7 the portion was miniscule. Seriously, sometimes I like to go places and just order a guac appetizer as my meal. If I had done that I would have had to triple my order.
The bf and I both ordered tacos for dinner. We tried: the Baja Fish Tacos - grilled with chipotle baja sauce, cabbage, pico de gallo, queso fresco $2.5. The Nopales - roasted cactus, poblano, caramelized onion, goat cheese, and roasted jalapeno salsa $2.5. The Mofu Tofu - chile grilled local tofu, avocado, arugula, ancho bbq sauce, and grilled onions $2.5. The Yucatan Chicken - achiote marinated chicken, pickled onion, fiery arbol salsa, and queso fresco $2.5. Also, the Carne Asada - grilled flank steak, baby arugula, creamy avocado serrano sauce, and queso fresco $3.
The fish tacos were so salty I took one bite and shriveled up into a prune. Ok, not really but I did take one bite and didn't eat anymore of it. The bf ate his but agreed it was way too salty and he likes salt. The tofu was squishy and bland. The chef should experiment with firmer tofu and try pressing all the water out. The cactus was my favorite but it mostly tasted like strong bell peppers. I didn't try the chicken or the carne asada but the bf said they were ok but nothing special.
Also, nothing was spicy enough. Seriously, STL where is the spicy food in this town?
I will not be running back here again. Which is unfortunate because I work really close. At this point I would only go back if someone I was with wanted to or if a trusted food friend suggested I give it a second chance.
I went today for lunch with a girlfriend. We arrived around 12:15 p.m. It was not crowded. The bartender looked at us. I don't think he said anything. If he did, I didn't hear it.
Someone (hostess? server?) came over to seat us at a hightop for two in the bar area. And she brought us water.
Service throughout was painfully s-l-o-w. And I mean REALLY SLOW! Our server NEVER looked at me, just at my dining partner. He seemed so, so timid.
We ordered chips and guac for $3. Chips and salsa is $2.50 or $2.75.
The guac was terrific. It's not just smashed avocado. There's pico and queso fresco. The chips were not salted. They were tasty and well-crunchified. But a little snap of salt would have been helpful.
We both ordered the same thing: one grilled fish taco ($2.50) and one carne asada taco ($3). We both wanted the roasted duck taco, but they were out of duck. How does that happen on a Tuesday at lunch time?
All tacos are served in house-made corn tortillas. If you want sides, they're a la carte.
The fish taco can be either wood-grilled or fried. We both got wood-grilled. It comes with chipotle baja sauce, cabbage, pico and queso fresco. But I don't know what kind of fish it was. We both suspected tilapia.
The carne asada taco was grilled flank steak, baby arugula, creamy avocado serrano sauce and queso fresco. The flank steak was rare to medium-rare.
The tacos were good. They both had plenty of protein, nice flavor, good unique sauces. I would call them small.
We were finished eating for quite some time . . . nobody asked how the food was, nobody asked if we were done.
Our waters were never refilled. We each got one refill of tea/soda, and sat without beverages for quite a while.
Once the bill came, it sat and sat and sat after we quickly put our money in the folder. $12 apiece (which includes tax and tip) for two tacos, guac and chips. And 90 minutes of our time.
The place looks good! Not overdone. Good colors.
Are we having fun yet? If you're at Mission Taco Joint, you'll never have to ask that question. Because from the moment you enter the door, the party begins. Â The entire staff here is always cheerful, friendly and truly go out of their way to make sure you enjoy your time at "The Joint". Â In addition to the good food and booze you can feel a positive energy generated through out.
We arrived almost at peak dinner time and had a small wait of about 20 minuets. Which I did not mind at all, it gave us time to enjoy a Mission Margarita at the bar. We told the bartender, that we wanted "the best Margarita" and he delivered. Â Not only are they one of the best Margaritas in town, but watching them be made is a show in itself. James Bond would love'm, because they are "shaken, not stirred".
Once seated, we were greeted by Betsy who remembered us from our last visit. Gave us a warm fuzzy feeling. We were glad we had her again too, she's a great server.  We quickly ordered Chips and Salsa, so we could munch while be debated what would be our new MTJ experience. Don't be cheap  order the C&S, you'll understand the difference in what you get at other places "free". There is no comparison, these chips will make your taste buds dance.
I would have loved to experienced the Carne Asada Fries again, but the Crab Taquitos were calling out to me and I am glad that I listened. Crispy tortillas stuffed with Blue Crab Meat, Roasted Corn and Spicy Avocado Sauce. Don't worry about dipping or smearing them in the garnishes on the plate, they are perfect just the way they are served. I can see myself ordering these again with a small side of the Roasted Street Corn as my main entree.
Speaking of Street Corn, their large order is enough for three people to share. We both enjoyed a good serving and I still had enough for lunch the next day. Having it for lunch was a real treat, I tasted it cold before reheating and it was so damn good, I ate it cold. I would love to do a side by side taste test of Mission Taco Joint and Milagro Street Corn to see which one is really the best, because I think it is a close tie.
Earlier the young couple next to us at the bar were enjoying a Piscojitos, so when we ordered our second round of drinks we switched over. Only thing that could make these possibly better, would be a sandy beach and a sexy cabana boy or girl.
The SO continued his quest to experience all the tacos on the menu. The only one I got to get a bite of was the Nopales. Yummy, Yummy. Who knew cactus could taste go good, when served up with goat cheese and roasted jalapeno salsa. I'll be ordering one of these soon.
I also learned on this visit, I should of paid closer attention in high school Spanish instead of being the class clown. I ordered the Chorihevo, which is one of their featured Tortas and I was disappointed. No fault of theirs, the flavor was outstanding and would make a great breakfast sandwich with the sausage, fried egg and pickled jalapeno, and smashed black beans. I just was not expecting it to be served on a very large bun. Again, I stress GREAT flavor, just not what I expected or wanted. Â The Chili Crusted Potato Fries that were served with my Tortas, were seasoned well and a perfect accompaniment to the Tortas. Next time I will ask that mine be done a little crispier.
Now on the next visit, I shall start my quest of experiencing ALL the tacos. Only because, this is a TACO joint.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
