5-star service, 2-star food and 1-star value make me give Native Tongues Taqueria a 2.5 star rating (I'm rounding down because I don't think it warrants a revisit). On a very busy Taco Tuesday ($2.50 tacos) we waited for about 30mins to get a table for five.
Once seated the place was quite inviting and warm despite the crowded feel (I was elbowed a few times by the person behind me). The open style kitchen was a nice touch as well. The bar looked well stocked and as it should be since this is where they make most of their $$$ (more on that later).
The service was impeccable and even though our server got one drink wrong (it was quite loud so she mis-heard) she quickly corrected it with the right drink.
Food here was just "OK"... nothing to write home about. I've had better tacos at food trucks or mom & pop taquerias. However, $2.50 tacos aren't that bad of a deal if that's all you decide to order. Even then, the pork tacos were a bit too salty, the beef tongue was bland and the chicken was dry. The mushroom tacos were the best.. but they were mushrooms; salt and cheese them up and it's hard to mess up. The tacos were also soggy and the beef tongue created a drippy mess on my plate.
The 1-star value comes from the fact that we paid:
$13 for a Caesar (if I knew I was going to pay that much I would've just ordered Mezcal)
$13 for a meager amount of chips and a small cup of guacamole.
$5 for a doughnut (despite my unwillingness my wife wanted to try it)
If you ever decide to go here expect to pay a lot for drinks and appetizers. Stick to the tacos and you'll be fine.... even a week later I'm kicking myself for paying $5 for a doughnut. Native Tongues Taqueria exemplifies all that is wrong with Calgary's dining and drink scene. Hire young, beautiful people, design a visually stunning dining area, call it something cool, overcharge for drinks and food. To me this isn't a way to build a following and repeat business. This is really just a cash cow that will last a few years until everyone that thought they wanted to go here will go. No offence to Native Tongues or any of the other restaurants in the BMeX restaurant group. I get it, you're here to make money. I just feel like my money is better spent elsewhere where I will get more.