We had seen Urban Taco many times from the street on the way to and from our usual haunts in the neighborhood and finally we decided to check it out. The concept of the atmosphere is what's in style, for sure, but the execution of the rustic/industrial concept needs a little bit of work. We sat at what looked like a bar, but upon further inspection was a U-shaped amalgamation of bespoke knee-busting tables, setup in a manner that precludes about 8-10 people from joining the glorified community table setup (fake bar!). I say fake bar, because when I ordered my margarita, the employee went in the back of the house and emerged with the "cocktail" a minute or two later. Maybe he didn't want me to see him pour the Costco margarita mix in the glass, I don't know.
So we sat here, weren't really greeted, whatever, etc. I can live with it. Then we ordered a flight of salsa, which came out lickety-split. If you're highlighting salsas in my opinion, your chips should be delicious. These chips were store-bought, room temp, nothing special. So we're sitting there and assessing the situation - it's busy, pretty good atmosphere, 1/3 of the items are palatable so far, so we ordered tacos. We tried all the street tacos, they came out fast. They were all pretty damn good, but the plate came and nobody said what each taco flavor was, just dropped the dish and left. Octopus was the only discernible visual difference between the four varietals, and the least exciting. The other three were nice, tasty morsels. Then we realized the music. What a buzz kill. It was a hodgepodge of about 10% classic rock, and the rest is what my wife referred to as "adult alternative." It sounded neither urban, nor rustic, nor taco for that matter! Long story long, the bill came and it was taco Tuesday and about $20 total, so I have to go back. At a regular price of $40 for two, I'll be down the street. If they step it up, it could be a really great neighborhood spot!