{"id":35247,"date":"2017-07-18T04:56:09","date_gmt":"2017-07-18T04:56:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=35247"},"modified":"2017-07-18T04:56:09","modified_gmt":"2017-07-18T04:56:09","slug":"restaurant-review-clevelands-barrio-a-fun-place-to-get-your-taco-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/lifestyle\/smart-living\/restaurant-review-clevelands-barrio-a-fun-place-to-get-your-taco-on.html","title":{"rendered":"Restaurant review: Cleveland\u2019s Barrio a fun place to get your taco on"},"content":{"rendered":"

Restaurant review: Cleveland\u2019s Barrio a fun place to get your taco on<\/span><\/h2>\n

Restaurant review: Cleveland\u2019s Barrio a fun place to get your taco on:- I can\u2019t exactly say why, but the universe was conspiring to keep me away from a Barrio.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ever since I heard about the small-but-growing Northeast Ohio chain of Mexican eateries boasting a high-energy atmosphere and, more importantly, custom tacos, I was interested. But whenever I would suggest going there to someone, either they had just been to a Barrio or they weren\u2019t in the mood for Mexican (I know \u2014 ridiculous) or it was something else.<\/span><\/p>\n

After finally getting a taste of Barrio from one of its food trucks at this summer\u2019s LaureLive music festival in Russell Township, I was determined to dive deeper. My three tacos were really good \u2014 especially smothered in the hot Barrio \u201csecret\u201d sauce \u2014 but my choices were limited. I certainly couldn\u2019t create my own taco at the truck.<\/span><\/p>\n

So I, um, strongly suggested to my friend we should dine at the Prospect Avenue location prior to going to an Indians game on a Friday night in late June. It proved to be a terrific spot for a pre-game hangout and fill-up.<\/span><\/p>\n

We met about 5:30 p.m., and, even though it was the end of the work week and an hour and a half before the Tribe game, I was a little surprised to find the place packed. Fortunately, though, we didn\u2019t wait long before being seated at a small table in a corner in the front part of the eatery.<\/span><\/p>\n

>> Photos: Dining Out at Barrio in Downtown Cleveland<\/span><\/p>\n

When it comes to drinks at Barrio, your options are many. They have a really nice list of draft beers and an even more impressive list of tequilas. (In photos I took of the two menu pages devoted to tequila varieties, I count about 65 choices.)<\/span><\/p>\n

I wanted a cocktail, though, and quickly settled on one of about 10 margarita choices, El Diablo ($7). I can\u2019t resist a spicy drink, and this devil combines El Jimador Reposado, melon liqueur, limeade and sugar and comes with a cayenne pepper rim. It was sensational combination of sweet and spicy promised by its ingredients.<\/span><\/p>\n

On to the main event: tacos. While there are myriad \u2014 perhaps endless \u2014 combinations, you have an initial choice to make: Do you go with one of the handful of predetermined combos listed under El Jefe\u2019s Selecciones, or do you concoct your own? Whatever you decide, you use pencils at the table to select items on pads of paper. The create-your-own pads will be familiar to anyone who has dined at several other area eateries, such as Cleveland\u2019s Happy Dog or Coastal Taco.<\/span><\/p>\n

The options were, to be honest, a little intimidating, if only because we were on the clock with first pitch approaching. So for this meal, I decided I would try three of the tacos from El Jefe\u2019s Selecciones (each $4) and make one of my own ($3). I ordered:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014 An El Jefe, which comes in a \u201cstoner\u201d shell (flour soft and corn hard shell with queso and chorizo), chicken, queso fresco, smoked cheddar, lettuce, corn salsa, chipotle honey sauce<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014 a Spicy Sapanaro \u2014 stoner shell, chicken, queso fresco, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa roja and secret sauce<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014 El Puerco \u2014 flour soft and corn hard shell, queso blanco, pulled pork, queso fresco, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa roja and chipotle honey.<\/span><\/p>\n

As for my create-your-own, it was a haphazard combo of White Widow (flour but with a kick) tortilla, steak ($1 extra, bringing the taco to $4), cilantro-lime rice, chihuahua cheese, corn salsa and secret sauce. I wish I could have taken care to order more ingredients not in the other tacos, but, again, the time factor.<\/span><\/p>\n

When my tacos arrived, I had the same complaint I\u2019ve had at other taco restaurants: It\u2019s difficult to know what is what. You can\u2019t expect the food runners to know, so I think it would be nice if the tacos came with paper labels of some kind. Perhaps your create-your-own order form could be returned underneath a taco.<\/span><\/p>\n

What really matters, of course, was the food was delicious. I believe my two favorite were my combo and El Jefe, because they both had the corn salsa, one of my favorite taco ingredients.<\/span><\/p>\n

I will say I didn\u2019t care for the stoner shell; it just adds too much in the carbohydrate department to a taco. I\u2019d go with just a soft shell in the future, but the double-walled approach does add to structural integrity.<\/span><\/p>\n

I tried a couple of other things at Barrio. I hate to hit a Mexican restaurant without trying some guacamole, so we started our meal with chips and Pineapple Guac ($6.50), a concoction that also includes pickled red onion and chipotle honey. I steered us to that one, despite not being a lover of pineapple, because it sounded interesting. It was, but the pineapple chunks were larger than I\u2019d like, and I only picked at it. I suspect a fruit lover would devour that guac.<\/span><\/p>\n

Later in the meal and quite full, I put away my thoughts of getting a beer. (They have a mole stout brewed for them by Market Garden Brewery in Cleveland\u2019s Ohio City that I suspect I\u2019d really like.) A lover of old fashioneds, I tried their spin on the enduring cocktail, the Loco Fashioned ($12), eagerly anticipating another zesty drink. While it counts Ancho Reyes Chili Liqueur among its ingredients, it was far too sweet for my liking.<\/span><\/p>\n

Overall, though, there\u2019s so much to like at Barrio. The atmosphere is fun and casual, with just the right amount of kitsch. And, considering how messy the food can be, the rolls of paper towels on the tables is a good choice.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our service was a mixed bag. Our main server told us it was only her fourth day on the job, which helped to explain some deficiencies \u2014 she had almost no grasp of the cocktail offerings. However, another server or manager training her and backing her up was very helpful and knowledgeable.<\/span><\/p>\n

I know no universal conspiracy will keep me from a Barrio in the future. And while there are no locations in Lake, Lorain or Geauga counties, owners Sean Fairbairn and Tom Leneghan also have Barrios in Cleveland\u2019s Tremont neighborhood (the first location, opened in 2012), Lakewood and Cleveland Heights (the newest, opened early this year) as well as four food trucks and a stand at Progressive Field.<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-\u00a0http:\/\/www.news-herald.com\/lifestyle\/20170713\/restaurant-review-clevelands-barrio-a-fun-place-to-get-your-taco-on<\/span><\/p>\n

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