Holy Taco

Went here because a friend of mine lives nearby and was really keen to go there. She was disappointed after and said she probably won’t go back for a while. My experience seemed to be better than hers, but I still won’t bother going back unless she or someone else expressly wants to go there.
The main reason for poor experience: extremely weak drinks. Like, so weak, I would believe it if someone told me there was no alcohol in them. The menus here on Unilocal and on their website aren’t the same as it was in person, so I can’t recall the exact name of the first drink I had, as it’s not on either. Something along the lines of cucumber, lime, soda… But I’m a lightweight, and it did nothing. I had originally wanted the sangria but avoided it because sangrias often make me pretty drunk, so in this case, I opted for a red sangria ($ 8) as my second drink. As my friend described her margarita: more tart tasting than alcoholic. Sangria was like cinnamon fruit water, with perhaps a splash of red wine-​? Only fruit I noticed was one type (peach?) in the bottom. Least favorite sangria I’ve ever had. (Barcelona Wine Bar’s is serious sangria.) My friend asked for no salt on her first margarita but was given salt. On the second one, she asked for no salt, and more tequila, letting our waitress know it had been weak. Second one came without salt, but apparently still weak.
Food-​wise, I was satisfied with our chips & guac (though guac is a small portion for two people, & my friend, who was very excited about getting guac, found it «too citrusy»), the (shrimp & scallop) ceviche (our waitress warned us it was a small portion for splitting, and for the $ 12 price — due to the shrimp & scallops, she said), my vegan taco (only $ 3, and lots of yummy healthy veggies & black beans) in corn tortilla (you can choose flour or corn tortilla for any taco), and the young lettuce salad. The young lettuce salad is $ 8, which I imagine is mostly due to their being generous with the avocado, which is in long slices, and definitely fresh. It’s a good tasty salad. I might prefer less avocado and a cheaper $ though, actually. You can add chicken or shrimp to the salad, but at that point, the cost seems a bit unreasonable to me, so I didn’t.
My friend was super excited about the braised bacon taco and got a second one, although she didn’t finish it. But I think from being full-​? They have less common taco protein options, such as beef tongue, goat, and lamb, as well.
I got churros at the end. Not sure what I was expecting. I think I got excited by the sound of «chocolate ganache» involved. It’s a hefty portion of churros, and a generous amount of chocolate dipping sauce, but for $ 8, definitely plan to split it, or at least be REALLY into churros.
Our waitress Lindsay was excellent, actually (I suspect the drinks say more about the bartender). She was VERY accommodating about the way we split the check. She checked on us often enough, but not too often. Friendly, and gave input as appropriate.
The outdoor seating is nice — there is a covered/​shaded portion and an uncovered portion, all good for people watching in EAV. Easy to have conversations. Tables not too close together.
Overall, I would recommend it mainly for the tacos — especially the vegan taco. They are reasonably priced (even if not everything on the menu is), good, and have the nice option of tortillas (corn or flour) that are cooked well. Not falling apart like you sometimes find with corn tortillas at some places, and not oily or greasy in the slightest. I would recommend having just soft drinks, water, beer, or MAYBE wine, though. If for tacos and beers or some such, I would imagine you’d get a good price/​deal and have a nice time out on the patio, with good wait service.

I came here for lunch with my boyfriend. We came around 2:30pm. It was quiet. We sat outside. Waitress seated us immediately. She was nice and helpful. This was our first time here. We ordered a chicken, catfish, and shrimp taco. My boyfriend ordered a side of black beans and rice too. Catfish was bland. Shrimp taco was delicious. Shrimp was seasoned well. He liked his chicken taco. The beans and rice needed more seasoning. The food was ok. I like good tacos. I think I needed to order sour cream or something. I felt like something taste wise was missing. Prices are higher for tacos than most places. Most of the menu is a la carte. You need to order sour cream, black beans, rice, etc on the side. I was satisfied with service but food was mediocre to me. Tacos choices have a creative spin. I may try it again.

The servers are very friendly and helpful, and the outside sitting is great!
Food is ok. A wide variety, for carnivores and vegetarians. Quality-​wise, it’s bar food. Decent bar food, but not authentic Mexican food. It’s not bad, just doesn’t have the flavorful you’d expect from Mexican food.
Prices are very reasonable.

#91
I was invited here by a friend today who also loves Mexi-​style food and she said it was awesome. I beg to differ.
I will give most of my three star rating to the trendy décor. Super modern looking and really clean. The staff is «nice» but no real sense of urgency for the customer. The food was «okay» but nothing to write home about, if you know what I mean…
We had:
FIsh Tacos
Chicken Tacos
Elote – Mexican Corn on the Cob
Guacamole
Chips and Salsa
The salsa was pretty bland. I like there to be some taste to my salsa – not just «tomatoey» with nothing more. The chips were not stale, but they were not the typical fresh and salty chips one usually gets with salsa at Mexican spots.
The fish taco was alright, but again, nothing amazing. I can say the exact same thing for the chicken tacos. I wanted something a bit more. The food was not «bad» per se, just not awesome.
The décor is really cool, so is the venue overall. I feel as if most of the creativity goes to the look and del of the place, rather than the food. The menu looks awesome – I mean vegan options, organic additions, etc.; however, the execution is lacking.
I most likely will not return, but I will give them three stars because the décor was cute and the staff was nice to us and pretty quick with the service. It is not a bad place, just not a place worth returning to for sure.
Stephani Kind of Smiles for Holy Taco ;- /​
#betterfoodelsewhere

Tried this in a recommendation as glad I did. Started with chips and salsa, salsa could use more kick. The Mahi mahi taco was very good but I loved the Mexican grilled Corn on the cob. Delightful!

The majority of my stars go to Holy Taco’s ambience. The patio here is lovely, especially on a sunny afternoon. Kids and dogs are both welcome and there are a variety of table types/​sizes to suit your party’s needs. The food is good though not quite my taste. I think I lack the adventurous taste buds needed for beef tongue tacos. My husband and I shared queso with chorizo which was great. I ordered the ground beef tacos and my husband had bacon and lamb tacos. I loved the saffron rice on the side. Holy taco is great for a non traditional spin on Mexican food — and I’m just more of a traditionalist.

I went the other day and the shrimp taco was the best I loved the grilled taste of the shrimp the and I also had the ground beef taco which was okay but a lil messy and runny ! But the queso and guacamole were really good and they loved my friend do who was with me !

Tasty food. Had the chimichanga. The margarita was good and generous also.
Kind of low key vibe. But attentive service. Definitely the best option for Mexican in East Atlanta.

I can’t believe this place doesn’t have higher ratings – it’s one of our favorite neighborhood spots. Since we normally have a baby in tow we go early for brunch and relax on the patio.
Food is consistently great (mmmm…breakfast chimichanga) and service is always friendly without being pushy. Don’t miss the churros!

I am so bummed to say this, but after 5 years of going to this restaurant, I refuse to step foot in here anymore. The food used to be great. I always enjoyed coming here to get Mexican that was a little more special.
Now, without lowering the prices of course, the food has drastically gone downhill. I can’t put my finger on it, it’s just that nothing tastes as good as it used to. One example is the grilled street corn. It used to be delectable. Tasty, full of flavor, crisp edges and drizzled in a small amount of flavorful cheese/​mayo. Now it doesn’t even look grilled (tastes like straight up boiled corn) and is drenched in t his overpowering mayonnaise. Their amazing home made chips are gone (you have to specifically order them and I think even pay extra!) and it’s depressing to say even the salsa and guac is just not GOOD. The salsa tastes like mashed up tomatoes, and the guac is always a little brownish (not fresh) and has so many onions yet is not even salted enough.
I know it changed ownership around the time the food started to go downhill, I would love to go back someday and enjoy the food as it used to be. total bummer.

yo this place used to be yummy and packed all the time! used to be!
what happened man?
it’s okay now, but i only go if forced. i hope yall figure it out.
4 stars cause i still got love for yall.

We had a great dinner and dining experience. We had the chicken tacos which is a Monday special but not on the menu. It’s got a kick to it and it’s so tender. The fish tacos rock here! The restaurant has a small parking lot in the back and there is parking along the street. This is a great place to hang out on the patio and enjoy the fresh air.

Very disappointing. I had the combo 1 and selected a beef tongue taco and their fish taco. Both lacked flavor. The beef tongue was not cooked well at all. When using beef tongue with mild flavor such as plain tomato salsa, more spices are needed to mask the gamey flavor.
The chips were a bit on the greasy side and the salsa was flavorless. There was no kick to it whatsoever.
The guacamole tasted a little bitter, one of the worst I’ve had in a while. The only thing I enjoyed eating was their queso.
Now I understand why this place is struggling to push a 3.5 on here. With all the taco places popping up left and right, Holy Taco is in serious trouble.

The service at Holy Taco was fast and friendly. I have to say though, I was only one of three tables and it was dinner time on a Saturday. I was surprised to see that.
The food was OK. I tried the bacon taco with corn salsa, horrible! It was a tough pork belly type bacon that had an odd flavor. Also, the salsa is much different than traditional salsa, not in a good way.
I would stick with the classics like the Mahi Mahi taco. I think Holy Taco has good quality food, but the fusions they try sometimes don’t work out.

My mini food tour of Atlanta continues, and I was in need of some Mexican food. Sure, Atlanta isn’t the first place you’d think of when you’re looking for some Mexican food, but, if a city’s making it, I’m trying it. So, I was off to Holy Taco. To play off of the name, the décor fits its namesake with paintings and pictures of some crosses, mixed with a bit of a Dia de los Muertos vibe.
They focus on a modern Mexican cuisine with a seasonal and locally influenced menu. I started off with their Organic Margarita, mainly because, I don’t think I’ve technically had an organic margarita, and I’ve tried many margaritas. So, yeah, it tasted like a regular margarita, but, it was still lovely and refreshing (and yes, I know you can’t taste organic).
To start, as an appetizer, I ordered their Ecuadorian Salsa (pureed San Marzano tomato, serrano chile, scallions) and Guacamole (smashed avocado, onion, jalapeño, tomato, cilantro, lime) with chips. These were both awesome, along with the chips. The salsa had a really nice, fresh flavor with a little kick of heat, and the chips were crisp, perfectly salted, and a little bit on the thicker side, making them excellent little salsa and guac shovels. The guac was great, really fresh as well, excellent texture and just the right amount of spice.
Then, I got two tacos, Vegan (black beans, saffron rice, avocado, radish, Ecuadorian salsa) and Fried Mahi Mahi (mexican slaw, chipotle mayo), both on corn tortillas. So, to my surprise, I actually favored the Vegan taco a bit. Wrapped in two tortillas, for extra filling support, this was a really substantial taco. You really can’t go wrong with the combination of ingredients here. All the flavors went so well together, and the salsa added some heat to round out the creaminess of the avocado, while the beans and rice added some heft. The fish taco was really nice as well, the fried Mahi Mahi had an excellent crunch, and I really enjoyed the slaw as well. I was maybe just missing a little bit of salt on the fish, just to bring out the flavors a little bit more, but, you can always add it afterward, to your taste and liking.

Came here Sunday around 8pm, sat down, waited… waited some more… watched every single server in the place (which was EXTREMELY SLOW) look at us in the face, and not say a word or acknowledge that we were there.
I’m in the industry, so I always try to be patient and fair. I had to look and my watch and time when we should get up and leave because none of the servers were trying to pick up any more tables clearly.
Unfortunately, holy taco did not pass the test, which was extremely lenient. On the way to LA Fonda down the street, always better service and quality anyways.

The taco is a special place. It’s the kind of place where the second time you come in, the bartender will remember your name and your favorite drink. Oh, and by the way they have an awesome, large patio that overlooks Glenwood. And to top it off, you can have a couple of tacos for under $ 10!
I’ve had many of their plates and all have been very good. Their tequila selection is pretty extensive, and there are usually several interesting beers to choose from. I often recommend Holy Taco to my friends.

Robert and the staff are always super helpful and the tacos are some of my favorite in the city.
The Bacon taco is a favorite of mine and you would be hard pressed to find a better Marg in the whole city and as many of the other reviews have said, the corn on the cob is excellent.
If you don’t love it, walk on over across the street to see me at Brother Moto and Ill buy your meal.

I’m a Mexican food addict, however this menu is different than the norm! I ordered one taco, corn and a margarita! The margarita was good, very fresh! My taco… ummm, i’ve had better! But the CORN! OMG, I would go back just for the corn alone! It was so flavorful with the cheese, lime and seasoning.
Patio seating is a must, it’s cozy and beautiful! It’s definitely a nice addition to East Atlanta Village!
I would like to try the brunch as well, they have it everyday!

In a word — bland. Came in on a dreary grey Friday afternoon and the place was very quiet. Grabbed some seats at the bar and ordered a couple of beers and the «tres amigos», a guac/​salsa/​queso combo affair. The guac was decidedly «brownish», not sure how long it had been sitting out, the queso was fine (you can’t really screw queso up), and the salsa was some of the worst I’ve ever tried. Thin, watery and lacking any real flavor.
Not a good start.
Ordered a handful of tacos for myself and my friend and hoped they’d fair better than the appetizers. Unfortunately, no. The bacon one was probably the most flavorful, albeit extremely fatty. The rest of them (fish, pork, brisket) were underwhelming and just didn’t impress. Again, no real flavor to anything, just bland bland bland.
Check came out to $ 42, so an even $ 50 with tip makes for a pricey and unremarkable lunch. There’s a slew of good taco joints in the ATL, no need to patronize one as average as this place.