The Local Taco

Ate here after visiting UK for the day. Wasn’t sure what to expect and wasn’t sure how the restaurant worked. There are menu’s at the door and you order at the cashier and then go find a table where they bring your food too you. We sat at a high top table in the front overlooking the street. The place started to fill up quickly once we sat down so glad we got there when we did. I had the BBQ taco and it was pretty good. I ordered two and they are a bit on the smaller side so if you are a big eater then go for four of them. The soft shells were very good and I assume were made onsite. A little pricey for what we ordered but overall a good meal and a great atmosphere. Would definitely eat here again if I was ever back in town.

Best small chain in the state. My #1 favorite place to eat in town. 2 spicy shrimp and 2 country fried, some sweet tea. Boom. You’re done. Game over. They also have a little bar area (yay, booze!)– that way you don’t feel so awkward if you come for the sweet sweet tacos all by yourself.

Cute is the first word that comes to mind when I think of this place. Why I’ve never been here? I don’t even know! The paddock used to be my old stomping ground many moons ago. And yet somehow I missed this! There’s inside or patio seating available! It was a bit humid today and I didn’t feel like turning into Mufasa (my hair) so we sat tucked inside. I love the theme is LOCAL. Most who know me know I adore anything #ShopLocal and #KentuckyProud. The concept of how the restaurant operates is awesome as well. You order what you want and pick your seat. Then your order is brought out to you. You get your own drinks which is great because it gives you the option to switch it up without waiting on a waiter. They gave us both a basket of tortilla chips which was also good. While neither of us finished our basket it was great that we had plenty of chips. The salsa wasn’t my favorite it was a bit bitter but the queso was on point. I had the southwest quesadilla (grilled chicken, cheese, black beans, & corn) all my favorite things in one entrée with the Mexican rice side. The portions were generous but not overdone. Will definitely be going back!

Delicious Tacos, Fair Prices, Fun Atmosphere. Good place into visit on a nice summer day/​evening. My first time here but I will definitely be back!

First experience here was decent. The food itself was good, I had the Korean BBQ, buffalo chicken and the local bbq taco. All were great but the Korean was by far the best. I only gave 3 star for this place because I felt that the taco size which was smaller than the size of my fist should not have been sold for $ 3 each. I feel that $ 2 for each taco would be reasonable for their size. Overall it was good for flavor, not much parking available for the customers though which is also a downside.

Local T is my fave restaurant of all. The food, drinks, atmosphere and everything is fab & delish.
I come here at least once a week because it’s so so good. It’s on UK’s campus on Limestone but everyone from all over Lexington comes here for the best tacos. I almost always get two spicy shrimp tacos (I add lots of sriracha to them too) with a side of mexi tots and either Mexican rice or black beans. Depending on the time of day and my mood I often get a frozen marg, red sangria or a mimosa ($ 1 on weekends til 3). All of it is consistent and so yummy.
If I come for brunch on the weekend (which I do basically every Sunday) I will get the gringo brunch taco (black beans, avocado, egg whites) and a side of the breakfast grits as well as my usual spicy shrimp taco and mexi tots. I do wish that you could get the Kentucky Bruch taco basket with both brunch and lunch tacos because I just can’t come here and not get the spicy shrimp taco, but it’s no biggie and I just order everything a la carte.

As a Lexington local I have been to Local Taco multiple times over the past couple years and have increasingly unpleasant experiences. Latest visit was Sunday afternoon a few weeks ago for brunch.
I was expecting to enjoy:
–the patio-​but it’s too small and difficult to get a spot. Not to mention the line to order was out the door per usual
–the tacos– usually tasty but The Tomás was bland and the Chicken Bacon Waffle dry af
— $ 1 mimosas– I was served a half full glass of watered down (i.e. no fizz) champagne on ice. Ice does not belong in mimosas. I asked the bartender if I may have one without ice. She huffed, rolled her eyes & presented me with a mimosa even less full
Sure brunch is a busy time but the service is notoriously irregardless how busy
The following weekend I brunched down the block @ Street Craves, which offers similar and better brunch alternatives & overall superior experience:
–more patio space
–tastier tacos (bigger so slightly more $)
-$ 1 bubbly mimosas & bellinis with no ice
–Gr8 service

I recently stopped in around 12:30 pm on a Saturday to check out the brunch menu. You order and then seat yourself – if you can find an available table. The place was very busy and the college crowd was in no rush to give up a table. It was a sea of sundresses and big sunglasses everywhere you turned.
The restaurant is smallish and can feel cramped if you want to sit outside and my food arrived before I even had a chance to sit down. Fortunately, a family seated nearby finished their meal soon thereafter and waved me over to take their table. (Thank you!)
By the time I began eating, the line to order extended out onto the sidewalk. It would be nice if there was a second location in Lexington. Parking can also be a challenge when UK is in session.
I decided to do some sampling and ordered one each of the Ham & Cheddar taco, the Local Scramble taco, the Steak and Egg Taco, and the Chicken Bacon Waffle. Each was enjoyable and stood out on its own merits. The tacos are a bit small but they are flavorful and filling. Bonus: During brunch, the Mimosas are only one dollar and Screwdrivers are three dollars.
I have never had a bad experience at The Local Taco in Lexington and the food is consistently good.

I would love to go back in time and be the guy who came up with the idea of buying local. It’s somewhat akin to the first time a cigarette company decided that they would advertise that their tobacco was roasted or whatever it was they pitched in that one episode of Mad Men.
Here is a list of taco places in Lexington that aren’t local:
Taco Bell
So if you’re wanting to stick it to those fat cat Mexicans who run the dozens of family owned and operated taco places in Lexington, come on down to THE Local Taco and eat mediocre fresh culinary graduate pretentious stale tacos in a sea of white 20 year olds, located conveniently on the UK campus.
LLLOOOCCCCAAAALLL Tacos that I’ve eaten:
Fish Taco: In a blind taste test, 1 of 1 me’s preferred the crispy taste of Wendy’s Spicy Chicken Go Wraps to that of The Local Fish Taco
Korean BBQ Taco: You know that guy who did 1 semester of study abroad and it just… changed his outlook on western culture? Even he would find this pretentious ass taco to be a misfit mutant of a thing.
Tequila Lime Taco: Far and away the least offensive taco I ate, but at double the cost and half of the taste of the tacos you can get at that food truck behind the Marathon on Russel Cave and New Circle.
This is a silly place to eat.

Local taco is a popular place, especially with the undergrads. While I have never had a bad meal there nothing really makes their food stand out to me. They have several unique options with the tacos which are fun to try. The tacos are somewhat small for the price and chips and salsa is a side here that doesn’t come with the meal. If you want to try a couple small unique tacos give this place a try, but it definitely doesn’t inspire me to make a special trip to go back repeatedly.

It was my first time here today. I came early (11am) to make sure I had a parking slot. Ordered the taco basket ($ 7) that had two tacos of your choice and one side of your choice. I got their bestsellers– Korean BBQ and spicy shrimp with Mexican rice. Wasn’t disappointed at all. So tasty! For the price it was definitely worth it. I’ll come back again to try their other tacos.

My meal was delicious. I had two veggie tacos (Portobello mushroom, zucchini, onion, peppers, and an awesome cream sauce) and a glass of sangria. I also got two sides, Spanish rice and a bowl of black beans. My order totaled around $ 12. Not bad!
The rice was a bit dry, but still yummy. My sangria was awesome. I wish I could have finished it, but wait staff were scarce on the afternoon I dined in, so I didn’t realize until about fifteen minutes before I left that you are supposed to get your own drinks from a pick up window. A tad confusing, as you don’t have to get your good but evidently do have to get your own drinks. I just wish the cashier would have explained this to me.
Anyway, overall delicious meal and great experience with a local restaurant in Lexington.

People recommended I stop here while in town and it did not disappoint! I had the taco basket that included two tacos and two sides. I chose the fish taco, spicy shrimp taco, Mexican rice, and chips/​queso. Both tacos were really good. I took some of the jalapeños off of the fish taco because they put a ton! The fish was crispy and fried perfectly. The lettuce also added a nice crunch to it. The jalapeño tartar sauce was good but sparse… would definitely order extra next time. The spicy shrimp taco was also really good and the tangy jalapeño cole slaw matched perfectly with the shrimp. The only thing that could have made the tacos better were potentially being on corn tortillas instead of flour.
As for the sides… The Mexican rice was definitely boxed with some tomatoes mixed in. This isn’t an assumption… I’ve actually bought that rice before. Nothing too special but not bad. The chips and queso, however, were delicious. The chips were light and had enough salt that I didn’t find myself reaching for the salt shaker like I usually do. The queso had a touch of heat to it but nothing overwhelming.
Overall, a really good meal! I definitely recommend it!

Today I had lunch with a co worker at The Local Taco-​I had the pick 2 taco lunch basket. I chose the fried oyster taco & veggie taco with chips as my side. It was ah-​mazing! I like going there because the service is FAST and the tacos are always fresh. I ran in to a friend who had the Korean BBQ taco and she said that was her new favorite! a great spot – if you can find parking!

Originally saw a television segment on The Local Taco and opted to try them for dinner. Since then we’ve been back multiple times.
Parking at this restaurant is a challenge due to all the UK students who frequent it. Good luck with that part of your visit.
Upon arrival you get in line to place your order, pay, take a number, and seat yourself. When your food is ready it is delivered to your table. Be sure and order everything you need (like extra sauces) the first time through because the line can be long and constant.
On our most recent visit we chose the Steak Taco, Fish Taco, Beer Braised Brussel Sprouts with Bacon, and Mexi Tater Tots.
The Steak Taco, like all their tacos, is smaller in size and served on a soft shell. It consists of Chile spice rubbed Angus Beef with horseradish crema and pico de gallo. The steak was tender and the ingredients fresh. We added extra horseradish on the side.
The Fish Taco is lightly fried breaded haddock with jalapeño tarter sauce, lettuce, and pickled jalapeños and was also quite nice. The haddock wasn’t greasy and the lettuce and jalapeños gave this taco a nice texture. Again we opted for extra sauce (tarter) on the side.
As for sides the Brussel Sprouts were nicely mild tasting with the addition of bacon and the Mexi Tater Tots are our favorite side dish. You only get four Tots, so pace yourself… and the Beach Sauce they top these with is addictive!
Love the Local Taco! If you like soft shell tacos with unique combinations of fresh ingredients please give them a try.

Always good. Try the tortilla soup. Spicy good. Best I’ve ever had. Kevin makes it all winter. Very crowded. Still great service.

I love this place for the atmosphere and the value you receive. There is a nice selection of food and prices are quite low. It’s a perfect fit when you’re looking for a trendy local restaurant with both a restaurant and bar atmosphere. My favorite time to visit this place is for weekend brunch. The $ 1 mimosas sold me, and they have a nice breakfast taco selection.

This is a great place to come for any reason. The food here is top notch and not your ordinary taco joint. I’m an airline pilot on an overnight and I like the local joints and The Local Taco is now one of my favorites. I come to LEX often and I plan on returning here. The front of the house is open air with three garage doors wide open so half the tables are outside and the other inside but with the outdoor feel. It is really quite nice.
I had the Korean BBQ, Steak Taco and the Chicken Tinga Enchilada with a side of chips and a fountain drink for $ 14. Not bad at all and it was good stuff. The salsa lacked a little heat, but that can be fixed by adding the hot sauce on the table. I recommend The Local Taco to everyone at anytime for any reason. Good stuff.

One of the main restaurants I’m going to miss now that I’ve moved away. For anyone passing through Lexington, you need to stop here. Excellent tacos-​the tequila lime chicken is gluten-​free, amazing sangria-​the passion fruit guava was beyond delicious, and a fabulous brunch menu-​try the gringo taco & of course mimosas! This is a must return to when I visit Lexington again!

Had lunch there today and was completely «wowed» by their special taco of the day — bacon-​wrapped lobster with a pineapple salsa. SOOO delicious! The brisket taco was also tasty and I had both on their corn tortillas. I basically could have eaten 10 of the lobster tacos though.
Service was great and the restaurant was actually a lot bigger than it looked — there was plenty of seating. I can’t wait to go back!