Tio Pablo Taqueria

This place is a hidden treasure! My boyfriend and I decided to give this place a try for early drinks/​late apps on a Friday night. The décor is very ornate and fun to look at. We sat at the bar and Mark, the bartender enlightened us with drink and food recommendations. The drinks were delicious and made with high quality, all natural ingredients! The owner came over to greet us and educated us on the variety of tequilas offered in house. The warm, friendly demeanor of the staff really added to the great experience we had! We will be back again!

Kudos to making everything gluten free, nice job! It was great to have a real menu to look at with options beyond a salad. With that being said, I tried the fish taco, the carnitas gorditas and thought both could have benefited from a heavier hand with the seasoning. I wish I could have liked this place more but I couldn’t taste any of the fish over the mild avocado and the unsalted gordita shell which drown out all chances of tasting the carnitas.

Eat here and you’ll know it’s not Tex-​Mex or Mexi-​Cali but instead it’s authentic Mexico City. Fresh ingredients on the tacos and horchata that doesn’t taste like rice sugar syrup. Not many vegetarian options, but the ones they do have are excellent.

This is an update to my previous four star review. I went to the restaurant again last night on New Year’s Eve, the service and food were horrible. I ordered a lobster quesadilla which was dry and had zero taste. My friend ordered the tacos which were also very dry and had no sauce. She requested sides to which the waitress replied that they were not serving sides this evening. I requested some sour cream, which was bought out pretty quickly however when we got our bill I was charged $ 2 for less than an ounce of sour cream. The restaurant was pretty much dead there were three parties of four or less people in each dining. I had to walk to the bar today on two different occasions just to get a refill on my drink.
On this occasion I had to use the restroom. The restrooms are located in the back behind the kitchen and they were disgusting and infested with gnats. I was so disgusted that I wanted to leave right away.
I am not sure what happened between earlier in the summer until now but this restaurant has taken a nosedive.

Go here often. It’s a small restaurant that would be easy to miss if you drove by it. The margaritas are flavorful and strong. Staff has always been friendly and attentive. Seating arrangements are a little different compared to a normal restaurant with one large main table in the center of the room and bar like stools and counter running along the perimeter of the room with only two little alcove tables. We like it though and thinks it gives it character. Food is always super good there are just a couple of things on the menu I think could use some work. The shredded pork for the tacos I always feel as if it is a little too salty for my taste, the black beans as a side are a little bland, and the cooked cactus as a side is a little meh as well. Otherwise I have always been happy with Tio Pablo and we will continue to frequent this establishment!

Wow! I don’t know if I can write a review that says how awesome this place is but I will try. I’m not an expert but this seemed like authentic Mexican food more than any other Mexican restaurant I’ve tried in Richmond. The owner explained to me that they used corn tortillas because they don’t use flour tortillas in Mexico. I ordered a vegetable quesadilla which had a delicious mixture of diced vegetables and I added mushrooms. I’m not sure what type of cheese was used but it was different than what you would find at a typical Mexican restaurant and was absolutely amazing!!!
The owner came over to talk to us and didn’t have to do much convincing for us to order a margarita. I’m so glad he suggested it because I was not disappointed. They used all fresh ingredients, no pre-​made mixes here and they added an extra little spice. It was definitely the best margarita that I’ve had in town. The owner also showed us the brunch menu and invited us back. I can’t wait to come back to Tio Pablo! It’s definitely a yet to be discovered fantastic place to eat.

Tio Pablo is a super gem in Shockoe Bottom. If you love Mexican food, you MUST visit here. The guacamole is addictive. The tacos are the way to go though. Get three so you can sample around. The owner knows a ton about tequila and the food he serves. I will be back soon.

This quirky little Mexican place tucked away on 17^th Street has a certain je né c’est quois. We liked the lights, the colorful murals, and the kitsch factor, all of which were easy to see as when we walked in the place was empty. The service was excellent — our server was timely and polite throughout the meal. We ordered margaritas and various tacos. The margaritas were strong and provided the perfect foil for the complementary hot pico de gallo and tortilla chips. The tacos — all served in great corn tortillas — were plainly made with fresh ingredients but weren’t particularly flavorful, which was disappointing. It tasted like the meats were under-​seasoned and the chef was hoping the fresh crunchy vegetables would do the work. (Or that the pico de gallo and tequila would sufficiently numb the customer’s tongue to the lack of seasoning.) The meats were also cooked well, which made their lack of nuanced seasoning stand out further.
Overall this is a pretty solid Mexican spot in Richmond, but we may be trying another place next time we’re craving Latin flavor.

Delicious food with a twist.
Everything on the menu looks delicious. The service was quick and the best part is that we did not have to wait or fight a crowd.

Unilocal helped on this spot. Local young lady recommended this Resturant. You gotta try it if in the Shockhoe Bottom area of Richmond. Great food. & drinks!

I have been here a good dozen times and it is always excellent.
This is a tiny little place so you blink you will miss it. Don’t let the fact that it is a tiny hole in the wall steer you away. It is very clean inside and the food is terrific. Some very different dishes that you won’t find in other Mexican restaurants. It feels much more authentic.
I would say the menu is like an expanded taco truck. And the food will give you a little bit of that feel as well. But the quality is higher and the side items stand out.
Their sauces are terrific. Don’t forget to get a Mexican (real sugar) coke to wash it all down.
Good for Gluten free dining as well. A little hidden right off the market just turn the corner on Franklin.
Oh — and when I say tiny. There are really just 4 tables and some side bar dining. But one of the tables is a large family style table seating about 12 people.

Totally. Awesome. Food. All gluten free. Hands down the best salsa I have ever eaten. I had the cheese chili relleno. I loved it. Hubby had the beef tongue tacos. So flavorful and tender! Yum! A true gem in the Bottom. It’s funky, it’s tiny, but it’s so good. The atmosphere is very artistic and unique. My new favorite place.

The tacos were authentic as they come. As a matter of fact, the experience was as authentic as possible in Richmond, VA. Anyway, I had the Al Pastor tacos with the fried potatoes & peppers and the chilled gallos as sides. Even the chips and salsa were great! As a person that eats Chipotlé regularly, I must admit that pales in comparison, especially since margaritas are no longer available in this area. Speaking of libations, I ended with the Lunazul tequila. Adult-​sized shot glasses abound! SHEESH!

This place has high reviews, but they may be a bit outdated. Unless it’s mainly a night spot, we walked in to an empty restaurant. I ordered the plate (like a sampler) with a tostada with carnitas and a gordito with the chipotle chicken. Carnitas could have had more flavor, but the dish had a nice crisp and cheese tasted well with the toppings. Maybe I am not used to corn tortillas, but I did not enjoy the flavor of the gordita wrap. I expected the chipotle chicken to be slightly spicy, and it ended up being very sweet and I ended up not finishing it. My side of black beans probably had the tastiest flavor and the rice was good with a taste that you would expect it to be.
I had a bite of the carne asada and it was definitely one of the more tasty choices! I also had a bite of the thinly sliced beef and that was also more on the sweet side.
Service was very friendly and attentive, but based on the flavors I had that day, I’m probably won’t return or reccommend it.

Real Mexican food! What a wonderful find for having just moved from SoCal. The tacos were delicious and close to what I am used to eating having lived so close to TJ and Baja for years. I also tried the gorditas; which are bursting with delicious corn flavor and whichever tasty filling you choose. And they have nopales! My boyfriend had one of the specials (which happened to be chicken mole) and the mole sauce was wonderful. It had depth, a kick of spiciness, and lots of flavor. Yum! I also loved that they carry a nice selection of tequilas and make a from-​scratch margarita without the powdered sour mix. I will definitely be back to enjoy this gem! Delicious!

After handling some errands in Shockoe Bottom, a friend and I scoured Unilocal for the location of the best taco joint in the area. Rating and location signaled out Tio Pablo. Street parking and a short walk is to be expected in this part of town and I was able to park about a block away. In my opinion, hole on the wall type restaurants are usually gems and from the outside this is what the restaurant appeared to be.
The exterior and interior is well lit and decorated. However red flags went up when the unkempt waitress advised us to «seat ourselves,» and many of the individual tables were in need of cleaning. We chose the window seat and asked for the waitress to clean off the table. She pulled out a dry cloth and wiped off the table top, leaving a small sticky area in the middle of the small table.
The chips that came out first were stale. I was told they are cooked fresh but I know what fresh tortilla chips taste and look like. The fresh salsa was mildly redeeming and I thought things might get better. I ordered the 2 taco plate and chose fish and carnitas. And because I like to try new things and at the suggestion of the server I tried the cactus side. The cactus tasked like cold rubber bands. And the fish taco was just dry. The carnitas taco was edible but far from savory.
*sigh* I hate to write bad reviews, usually there is something redeeming that I can highlight but if I could give this restaurant zero stars I would. The only thing worth mentioning was the salsa and still isn’t enough for me to return. As far as the entrees, I’ve had much better tacos come out of a kit from the grocery store.

My friends were dining at Tio Pablo and invited me to join. Even though it’s so close to me in the Bottom, I had never been. The interior is definitely really spiffy, with an artsy flair.
The menu itself isn’t very long, but almost everything is gluten-​free (a requirement for one of the friends). Our waitress took a while to come take our order, but that was because she thought we were still waiting for one more person in our party. For the rest of the meal, she was fine.
We munched on chips and salsa (salsa was fairly spicy by the way). I ordered the gorditas plate (two gorditas plus two sides), and chose beef tongue and cactus gorditas with grilled red onions and guacamole. The gorditas were fun and a nice change from tacos, and the onion and guacamole sides were great.
I also ordered an horchata to drink, which was only medicore in my opinion. For dessert, I tried the flan, which was tasty, but had more of a bread pudding consistency instead of being custard-​like.
A tad on the pricier side, but decent quality food and friendly service.

Tio Pablo aka Uncle Paul is a cozy little spot near the 17^th street market. It’s a funky little dive and I’ve been here no less than four times in the last 2 months. It’s all about working the system when you order Americanized Mexican food in Richmond. You have to know what to order. In my case it’s the carnitas. I order the carnitas because they can’t destroy this dish by covering it in shredded lettuce and drowning it in some disgusting white sauce.
It comes out the way Our Lady of Guadalupe intended it. Slow cooked pork, Spanish rice, and charro beans (cowboy beans for the white boys reading)
I’d like to say the carnitas are exploded with flavor; I’d like to say that. The Spanish rice has a texture that is perfection. Only my grandmother (God rest her soul) made her Spanish rice that fluffy and perfect. It’s an art form and Tio Pablos nails the rice texture in spades. Sadly, the flavor is just not there. I suspect they’re using a bouillon cube and not blending up fresh ingredients. Lastly the charro beans are the BEST I’ve ever had. Some people in my dining party felt it had too much bacon. I’m afraid it’s impossible to have too much bacon in life.
Tio Pablo gets 4 starts by the skin on your teeth. The rice texture and charro beans are perfect, just need that carnitas and rice to have more flavor. Don’t be shy with the spices, garlic, onion, etc. Braise that pork in Modelo Negro if you have to, don’t cheat the system, make it a labor of love. You can do it!

Zero to Mucho Grossness in 3.3 Seconds Flat
Having just arrived from NYC a few months back where the taco standard is set pretty high, I tried old Uncle Pablo out based on a friend’s recommendation. I can walk to it from my apartment which is an extra bonus.
Two months ago, it was 5 stars all the way, baby. Oh, yeah! From the food to the service to the vibe! It was that good. I was thinking, «Who needs those freakin’ great NYC tacos?»
However, I digress. I went back today on a relatively quiet Friday afternoon and it’s hard for me to find the strength to muster one star.
How could a place go from Zero to Mucho Grossness in 3.3 seconds flat?
To recap.
We got our menus. Opened them up. Are they actually covered in sticky salsa and onions and some other mysterious substance? Yes. No biggie. I asked for different menus. (Remember, I prefer hole in the walls)
Ordered my glass of Horchata. It came. Are those gross hard green chunks stuck all over the inside of my dirty glass. Yup! No biggie. I told the waiter I didn’t want it and didn’t want another one. (Remember, I prefer hole in the walls, but I was having my doubts now).
Chips come. Taste like the oil hasn’t been changed since the last time I was there. Are chips supposed to taste sour?
Tacos come. Is that a big, gooey, mealy, rotten cucumber on my plate? It is. I flick it off.
I’m doubting my taco experience at this point. Actually, I’m wondering about all kinds of things now. Food poisoning. Cleanliness. Are there Zombies working in the kitchen?
Oh, Chorizo y Huevos taco, I love it when you have the flavor of tasteless fluffy air. I understand your 2^nd string cook was not told where the spice cabinet was. But, I can’t blame you or the waiter or the cook. These things happen during a secret Zombie Apocalypse, I’m sure.
Fish Taco. Uggh. I’m not sure what really happened in my mouth — It wasn’t pleasant.
Mr. Waiter. You seemed like your punishment was to serve me. Please wear your eye glasses next time. I will, next time I walk right by your place on the way to better tacos.