The first time I went to Bar Taco, I wasn’t expecting much. I didn’t realize how fresh and healthy (ish) the food is and how the kitchen runs like a well-oiled machine.

Crushing on Bar Taco and Healthy Dining Choices

This Week we are Crushing on Bar Taco, as I had a chance to try some new menu items that I had never dug into before. Aside from that, aren’t we ready Nashville for some outdoor fun, snazzy happy hours and patio weather?

One of the most attractive things about Bar Taco is the ambiance that hits you before you open the door. The patio is gorgeous, flower-pot laden, and umbrellas to sit under.

However, even if you sit inside, it’s almost like being outside because the walls are mostly windows. When you look up, the ceilings is basket chandeliers that make you feel like you’re at a beach resort, the look they intentionally were going for.

It’s a chain, but hold on, that’s not always a bad thing. It can mean good standards are set, and consistency. In this case, it also means freshly made food, including lots of healthy choices.

I’ve experienced Bar Taco several times, on the patio, at a table, and at the bar, where we sometimes pop in for a cocktail and a taco when we’re just looking for a bite or a way to start the night.

Tacos Galore at Bar Taco

I have always swooned over the cocktails, especially this sangria in the summer. The cocktails are excellent, well crafted.

New to the menu are the totally refreshing non-alcoholic aqua frescoes, only they call them aqua frescoes.

Also new are blistered shishito peppers, which pair up nicely with their new drinks.

We are in love with their guacamole appetizer which comes with two other salsas, and your own break-apart house-made crispy corn tortillas.

The menu screams fresh and healthy and in taking to executive chef, Josh Smith, he let us in on just how much prep work the kitchen does. Everything is made the day you’re eating it and they can’t keep up with the rotisserie chickens, which may be why they are so tender.

Bar Taco: The Secret Taco

Bar Taco likes to play. Every month they feature a secret taco, which is not on the menu.

This month it happens to be vegetarian, because they got a lot of requests for that. I like that they listened to their paying guests.

When that ends, fear not, you can always order the cauliflower taco with a house-made romesco sauce that is just the right amount of spicy. I wouldn’t have minded having a big bowl of that cauliflower as a side dish. Just saying.

When it comes to tacos, you have choices. First grab the menu sheet and pencil and check off your order. If you want it lettuce wrapped, put L next to it.

If you’re looking for a big meal, the half-roasted chicken is all about crispy skin and and tender meat. Eat with their salsas.

Order the chopped salad which is very lemony, bright and has a touch of zing.

Bar Taco has a Great Lunch Offer

Bar Taco is a gathering place for drinks, and dinner, but do remember them for lunch, because they have a great lunch offer. Three tacos and either a big bowl of chicken soup or the chopped salad, all for $10.

New to the menu is the chicken pastor (made with pineapple). I think I might have had every taco on the menu by this point, and since they are small, try a bunch.

Parking isn’t exactly fun. There is a limited parking lot and then you’re on your own, but with determination you will find a spot. We always do. This could be incentive to take a Lyft.

Chef Josh Smith impressed me when he talked about how he staffs his kitchen. He wants committed people who are not afraid of hard work, but enjoys it, and can work with low drama. It’s nice to think about the energy of the kitchen, because that permeates the food and the dining experience.

Beautiful days, patios, agua frescoes, sangria, margaritas, tacos, guacamole, healthy choices, roasted chicken, and the Secret Taco are all good reasons to drop in to Bar Taco for a bite and a sip or three.

Nashville’s current location is on 12 Avenue South, the residential (ish) area that full of shops, restaurants, and walkers. Drink, eat, and people watch. They may be opening a second location in East Nashville. Stay tuned for that.