Bartaco – West Hartford

One of the best restaurant experiences I’ve had. I had the plantains, black bean salad, baja fish taco, and duck rice bowl, and they were all delicious. I’d definitely recommend them to anyone.
Not only was the food great, but the customer service was also an ⁵⁄₅. Kevin, the manager, personally came to my table to make sure we were completely satisfied with our experience there. He was so kind and generous. Our waiter was also helpful as well (she recommended which dishes to order).
The environment, food, and service was perfect. I can’t wait to come back and try their other dishes.

A very unique and refreshing experience in service and ordering. Furthermore the food was fantastic, all the spices and sauces were great, the tacos were fantastic and I can’t wait to get more. Highly recommend it.

Got dinner here tonight with my mom and had an amazing experience:
It looked packed when we arrived but they were somehow able to seat us within 10 minutes.
Ordered tacos (fish, sesame ribeye, pork belly, duck) which were all delicious with tasty sides including chipotle slaw and black bean salad. Note: the tacos are small but they match the price! I easily ate 3.
Our experience with the staff and overall customer service is also worth noting. Our fish tacos were not hot when they came to the table. My mom noted that to the server (without intent to change anything — she just wanted to let her know) who quickly offered to send them back or bring us some additional tacos. We declined and continued with our meal. The manager came over after a few minutes and apologized, then was very generous and kind in making it up to us. This kind of service makes a difference and really shows how much they care about their customers!
As I said, great experience all around. We will definitely be back.

Food– 4 stars
Service-​2 stars
Price-​2 stars
Atmosphere-3.5 stars
This place is pretty fun. Clean. Food is great. Definitely not your run of the mill taco joint. We each got 3 tacos and a few sides. My fiancé said the margarita was great, but they are very small. The atmosphere outside at least is clean, there just seems to be too many tables for the amount of waiters they have.

Ok so the wait started to get ridiculous and they noticed and whisked us off to a table. They then told us about the way to order. Very cool. Fill out a paper with a miniature golf pencil and then put the dragonfly card in the holder. Immediately someone comes by to take your order. the managers were very helpful and attentive (Don and Kevin??)
The margarita it delicious! Yummy flavored tacos. Pork pastor, shrimp, beef. Yum!
The manager brings us over plantains to try with the best aioli I’ve ever tasted. We didn’t order but he said we shouldn’t miss it! Then we got 4 more taco to try that we didn’t order. !! OMG awesome place awesome service. Awesome food! Shrimp bang mi taco was sooooo good actually all were good. Get the avocado taco too. Not on menu but yummy! The duck was a very pleasant surprise!
Ps the footrest at the tables are wonderful too

I’ve been to Bartaco for quick drinks here and there, usually not staying long since it’s almost always packed when I’m around.
This past Saturday I was able to grab a corner of the bar with a handful of my friends and had an awesome experience. First of all, we were told by our waitress at Max Burger to ask for her bartender friend. We ordered our drinks, asked for her, and found out that she was already our bartender! We had a chat about tattoos and our favorite local tattoo artists and then she helped recommend drinks for our second round.
I love the open atmosphere, the vintage look, and the fact that the uniform is pretty subtle (everyone was wearing blue checked/​plaid/​gingham shirts and white pants — but no two people had the same shirt). The drinks were good although I wasn’t impressed with the variety of cans/​bottles (lots of IPAs, not a lot of others…) and we ordered some greenish salsa that was also really good.
We lucked out that it wasn’t TOO packed while we were there, so we were able to talk without being squished together. I would definitely come back to check out their food menu.

Awesome awesome awesome place did i mention this place was awesome. I mean awesome service, awesome food and awesome drinks. This is the place to go for saturday night!!!

I have been here twice now, and have had relatively the same experience. Bartaco is a great place to meet up with a large group of friends to relax and unwind. Its lively, energetic atmosphere makes Bartaco feel almost like a bar instead of a restaurant. The ambiance here is the reason that I came back twice; however, the food did not live up to the expectations I had. The food isn’t bad – it just isn’t spectacular either. It is rather lackluster, with the tacos lacking flavor and being relatively small, leaving me and my friends hungry. Also, the menu is rather pricey for the amount of food they give you. Overall, I would recommend this place to grab drinks and some snacks – not for a full on meal.

I feel the need to update this review after a return visit to Bartaco. Shortly after the review, I received a message from the Manager asking me for more information and to give them another chance.
I returned last night and wasn’t disappointed. I loved the pork belly taco and the fish tacos. The guac had a little too much lime but besides that it was excellent. I also tried a rice bowl and was pleasantly surprised. Overall, awesome. And I’ll be back.

A few weekends ago, my fiancé and I ate here for a celebratory dinner. It was our first time going to Bartaco and the bottom line is that our expectations were absolutely shattered. In all the best possible ways. Our friends who know that we’re Mexican food junkies had been recommending that we go here for a long time, but we foolishly ignored them for years.
Anyway, we went to Bartaco on a crazy busy Saturday night, and there was literally a line out the door. So, we opted to seat ourselves at the bar instead of waiting for a table. Within seconds (literally!) of sitting down, the bartender was taking our drink order and explaining the menu system. Our hand-​crafted cocktails were in hand moments later… and gone in almost the same amount of time. Don’t judge. You’d sip them just as fast if you knew how delicious and fresh they were.
By the time we were sipping cocktail number two, our food order had been placed and we were enjoying the sites and aromas of Bartaco. The décor is modern and simple, the staff are quick on their toes with smiles on their faces, and the kitchen churns out dishes at lightening speed.
Long before we ever noticed our food was taking a while to come out, we were approached by a floor manager who apologized for the delay. He was kind and sincere, and we were happy to wait a bit longer. Several minutes later, the bartender offered another apology for the delay… then a server from the kitchen came to apologize… and then finally the restaurant manager came to greet us personally. All in all, we would have probably considered the delay in getting our food to be par for the course on a busy Saturday night, never thinking twice about it. But, using busyness as an excuse for food delays is not in Bartaco’s repertoire. They chase after perfection in every detail of their work, and their customer service is truly testament to this.
We will definitely be going back to Bartaco, and we would like to give a shout out to all the staff who helped us that evening — you know who you are!

amazing place, ambience, food and staff. i never seen place with such a good crowd in hartford.
food is really different and they hv really interesting options for veggie lovers. i went out with my friend and we ordered so much that we were totally full after eating and leaving some of it. :)
this is one of the happening place i hv been in hartford and it is really good.
they hv indoor n outdoor sitting and i wud recommend outdoor as indoor can get really loud and noisy.
if u hv really good compnay and friends, you should try it out.

I originally went to the Hyde Park location in Tampa with a friend and LOVED IT. I’ve been dying to come back only to find out the closest location was almost 2 hours away from us in Connecticut. My boyfriend and I decided to take the drive on our two year anniversary, and it was the best decision.
We were seated quickly by a warm hostess and what looked like a restaurant manager. Unfortunately our first table near the gorgeous windows was quite cold due to the rainy day chill so we switched to a booth by the bar. This caused a short confusion between waitresses and we weren’t served for about ten minutes but the manager noticed the problem and immediately fixed it. Our waitress was wonderful! She put our food in quick because of our wait, and also took full responsibility for mistakenly ignoring us as not her table to serve.
The food was amazing! She was great at recommendations. Everything came out quick and fresh and tasted great. The same manager and another man who was the head manager both stopped by our table to make sure everything was alright. We were even treated to an extra guacamole and a dessert– on the house!
The vibes in the restaurant atmosphere were unmatchable. Food was delicious. Service was perfect. It was a unanimous decision to say that the two hour drive was WORTH IT. After filling out the comment card at the end of our visit, we were given two tokens for free tacos. It’s safe to say we’ll be back.

My little family and I walked into the entrance of this building and saw 2 restaurants, Bartaco and Barcelona. Not sure which one to go to, I turned right and decided to give Bartaco a try and I am ever so glad I did !
The hostess was so accommodating. It’s difficult to dine with a toddler and a newborn, but they made it easy for us. They didn’t merely give my daughter a coloring page, they supplied her with an entire book, which kept her busy for a good portion of our meal.
The waiters all wore cute blue plaid button down shirts and white pants, I don’t know why this matters, but it was pleasant. Our waiter Mike was great. He explained how things worked at their restaurant and did a great job recommending drinks that my husband absolutely loved. Attentive and friendly.
After being told by Mike that this was our first visit, the manager Kevin came over and welcomed us. He also had 2 tacos that we didn’t order sent over to us on the house. This was quite possibly the nicest manager of a restaurant that I have come across.
Here’s what we ordered… sorry, I tend to banter.
Guacamole — strong taste of lime… and I loved it !!!
Duck taco — I would never think to order this myself, as this is one of the tacos the manager sent over. After eating that little piece of deliciousness, I will definitely try duck more.
Oysters — accompanied by an amazing sauce!!!
Chicken — this was good, but not my favorite
Baja fish — fried lightly, crunchy and tasty slaw in the taco as well. One of my faves!
Falafel –sounds strange, indeed, however … it was phenomenal. The sauce they paired it with made it pop.
Shrimp — good but not great like the rest.
I didn’t have the 2 drinks my husband ordered but I do know he couldn’t stop raving about them. One was the Red Sonja. The other wasn’t on the menu but our waiter recommended it.
One of the best dining experiences I have had. Best part is… we found out they have one in NY ! Hopefully that location can match our experience here.

Place was great! The tortillas aren’t my favorite, similar to besitos but the flavor of the fillings inside of the tacos make up for it!

This place is on their game. Pretty much any night of the week it’s jamming. The food is fantastic. Not just good, fantastic. They have just the right mix of traditional Mexican style plates and unique offerings. Couple that with the fact that they’re all small tapas style plates, and you can easily order a meal that leaves you satisfied with the perfect amount of trusted favorites and new experiences.
There’s often a long wait. But they operate as efficiently as possible with the call ahead system and text/​web updates in real time. The servers know their stuff and are very helpful.
The atmosphere is usually on the loud side, but fine for conversation, and you actually feel like you are someplace you can enjoy yourself and laugh a bit with friends. It’s not stifling and snooty, or overly rowdy. It’s perfect.
I lost count of how many times I’ve been here, and I don’t think I’ve ever had a sub par experience. The restaurant game is competitive, especially in West Hartford Center. This place is always at the top of the list. Fantastic food, great service, and they really do work hard to make it a nice dining experience.
Eating out can be expensive. But it’s nice to have restaurants that are worth the money. Places that offer you something you can’t get at home. Bar Taco is one of those places.

Place is casual clean and very Cali style– menu is fresh and the drinks are delicious. Young crew brings life to the entire experience– bartenders live their job and show it via their style and prepared drinks– I asked for a mezcal type of drink and let them create for me– score!

Bartaco is really just a constant inner dilemma about whether or not you’re willing to wait 2 hours to eat some damn tacos… I usually am, and it’s infuriating. I really don’t care for the bar scene here just because the general crowd Bartaco draws isn’t for me, but the bartenders are pretty awesome and they make killer mojitos.
The tacos are all freaking delicious, there’s really no denying that: baja fish, duck, and sesame ribeye are my favorites. The wild boar tacos and assorted gorditas were EVEN BETTER but for some reason that I cannot fathom someone decided to totally suck and get rid of them… an uphill battle I am still fighting. I like the ordering system, I know it’s not for everyone but I enjoy how casual it is. And I find it way more satisfying than I should busting the huge round tortilla chips that come with the guac and salsa verde up. Also: DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND ORDER THE GORDITA SAUCE TO DIP YOUR TACOS IN. #you’rewelcome

We called to say we had 10 people and were told they would accommodate that party for a reservation. Instead the manager changed his tune and said that we pressured him to say that. Why would we do that? Just say you don’t take reservations. Ridiculous. Nobody should treat their patrons by accusing them of lying.
«Anyone can take a reservation. It’s the holding of the reservation that matters.»

Came here on a Thursday with some industry friends and it was dead. f*cking dead… yet still somehow waited 15 minutes for a margarita primarily composed of sour mix, couldn’t taste the booze… then got a table, I ordered a beer (shorter wait right?) and my friend orders a port chester… they bring both drinks out 20 minutes later, my beer is warm, so obviously they put that up and waited 15 more minutes for the port chester, bring me my beer 1^st
I know you are a chain and you have clout and are making millions, but you suck balls
Bar Louie has way better service and they’re still just mediocre at best, I don’t get it… guess you don’t give a flying F*ck

Great food and yummy drinks! Can’t go wrong if you’re trying to spend a night out!

This place is hip! I grew up in San Diego and the hubby and I were regulars when it came to the Gaslamp and Happy Hour. Well, I haven’t been to a place that reminded me of San Diego in the New England area, but this joint does! From the décor, to the uniforms of the server.
The ambiance was awesome and so was the food. We had made reservations for a huge group of people for a birthday party and our table wasn’t ready, which was odd, so we had to make way to the bar, to get our drink on. We had a limo driving us around, so we all wanted to take advantage of the drinking! The bartenders were quick and the drinks were great! It was seriously packed there, and I can totally see why.
Our food literally came within 15 minutes of being seated. Our waiter was remarkable. He kept the food and the drinks coming! After all the alcohol and food, I was amazed at the final cost! This place is legit! Their corn is also to die for! I am totally coming back and I will try everything on that menu! Too legit to quit!

My husband and I decided to give this place a second go round and we were not disappointed this time. We went for lunch and tried the same tacos we had enjoyed the last time, even though they had arrived cold and late. This time they arrived in a timely manner and still hot. The waitstaff was more on point and attentive. The guacamole was very tasty both times so I would recommend it. We had some churros to finish our meal which were warm, flaky and sweet; very yummy! Our second experience was much better and made us want to come back!

This is a super popular place. I had no idea… went there because my honey heard Ryan Russillo talk about it… I guess I should have known.
Despite the insane crowd, service was magnificent. Our server was Taylor but several other servers stopped by to make sure we were okay. It was a nice touch. All of Bartaco staff were amazing.
And, to my surprise, the food was quite yummy. I’m sort of a food snob and find myself constantly disappointed by the options in my new state. I would highly recommend the «tray». You get guac (that comes with very yummy chips), tamales and your choice of tacos and sides. It’s a really great deal all for either 26 or 38 bucks (depending on whether you choose a small or a large tray).
Very nice spot that I would highly recommend.
Now that I’ve told you how awesome it is, let me give you a warning. Hours after eating here, I got really sick. Like awakened-​in-​the-​middle-​of-​the-​night-​by-​stomach-​pain sick. It was bad. My husband didn’t get sick, though, so my sickness may not have been Bartaco’s fault. The items I ate that he did not eat include the tamales, fish taco, pastor taco and stewed beans. So.yea. just watch yourself.

This was my first time at bar taco and it was pretty good. I had the lunch special 3 tacos + chopped salad or chicken soup for 10 $.
The tacos I had were Baja fish, portobello mushroom, and falafel. All very good. The Baja fish had a good crunch and it was flavorful. The falafel taco was also very flavorful, the falafel tasted amazing on its on. The portobello mushroom taco was also very good. Mushrooms good well and it tasted good in the soft corn taco shell.
The chicken soup was tasty too. Good flavor and good amount of chicken in the soup.
I don’t come to tapas restaurant very often because i still think the portion sizes are too small for the price. I’d rather spend a little more for a larger plate. But if you like tapas, I would recommend coming here! It’s a good experience and the wait staff are all very nice. The atmosphere is also very serine.
If you’re ever in west Hartford definitely stop by and try bartacos!

I came here one time at 2am on a weekend night, and it was seriously a club, with loud music and loud, drunk people crowded into a small space. This was not my favorite moment.
Since then, though, I’ve had a just-​drinks experience and dinner experience that were very enjoyable.
The just-​drinks experience included some of their lovely cocktails right at the bar. Our bartender was lightly flirty and engaging, and this was a nice spot to people watch and catch up. I dug the Old Thymer, with Four Roses, orange, and thyme.
The dinner experience was also fulfilling. Alexys, our waitress, was sweet and attentive, and I loved splitting the corn (scrumptious!) with a friend. Plus, the tacos! I found the seafood ones to the best, namely the Baja Fish and Fried Oyster. There was also live music on this Thursday night.
Skip the churros. The chocolate is pretty meh, and they are not particularly tasty in and of themselves.
They also have an awesome technology to tell you how far you are from being actually seated. It’s quite neat and puts your mind at ease if you’re waiting for a table.
I look forward to more occasions to come here!

As much as I have a love-​hate relationship with the West Hartford «scene,» I gotta give it up for Bartaco. I’ve been here a few times throughout the years, but since I am not a huge mexican or tapas fan and find going out in West Hartford on the weekend, in general, often eye-​roll inducing, I haven’t submitted a review. I went here again this past weekend and it just melted my stone heart so here is their 5 star review.
First, my party of 2 came at 7pm on Saturday and it was crowded, so if that’s your time frame expect to wait. However, they have this lovely system of taking your phone number and texting you when your table is ready. This way, we were able to enjoy a drink at the bar while we waited. Also, your tab at the bar can actually be transferred to your table so it isn’t a big ordeal to close your tab or anything like that if you get text that your table is ready and you have 5 minutes to claim it before the next group of people get it. I ordered their spiked cider off the specialty cocktail menu which, even though «moonshine» was listed as an ingredient, was delicious. Highly recommend.
As for the food, I find their system of marking on a card what you want to order silly and I didn’t really understand it, but the waitress didn’t make a big deal about not following that format. They have a bunch of $ 2.5 tacos to sample, my personal favorite is the falafel taco. They also have a bunch of tapas selections, many of which I can’t eat because I’m a vegetarian, but I know all my friends rave about them. The food is consistently excellent. The service was very nice and attentive without being overbearing.
At some magical time around 10pm the lights go dim and music goes up and the place becomes more of a club. Although I haven’t seen much in the way of dancing… The music is trendy, the ambiance is cool, and just overall it makes for a great dining or going out experience. Highly recommend.