Tacowa

Reviews

Name: Darren Anselmo
Restaurant Pick: Tropical Acres
Reviewed: Tacowa

My wife Gloria, daughter Sabrina, niece Jessica and I went together. When driving up to the place we thought that there would be no parking being that it was on the street, but to my surprise there was a parking lot connected to the place and the first spot past the handicap so we hit the jackpot. We walked up to the place and it was packed outside on the front patio. I went to open the door and it was packed outside on the front patio. I went to open the door and it was stuck, very hard to open. (During the entire stay everyone had trouble with the door.) We were immediately greeted by two employees and they were very nice and friendly. We only waited 5 minutes for them to clean and sanitize a table for us. That felt good. There was rap music playing the whole time but it was not too loud so it was kinda nice. We were greeted by our waitress Avalon. She was really nice and helpful. We ordered drinks and I just had a sprite. I didn’t want to experiment with Korean alcohol since I never had it before. While waiting for Avalon to come back and take our orders I observed the place. 

Definitely a no frills place, no decor style, old horizontal mini blinds, water stains on ceiling, no atmosphere at all. I ordered the garlic honey chicken over a bowl of white rice and a salad of greens. There was not much sauce but it was very good food although I had never eaten Korean food, so I had nothing to compare it to. My daughter is vegan so she had the tofu taco and ramen noodles. She loved the noodles but said that the tofu taco was too sweet. I finished it and absolutely loved it, it was perfect! The Avalon came back to take our desert order. I was craving the green tea cheesecake the whole time because they had the desert menu at the table the whole time. So I ordered it and she said sorry we ran out of that last night. That kinda sucked but then we ordered the Mochi ice cream in green tea, strawberry and vanilla flavors. It was a dougy ball with flavored ice cream inside.

They only give you 3 small balls and a tiny drop of whipped cream. It was sort of a tease but tasted amazing, Avalon then came back with the check. We paid Avalon and got up to leave and everyone that was working in front said thank you and have a great night. It was a great service experience for sure.

Name: Roberta Kjelgaard
Restaurant Pick: Tacowa 
Reviewed: Tacowa

Where better to enjoy ‘street food’ than on the street?! Just a block away from the comfort of Mizner Park, Tacowa provides a soul satisfying introduction to the myriad flavors of Korean street cuisine in a casual, urban setting. The youthful staff are pleased to provide guidance through a diverse menu that is both playful and grounded. Appetizer stars include the addictive Kimchi Fries (AKA Korean poutine) and Scallion Pancake. Your less foodie-adventurous friends will find the Tacos a great introduction to Korean street food in a few delicious bites. But a deeper dive into the menu provides rich rewards, from the healthy Bibimbap combos of seasoned veggies and savory meats to the decadent “KFC’ (Korean Fried Chicken)—order it Ban Ban (half and half). The outstanding Korean BBQ provide sample portions—the Galbi (short rib) and Bulgogi are delectable—and your BBQ arrives with a slew of little plates—miso soup, salad, rice, kimchi, bean sprouts, fish cake—offering the variety of textures and flavors that is a signature of this cuisine. Wash it all down with a Korean soda or beer, and enjoy the street scene, the ocean breeze, and, if you’re lucky, a full moon rising above the palm trees.

Name: Lillian Archbold
Restaurant Pick: TwentyTwenty Grill
Reviewed: Tacowa

This was my first visit to Tacowa. Located in a small plaza just east of Federal Highway and Palmetto Park Road, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Parking in the rear of the restaurant was readily available for a Friday at noon. Patio seating under a large awning and indoor seating are available. This restaurant is casual and small in size, with a brisk take out business as well. Since it was overcast, my husband and I sat indoors. We walked in and were immediately greeted and seated by our server. We explained that we were first timers, which made her eyes light up. We ordered two appetizers right off the bat – Steamed Mandu dumplings (6 pork and beef dumplings) and a Soy Sauce Tofu. Both of these portions were generous. The dumplings were steamed the way I like them – not too firm and not too soft. When it came to entrees, we asked our server for suggestions. She was very excited to tell us about some of her favorite items. Since I wanted to sample a little of everything, I ordered a shrimp taco. Tacos are served on a corn tortilla with your choice of protein, lettuce, sesame sauce, cheese and cilantro. The shrimp is normally fried, but they were able to blacken it for me instead. I also ordered the Kimchi bowl consisting of white rice, kimchi, bulgogi, salad greens and topped with sesame seeds. My husband ordered the Chicken Bibimbap, which came with white rice, teriyaki chicken, radish, mushrooms, zucchini, bean sprout, red cabbage and egg. He requested only egg white, and that was accommodated. At our server’s recommendation, he ordered Bibimbap in the hot stone pot for an extra $2.00 – well worth it. My Shrimp Taco arrived just as our server was clearing our appetizers. The taco, while simple, was delicious. Almost like clockwork, the entrees were served. My

Kimchi Bowl was large and filled with a generous amount of bulgogi (beef) and kimchi served atop a bed of greens, with white rice on the bottom. I mixed it up with my chopsticks and couldn’t wait to dive in. The flavor was unbelievable! I like some spice and this dish was spot on. We could hear the Bibimbop sizzle from the kitchen over to our table. It arrived in an impressive black hot stone pot and was sizzling for quite a few minutes. Our server brought over some kimchi and bean sprouts. I took a few bites on the Bibimbop before my husband added some hot paste, and it was outstanding. The flavors were folded in so well. The bowl was large and it took a while to make a dent in it. Then just as you get to the bottom, you taste the reward - crispy rice (Nurungji) at the bottom of the pot. What an ending! It was the highlight of the meal. We waved the white flag and had some leftovers to take home. Nevertheless, we forged ahead and ordered the Green Tea Cheesecake. We shared a large slice. It had a subtle sweetness that hit the spot. We took our check up to the register and thanked our server. She was so patient and attentive in managing the front end of the restaurant herself. The chefs also brought out entrees as they were ready and chatted with some of the regular patrons. Korean BBQ in Boca! This is quite a find in my own back yard. I will definitely return with a larger group so that we can sample more of what this extensive and delicious menu has to offer.

Restaurant Information