Taco Loft — Restaurant in Red Deer

Update: This time we took our kids, and my brother and his son along also.

Friday night is "Flight Night", giving the opportunity for a taco flight and desert flight; a chance to sample a bunch of things more easily.

Everything was so good, and our server Jesse was great.

Everyone agreed that the whole experience was awesome, and we all had a great time.

Thanks again Taco Loft crew, for a great night out!

Original Review:

My wife and I were planning on going out for our anniversary, but our planned destination was closed (Blanco Cantina). We had heard of Taco Loft before, but had not been here yet so we tried it out.

I have to say that this was an amazing experience, from start to finish. I had always assumed that this place was small (based on the outside), but I could not have been more mistaken. Not only do they have the patio seating out front, there is also a HUGE dining room upstairs, and also a roof-top patio (which was closed tonight, otherwise I would have loved to have checked that out!!).

I have sensitivities to egg, soy, dairy, and gluten.. it makes it pretty difficult for me to eat out ANYWHERE. But I let our server know, and aside from me taking some lactose enzyme pills (I intentionally ordered something with cheese on it), I have had no concerns at all about my meal there tonight.

So the main dining room is up a flight of stairs, and probably seats ~100 people.. much bigger than I had imagined. The atmosphere is very cool; theme artwork all over the place, cool paint and decor, and just a very cool vibe.

We picked a table for two, and ordered the margarita flight (sampler) to start. Our 4 sample drinks were: Lavender, Jalapeno, Rhubarb, and blue raspberry (I might be mistaken on this last one, but it was blue). I started with the Lavender (purple) one, thinking that it would be my least favorite, but it was actually very delicious. A bit fruity, but with a wonderful floral sweetness.. I can't really even describe it, but you should try it.

The Rhubarb margarita was up next, and was also amazing. Not as sweet (rhubarb is very tart in flavor), which made it really a nice change from the standard strawberry or lime flavors of a margarita, but also still similar and a bit familiar. Excellent.

The Blue one was actually my least favorite (not that it was bad, it was great also, it just wasnt my fave on the sampler). It was sweeter than the others for sure, my wife compared it to a "rocket" popsicle.

The jalapeno margarita was the clear winner for me. Garnished with a pineapple wedge, and was the perfect combination of sweetness and spiciness. Not at all like eating a hot pepper, the flavor of the jalapeno comes through clearly, without being weirdly green tasting or chlorophyll-ish, and still ends up being light and refreshing without being too sweet.

I settled on the jalapeno one and ordered a full size (2oz) drink of that one. While talking with our server (Chris), I mentioned that I was interested in trying one of the other flavors that I saw in a promotional picture. They were sadly discontinued, but he did managed to find me a small taste of that flavor as well, and it was amazing too. Hopefully they bring back the Guanabana margarita.

We both had the Barria tacos; I did the Al Pastor, and my wife had the chicken tinga. The order was 3 of each (standard), on a plate with a bowl of dipping sauce, and we also ordered a small mexi-rice and a small black-beans side dish. Food was quick, and everything was hot and delicious.

There is a "Hot Sauce Bar" also, with probably 40+ different bottles of hot sauces available to use with your foods. We tried a few of the green sauces, and a pineapple habanero sauce.

We also had the brownie for desert, served with ice-cream and some cherries and sauce. Again, awesome and delicious.

We'll be coming back here again for date nights, as it's a great spot to check out with awesome food and...

Nice try for a small town Alberta "Mexican" restaurant. The service was friendly enough [though a bit impatient and distracted]...The atmosphere was lively and the decor was nice. The food was passable but barely...There were no detectable "Mexican" flavors in the spice profile...It was quite bland actually. The value was just not there for the price, and it was rather disappointing to observe so much microwaving going on while at the same time you're being told that everything is made fresh to order. Yah, no....Won't be back until they can improve their performance and their product. ADDENDUM: Based on the owner's response to this review which included hurling insults that are completely unwarranted because they cannot tolerate fair and honest criticism... Now for sure we won't ever be back. This is not how any sane business owner treats customers. I was polite yet honest in my critique and NO I am NOT a Texan...I am a Canadian of Mexican descent and a proud Albertan, I may have been born in Texas but I have been a Canadian citizen since infancy [though that is none of their business and the ignorance and bigotry are glaringly apparent]. What does it matter anyway where you think a customer is from? I do not care for Tex-Mex food myself....On the other hand, I really do not care for the posturing about an ethnic cuisine that is advertised as "authentic" but doesn't deliver. I too am a professional chef and restauranteur [35 years - In 3 countries] and I know very well the rules of engagement in this industry, its ethos and the correct etiquette...You sir/madam have no etiquette and apparently no class. You can keep your silly hot sauces, good Mexican food does not require all that stuff to give it some taste. But fresh made salsas would be more appropriate than bottled hot sauces. Sheesh! I will also thank you to cease and desist with your stalking my profile and attacking me personally online. Thank you and Good Day. NOTE: And this commentary was NOT...

I think this was the best Taco I've ever had!

It was full of flavour and didn't need to hide behind heat. The Mango and Saskatoon salsa was delicious even with under ripe Mango, but it's hard to get good Mangoes all the time in central Alberta. They were beautifully crunchy and the dipping sauce tasty too.

My only complaint was that they were somewhat busy and so wait times for food and paying the bill were a little long, but the food made up for all of that. It was piping hot but not in a spicy way. My Mom who can't handle any spice loved her birrias as well. They have hot sauces you can add if you like, but it was so good I wanted to focus on the flavours of the food and not burn my tastebuds away.

It's not a cheap meal, but it was certainly filling. We also shared the dessert trio and Churro ice cream. The price of the ice cream made us balk a bit but then this large bowl with what must have been 6 scoops of ice cream came out. It was enough to feed all 5 of us easily. As we were leaving we left through the ice cream shop that shares some space and they confirmed they make the Churro ice cream for them. The cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top was a nice touch, although not everyone at our table liked it.

This was a great treat for us and I would highly recommend going. If you're celiac, like one of our group, you can rest assured that everything on the menu is gluten free without having to ask. Our server did the usual caution that they can't guarantee the hot sauces but if you're celiac you already know to check condiments like that.

Our bill came out with tip to about $37 each but we did have 2 large desserts and an alcohol free margarita to go...