Taxca — Restaurant in Porto

Place wasn't that busy but the staff seemed stressed. Ordered a prego and was nice, however compared to others I've had while here was underhwleming. The bun was nice but meat was kind of tough. There was a lot of cheese which had already spilled around the sandwich and stuck to the napkin underneath when i recieved it. Spent the first half of the meal picking the tissue off the cheese. Didn't feel that any love or pride went into the sandwich I received. Overall, okay.

Edit - I also got a weird vibe when they realized I spoke english. I ignored this with my original review however reading other reviews, perhaps my reading of the situation was right. I tried my best to order in my limited portugese with english thrown in, but there was definitely an air of arrogance, as they responded in a loud voice 'I don't speak english'. When it came to paying I tried to pay by card, which she then pointed at a sign in portugese and huffed (which apparently read no card payment). She knew I didn't understand portugese, so it felt more like a statement than actual communication on the situation. Never understood this attitude towards anyone who is buying what...

This place can get absolutely packed in the evening so try and come a bit earlier to get a table. It’s bar service mostly so don’t stand near the entrance expecting to be shown to a table!

As for the food - the bifana was juicy and spicier than conga but a bit saltier. We tried a steak and cheese sandwich too but you can give this a miss since it was a bit too chewy. The pig ear salad was interesting, nice textures and flavours.

The star of the show was the tripe stew. Excellent value for the amount of protein you get. The tripe is soft but still retains a bit of a chew, and the sausage/chorizo was smoky, salty and meaty. Nice simple tomato flavour in the sauce to allow for the meats to shine.

I would come here when it’s a bit quieter, but would not queue...

Been here for several times and last Friday was the last time I visited the place. They will ring the bell if someone orders a mineral water like what I did.

Pros: Entrance accessible for wheelchair. Wearing a mask is a must. Hand sanitizer is provided by the restaurant. Payment by cash. Nice, kind, and friendly owner and staffs. Reasonable price for Porto area, bifana costs €2.50 still the same price from my last visit in 2020. The panache is good. Good decorations for the restaurant. Free WC. Clean, cozy place. Free wifi may be accessible if you ask the password. The location is quite easy to reach by Google maps.

Cons: A bit difficult to find free...