Barrio Atl — Restaurant in Atlanta

Barrio ATL is an entire VIBEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! I ended up here on a Thursday. I was in the Cascade area and in the mood for tacos. After a search on Yelp Barrio ATL popped up and was where we headed for the night.

As a heads up, Barrio ATL sits in the corner of the strip plaza. As such, the parking can be a bit tight so be sure to choose a space accordingly. Upon walking in, the ambiance puts you in the mindset of a trendy hookah lounge. Wall seating, chairs, and tables are to the left, and a VIP area style is to the right. The DJ is directly to the left of the VIP area and the bar area is to the left of the DJ. The building is medium-sized and build rectangular so there is ample length as compared to the width.

There was no one at the Hostess booth when I walked in, however, the young lady got up from one of the tables in the back, greeted me, and quickly took us to our table. Once seated, the waitress assigned to our table came over and was super nice and welcoming. She introduced herself as Shay and went over the specials for the night. As the ambiance is more than just a casual bar, Shay’s service was superior. Her personality shined and she enhanced the overall experience of the night. Thank you, Shay!

Based on the specials for the night I decided to go with the 3 Chicken Birriia Tacos for $9 (this was a great deal as they are usually $20) and a side of fries. As they didn’t have Sweet Tea on the menu I ordered a bottle of water. Shout out to Barrio ATL for serving Fiji. Ha.

Babeeeeeeeeee… Here me when I tell you… I don’t know what kind of potatoes these fries were made with but they were the BOMBBBBBBBB. They were thick, perfectly fried, golden to perfection, and well seasoned. For the record, I would go back for the fries alone. LoL! The birria tacos were good as well. As this was my first time having them I don’t have anything to compare them to, however, I enjoyed the experience. The crunchiness of the taco shell with the well-seasoned chicken. The birria consomé was well seasoned and definitely enhanced the flavor of the taco, as such, for my first birria experience I enjoyed it. Furthermore, if the chicken was this good, I can’t wait to try the beef.

Overall Barrio ATL is def one to add to the checklist when you are looking for a vibe. The DJ was on point, the ambiance was hittin like it needed to be, and the overall flow of the environment was ideal for a kick it/unwind/grab a drink...

The server was a nice young lady. I do not think she was aware that her sitting at a table on her phone was a bad image. Our table of 3 shared the trio with chips. Chips were fine. We received double queso since they were out of avocados. The entire time we were fighting off the fruit flies. They were a terrible nuisance. I ordered the rice bowl with salmon. It seemed fine. I ate the majority of it. I could not get home fast enough because I became sick to my stomach. I could hardly get home. I was SICK for 90 minutes to 2 hours. Literally doubled over in the bathroom in absolute pain. I believe it was the salmon. I wanted to give this feedback privately, but did not have the option. I want this restaurant to succeed. I hope they check the temp on their proteins and definitely do something about the fruit flies. Even the server said they had a meeting about it today (2-4-24). Not sure why a party of 3 requires an automatic gratuity. A small note about the decor. If it’s going to be named Barrio (neighborhood in Spanish), their decor should at least try to speak to type of food that’s served. Unfortunately I will not return nor will I recommend...

I woke up last night at 1045pm and had a craving for birria tacos. Rreal tacos was closing and thanks to a google search I found this restaurant. Upon arrival I was shocked to find out the location was a bar. Heavy smoke, scantily clad women, and off key karaoke. I did not see any staff when I entered so I approached the bar area when a women I assume she was an employee came barging at me while walking me back towards the door. I attempted to show her my phone and inquire about my prepaid meal. I then saw a large paper bag at the hostess stand and asked the woman if that was my food. She asked me what was my name like I didn’t just show her my receipt or there were multiple bags??? Weird interaction….but baby the the birria tacos were amazing!!!! The meat was tender juicy and flavorful! I drank the consommé with no shame! On the low end the street corn was terrible one rotten ear of corn sitting on top of a pool of bitter queso. The birria tacos made up for everything else so who cares. These might be the best birria...