The Funky Taco — Restaurant in Boise

Having walked by this place numerous times, I finally had the opportunity to check it out. A friend had texted me as my shift was ending saying she was in the mood for tacos, and since I had no desire to cook that evening, I was 100% down. We debated a few places but ultimately settled on The Funky Taco. Glad we did.

Upon arrival, we stood in the entry for a few moments before being approached by the hostess. My friend, who had been there a few times before, began to ask about suggestions when she was abruptly interrupted and told "you can order once you're seated," after which we were ushered to a table near the bar. The hostess gave us a couple menus and then briskly walked away. It was a bit of an odd encounter, and we glanced at each other like... that was weird... My friend said every time she's been, she's ordered at the front counter, so was thrown by the change. The place was super busy for a Monday, nearly every table was full, so we figured she was probably stressed and brushed it off. Shortly thereafter we were approached by another server who was significantly calmer and took the time to chat and make suggestions. That made up for the initially off-putting interaction, as did the fact that once the place emptied out a bit, the original hostess dropped by our table and engaged in pleasant conversation.

Please note: this is NOT a typical Mexican joint; it is truly a fusion restaurant, so if you're looking for something more traditional, better go elsewhere. As for the food, I was super impressed with both of our selections. My friend and I split the Thaico and Macho tacos, and I had a hard time picking a favorite as they were both so different. The coffee really comes out in the brisket, which I was pleasingly surprised by; the Thai curry added spice to the chicken that was nicely balanced by the sesame aioli. And the presentation was gorgeous!! Yes, there are only 2 tacos, but they are significantly larger than your average street taco, and I was definitely full after. I would 100% come back to try the Korean Pastor tacos and the Oaxaca cheese bites, as I've heard great things.

All in all a solid experience, in a fun atmosphere with deliciously...

In all fairness this should be more like 3.5 stars, but if I had to make the rounding error upwards or downwards it would be in the downward direction.

The food is yummy, and the portions are adequate - the tacos themselves are sizeable. I think where this went off the rails for me (and for my coworker who had lunch with me) was that we were really expecting a Chipotle/Tin Roof kind of vibe and place. That's not what we got.

First, it is a full-service restaurant, so you'll have a server coming to you after you find a seat. That is a little odd as the overall vibe definitely lends itself to a more traditional taco spot (rather audible music soundtrack, lots of loud conversations, some common seating). They employ the "team service" approach, which is fine, but the team is also trained well on the upsell. What results can be slightly annoying as it feels like you're constantly being upsold (would you like something other than that drink? would you like to add some chips and queso? etc). On the positive side, they are attentive and we didn't find ourselves hunting for anyone.

I had the Thaico (chicken with Thai flavors) and it was solid. My colleague had a pork taco which looked scrumptious, and if I go back I may try that one. Again, good flavors and decent sized tacos.

The kick in the teeth comes when you realize that you are paying $13-15 for a couple of tacos. Seriously? Now I get that these tacos are "Funky" and come with some non-standard ingredients. But seriously, let's pause and reflect on a $7 taco.

My understanding is that the restaurant came from a food truck environment where you could get away with a little gouging (festival crowd with limited food options? Sure, $7 tacos sound good!). But this is now an established restaurant with known fixed costs. A little "funky" interior paint/decor and a prime location can't justify the cost.

If you're wanting to massively overpay for a taco, this is a really good option. Personally I will probably stick to more traditional taco...

After seeing all the great reviews, I decided to try out Funky Taco. I came in and sat at the bar and was pleasantly greeted with a F bomb when the bartender realized she forgot to give a menu to the guy next to me. Nice.

After ordering my Thaico taco, I was nonchalantly asked if I wanted some chips and salsa (this is on the menu, but I didn’t see it, totally my bad). I was brought a GIANT plate of unsalted chips to the tune of $6.75 with some weak salsa that I could get at Baja Fresh. I guess I am confused why you would offer a full sized app to a single dude at lunch. I was expecting a few chips and a 1oz cup of salsa like most other places provide gratis.

Time for the taco now, it’s gonna be great right? Wrong. The tacos are beautiful, and the plating is impeccable. The problem was in the balance of flavor. The Thai curry flavor dominated the entire dish. No taste of chicken, just meat and curry. Asian slaw? Lost in the great sea of curry. Sesame aioli? Nah brah, more curry. Overall just a wet curry-meat blob in a tortilla.

If you are going to have me spend close to 30 dollars for two tacos and some chips, it really needs to have a dynamic flavor profile and experience to match the cost. Mediocre service, extremely expensive for what it is, mediocre salsa, and hot sauces that are all overpowered by vinegar. Won’t be back, won’t recommend, not even with rice.

Update 4/15/2025, 2 Years later they got me again. Were those... cloves in my pulled pork breakfast burrito? Overpowered the entire dish and ruined it. The guac was in one blob in the middle and a wet soggy mess. The potatoes were not crispy missing out on heterogeneity. Egg/meat/potato ratio was off. All you had to do was copy ES, but instead you changed everything into exactly what a breakfast burrito should not be. The default salsa was ok. The add on salsas (Peach Habanero, Jalapeño, Mango Habanero) were too sweet and like water in consistency which were hard to apply...