Que Fresa Taqueria + Bar (Uptown) — Restaurant in Charlotte

Que Fresa Taqueria and Bar, operated by Que Hospitality, has opened its newest location in Uptown at 530 S College St in the Duke Energy Building, across from the Charlotte Convention Center. For free parking, I recommend parking in the Whole Foods garage and walking just half a block to the restaurant.

I visited during their soft opening weekend. The atmosphere was welcoming, and the staff was incredibly friendly and accommodating. They even gifted my meal, a thoughtful gesture that, while appreciated, does not influence my honest review.

When you enter, you join a line to order at the counter, they give you a number sign, and your food is brought to your table. There is also a full bar available for those looking to enjoy a drink with their meal.

For my meal, I started with the highly recommended corn ribs. These are roasted, then fried corn “ribs” coated in Tajin butter and Cotija cheese, served with cilantro ranch on the side. I was hesitant to order them, but they were absolutely delicious and a perfect way to begin the meal. Next, I tried the Camote taco on a flour tortilla. This taco features roasted sweet potato, rajas, cheese, lettuce, Poblano crema, and pickled chiles. It wasn’t spicy but was packed with flavor, making it a great non-meat option that I would happily order again.

I also ordered the Campechano taco on a flour tortilla. It came loaded with perfectly grilled steak and chorizo, guacamole, Molcajete salsa, onions, and cilantro. While the taco was incredibly flavorful, I would personally skip the onion and cilantro next time, as they aren’t my preference. To finish, I had the sweet plantains, which were fried to order. They were perfectly sweet with just the right amount of chewiness and crispness, served alongside a side of sour cream.

The menu is extensive, offering everything from all-day breakfast and “preppy”(gringo) tacos to street tacos, burritos, birria dishes, agua frescas, frozen margaritas, and desserts. The Cuatro Leches dessert is...

After passing their door for a few months, my husband and I finally decided to stop in to Que Fresca Taqueria + Bar, which recently opened its Uptown location on S. College (between Brooklyn Village & MLK-- not on Tryon, despite Google's info). Just so you readers know, my ratings are relative to other establishments similar to the one I am reviewing. For example, I would not compare the atmosphere of a taco bar to that of a fine dining establishment, simply because one cannot expect cloth napkins and fine china when ordering a taco at the counter and then sitting at the bar to eat it as we did (they also have plenty of tables). In my mind.the best taco bar is one that gives you quick, friendly service, good food, a decent choice of drinks, and the feeling that you could hang out all day or night. Que Fresca Taqueria checks all these boxes. We were immediately greeted but not rushed by Paul, who patiently explained the various offerings, and advised my spice-averse husband as to what to order. We weren't starving, and they were running an appetizer special, so we wound up with pulled chicken nachos. After ordering the food, we went across the restaurant to the bar, where, despite a plethora of delicious-sounding variations on the theme, we ordered the house margaritas. The drinks were respectably strong and Chris, the bartender, was impressively able to vigorously mix both at the same time, a shaker in each hand. At the end of our meal, the chef (Chef Juan) stopped by and graciously greeted us. In our conversation, we discovered that he is the Chef for several sister restaurants, including our very favorite, Catalú! We came away wishing we had been hungrier, so we could have tried more of the delicious-sounding taco offerings. Next...

I went to Que Fresa for lunch with a coworker. The line was forming and we were told we could also order at the bar to help alleviate the line, which is what we did.

What I got: Birria Taco - this was pretty good, not my favorite that I've had as I would have liked it to be cheesier, but it was still a good option.

Plantains - these were amazing! Probably some of the best that I have had.

While service was quick for the most part, my order came out about 5 minutes before my coworkers - she got a salad. I like when items are served together as there is just not that awkward eating or waiting period.

The only other thing, it was SO loud in there. The restaurant was not full, but the music was so painfully loud that it made it hard to have a conversation with the person you are sitting directly next to. To me, that is not an enjoyable environment.

I would come back here, as the menu looks like there are quite a few interesting tacos to try, but I do think improvements could be made to...