Wholly Frijoles Mexican Street Foods — Restaurant in Cuyahoga Falls

If the name doesn't give it away: This place is only a notch above TexMex. This place is known for their barria tacos... but there are better in the area.

Coming from a Hispanic kid that hated beans back in the day, use the following rule: if you are at a restaurant and the customers don't speak a lick of English , then you have found the right place... and if you are the food truck and the workers have face tattoos and / or the menu is just pictures, then you have found the right place.

This is not that.

EDIT: The response makes me double down. This is a chain restaurant that specializes in high-rent areas competing with other chain restaurants like the Si Senor family of businesses and Barrio/Condados in an era where Hispanic gangs are being labeled terrorist groups.

If you worry about how Trump 2.0 is affecting at-risk immigrants populations through tariffs and threats of deportation, then visit restaurants (of all ethic groups, not just Hispanic cultures) that have to worry about less foot traffic do to fears of racial targeting or socio-economic stereotyping for needing to thrive in low-income neighborhoods.

Go to mom and pop shops that don't have to worry about industry awards and investors or have to rely on some company mythos to sell... food.

After all, what's street food but food for the people? It's not like Wholly Frijoles is offering Pre-Columbian cuisine.

If you want a posh, Instagram-able experience, then this is 5 stars.

If you want to feel like you are in another world for a moment, then 3 stars.

(Mind you, this location's owner,or chef, or media team, responded at length during a holiday known for eating out. Sorry if I made you feel like you aren't Mexican enough. After all, industry people know a successful restaurant is about solid recipes and 1 million other things (like a catchy name, supplier relations, managing food costs). I just wanted to write about food. For a second, I thought I dogged a pop-up with a food truck on the rise. But one 3 star review at one location won't break the bank unless you're overexposed to debt in a competive industy dependant on disposal income.

My Google reviews are for shut-ins that really want to try something new but need a heads up beyond the marketing but dont know where to start. They are not to be seen as an attempt to get into Edible Ohio or Consumer Report.

I literally spelled birria like a gringo and mentioned being a "grassy as" Hispanic kid to tell people it's okay to out your element. I'm not writing this to stroke a business owner's ego. This is the rust belt. This is just rice beans cheese to the average consumer out here. Mexican, PR, El Salvadorian, and Guatemalan, all of which have great restaurant represention out here, are all seen as the same thing in this not-so-foodie-friendly environment.

At what point does sharing your heritage turn into gate keeping culture to wall off your customer base out of fear of losing...

Ok. This place is legit. I was in Cuyahoga Falls for work and stopped in for lunch. I live almost an hour away and I’ll be making the trip back out here just for lunch.

I ordered three tacos. 1 steak, one braised beef, and one chicken. They came out quick and we’re stuffed. There was a lot of cilantro on top and for me, there can’t be too much. I got the mild salsa and it was fantastic. Next time I’ll kick it up a bit. I started conservative because an authentic place will melt your tongue off with hot salsa. I got a pineapple Jarritos to wash it down.

Limited seating inside but the outdoor seating is abundant. The girls working the counter were on point and nicer than they should have been dealing with public.

I want to ding them on something but honestly, it went off without a hitch and the tacos were on par with the best I’ve had.

If I have to complain about something it would be that I didn’t get a fourth chorizo taco but I won’t make that mistake again.

If you don’t stop here the only explanation is that you hate yourself and consider Taco Hell...

This place is really consistent with their food. We always get the Burrito Bowl and the special Birria street tacos. Delicious. I do on occasion get the chicken enchiladas. They’re good. But I prefer mine a bit more wet tbh. I don’t think they dip the tortillas in anything before plating them. They just add the salsa verde on them, and that’s it.

I’m personally not a fan of the chips at all. They’re a thicker chip and I just don’t like them. I would get chips and salsa if they started making or using better chips. I’m also not fond of their guac. Idk if they do a hybrid of bagged plus some fresh?? But if you’re a guac snob like myself- I’d skip it all together. LOVE LOVE the corn. Added a pic of my hubby for attention. Can’t go...