Calacas Tacos & Beer - Harlingen — Restaurant in Harlingen

While we were excited to try out a new eatery near us, especially street tacos with other options, I only had one complaint. Maybe two. It was a small place. That's not so much a complaint but a nit pick. Understandable they just started out. So make sure you get there before the lunch or dinner rush. The food was great. We had the bistek tacos with all the fixings. I also had some tripa tacos which I liked a lot. They used queso fresco which is correct unlike some other places that just use shredded mozzarella or something similar. Eww on those other places. My son likes it simple so he got the kids cheese quesadilla meal which he loved. It was good. That meal is supposed to come with a drink. Which brings me to my only real complaint. We asked for lemonade for his kids drink. They brought him a huge full size drink of lemonade. I thought well cool at least he wont need a refill. Then the bill came. Prices are very reasonable for everything. The thing is we got charged $4.99 for that large lemonade that they brought my son. No mind you his meal comes with a drink so why did we get charged for that? We didn't ask for that large a drink. When I questioned the waiter he tried to pass it off as, "well the kids drink is a small little cup". Ok but I didnt ask for the big cup. I domt mind paying for upgrades to a bug drink but what happened to my son's included drink then? There was no minor charge to upgrade. They just charged full price for the regular drink and didn't even let us know beforehand. So instead of a $6 kids meal it was closer to $11. The money isnt the issue its the add-on without asking. Then the trying to make excuses for it at the end instead of owning up to it. The food was great but the service at the end is what left a bad taste...

We aren’t from Harlingen, but stopped in after my niece raved about the corn—and honestly, she wasn’t wrong. The appetizer order of Costilla de Elote (corn ribs) was bomb 💥. The sauce and marinade were delicious, and the portion came with twelve pieces. Heads up: they’re served with cob attached, so don’t try to bite through the whole thing like my friend did 😂. Only downside—$12 for an order feels a little steep.

The lemonades (strawberry & pineapple) were refreshing and perfect for the hot day. My only suggestion: instead of leaving the fruit on top of the lid, dice or muddle it into the drink so you can enjoy it without fishing it out at the end.

As for the food—mixed feelings. The tacos were $2 each, but just okay. The pastor leaned sweet instead of savory/spicy, which threw me off (personal preference), though the bistec was solid. My friend ordered a quesadilla and asked for the meat extra crispy. It came out cooked normally—not bad since she ate it, but disappointing since she rarely makes requests. Her husband tried the aguachile de ribeye—for $24, the portion was really small, just slivers of meat. No photo since he was starving after a 4-hour drive, but trust me, it was gone fast.

Service was super nice and welcoming, but food took about an hour to come out, which was rough for a group of six. Our waiter was kind and informative though, which we appreciated. We didn’t send anything back—we were too hungry to...

Service is very prompt, welcoming, and friendly. Out waitress took really good care of us and the wait from the time you place your order to when your food arrives is very reasonable. We had Molleja Tacos, Pork Belly Tacos, Charro Beans, Ranchos, Cucumber Lemonade, and a Regular Michelada. All the food was fresh and tasted great. The pork belly tacos say there are 4 to the order, but they give you enough meat for about 6 tacos. Mollejas were meaty and crispy with no large pieces of fat as if they took time to trim the fat off before they prepared them. The drinks come with a lid, and on the lid, they load it with small pieces of cucumber, dill pickle, and an assortment of gummies. The panchos were nice and hot with crispy chips and a healthy serving of meat. The charro beans have good flavor and are cooked with care. Overall, the place is good. The only minor drawback is that they have a very small seating area inside, so you may end up having to sit outside or on a waiting list for a table. The price is a little more than you would pay at a normal valley taqueria, but it is worth it. They have items on their menu that you normally won't find...