Tacos del Cartel New Orleans — Restaurant in New Orleans

First of all, if you're a local, please, I beg you, save yourself the headache and save your taste buds the disappointment. Taco del Cartel is a HUGE no, 0 out of 10 would not recommend. The atmosphere is appealing from the outside looking in. But once you sit down and the service begins, it truly isn't anything to be desired. We had a birthday reservation with a group of 9 people. When arriving, everything seemed alright. When it came to the ordering the issues started. The waitress we had should really get some training in customer service. Idc how old you are, customer service should be fair across the board. I had to jump in and ask for a manager after one of the young girls in our group asked for the manager and was ignored. Instead the waitress came and snatched the young girls order off the table and went to the back. I then proceeded to ask for the manager and the waitress once again left and no manager came back. I had to flag down a bus boy and in spanish ask for a manager and on the third time, and after speaking in spanish to the bus boy and explaining a manager came. We all ordered similar the same thing in repeat at our table. The Ceasar salad was just not it. How can you charge the same price and serve one person 3/4 of the heart of romain and the 1/4 to the other person at the table and charge the same. The truffle fries are a joke. Its literally mcdonalds fries that they DRIZZLE ever so lightly with some type of oil and if you're lucky like us, you'll be able to count the 3 pieces of cotija cheese. The Birria tacos, refried for sure bc they were not fresh. It tasted like bland grease in your mouth and the consume and hot watery flavorless greasy mess. One out of the 4 birria orders also had hair in it we even tried making excuses saying it was the hair from the string line the Birria tacos were hanging from but who knows! Honestly the experience was such a disaster and we had already complained that we just didnt even bother to bring it up.

When The manager did finally come over and talked to us, he was apologetic but the bottom line was that food was inconsistent with presentation and portions. That was not the waitresses fault and we were definitely not blaiming her for that part, but the roll she played with the POOR POOR customer service, especially towards the young girls we had with us. Now that was on her. I shouldnt have to jump in bc my blood started to boil bc of the way the waitress was treating the girls. the birthday girl rolls that she ordered were fogotten about until after we asked the manager. The girl whos food was snatched off the table, never got her drink order until we mentioned it to the manager to the added list we had growing. He did remove the 3 items off the bill we were dissatisfied with, but even after everything, I still personally still left the waitress a tip, even though by this point I was ready to walk out.

When we FINALLY got the check, bc it took 3 times for us to ask. Once by the one of the young girls, once by me to the manager and then the waitress on the 3rd time, came and asked one of us "the adults" bc apparently the 20 year old that made the reservation for us, wasnt old enough for our waitress to even show her a small amount of decency and just bring the check. We had to be asked and again I jumped in and said yes for the 3rd time, we'd like our check please! The 300 spent was NOT WORTH IT! 0 out of 10 do not recommend this joint!

If you're just going to eat there for a cute photo opt, go eat somewhere else and head to jam nola...

While in New Orleans on business, I seized the opportunity to explore the city’s culinary offerings during my downtime. My initial destination was Marrow’s, a highly recommended spot, but I was met with a full house and no reservations available. Undeterred, I quickly pivoted and ventured to Tacos del Cartel, a restaurant celebrated online for its birria tacos. What unfolded, however, was an experience that left me with more to critique than to praise.

Let’s begin with the positives: the ambiance. Upon arrival, I was immediately struck by the restaurant’s breathtaking décor. Allegedly, the furnishings were sourced from Mexican artisans, with a portion of proceeds donated to charity—a heartwarming touch, though unverified. The space is undeniably Instagram-worthy, ideal for those seeking the perfect backdrop for selfies or social media posts. If aesthetics were the sole measure of a dining experience, Tacos del Cartel would undoubtedly excel.

Regrettably, the allure of the décor was not matched by the cuisine. I began with the guacamole, which, while passable, fell woefully short of being memorable. Then came the much-anticipated birria tacos. Presented theatrically on cords resembling a makeshift clothesline, the display was clever but wholly impractical. Two orders occupied the entire table, creating an awkward dance around drinks and other dishes.

The taste? Utterly underwhelming. The tacos lacked seasoning, akin to biting into dry, flavorless paper. Hoping to salvage the experience, I dipped the taco into the accompanying birria broth, only to find it as uninspiring as the dish itself—a lifeless, watery complement that added nothing of value.

The beverages fared no better. The cocktails, despite their vibrant presentation, were left more than half-full—a testament to their mediocrity. Dessert was not even considered; by then, we were eager to end the ordeal.

Adding to the theatrics was a nearby group who ordered a special cocktail. The server made a grand production of preparing the drink, complete with sparking flames and a wisp of smoke. Phones captured the spectacle, but the result was anticlimactic at best—a fleeting gimmick with no substance.

In sum, Tacos del Cartel is a place for those who prioritize aesthetics over taste. The prices are steep, the food uninspired, and the drinks forgettable. If you’re looking for a visually stunning experience, this might suffice. But if your goal is to savor exceptional cuisine, this is a detour...

THE ABSOLUTE WORST EXPERIENCE I’VE EVER HAD! My 3 friends and I went for Cinco De Mayo this year around 8pm. Upon being seated, I asked the waiter’s name, and he said Eduardo. Our waiter, Eduardo, was more interested in flirting with his female coworker at the bar instead of bringing us our drinks & food. Another waitress was kind enough to do all of those things for him. Then he turned around and tried to over charge us for our food, add on a large party gratuity (even though there was only 4 of us), and add drinks to our bill that was not even offered on the menu, because he thought that were would be to drunk to notice after one margarita. When we tried to calmly explain where the mistake was on our bill, he started cursing at us. When we asked another waitress for the manager, she explained to us that they had been overcharging people for food all day. That’s when we noticed that majority of the restaurant was filled with drunk people, and that’s why Eduardo was trying to take advantage of what he thought was a table of drunk people. We spoke to the manager, who fixed our check. Then Eduardo brought a different check that had items we did not order on it, not knowing that his manager had already brought the correct one. Our bill was $168 and Eduardo was trying to charge us 3 different gratuities, totaling out to $70 worth of tips that he tried to automatically apply to our bill along side the additional margarita that we didn’t order and the over charged Birria tacos. When the manager finally came, he ended up taking off the large party gratuity, because 4 people is not considered a large party. When the bill was finally corrected, I opted out of tipping Eduardo because of everything that happened. He proceeded to stand over me, to intimidate me, saying “So you’re not going to tip me?”. When I ignored him, he turned to my friend and cursed at him. We tried to calmly explain that we don’t disrespect people in the service industry because their jobs are hard, but the issue is that he tried to take advantage of us because he thought we were drunk. Eduardo proceeded to repeatedly cut us off, so my friend asked for his name, and he lied and said Aaron. We then left. My friends and I aren’t quite sure why he felt like what happened was okay, but it was very clear to us that Eduardo does that all the time and has gotten away with it too. Pay attention to your bill, because they will try to add on charges if they think you...