Tacos y Tequila — Restaurant in Norfolk

I had a pleasant dining experience with my family at Tacos y Tequila in Ghent. It’s a great spot for enjoying Mexican food with friends and family. The restaurant has ample seating, making it easy to find a table, and parking wasn’t difficult to locate. The atmosphere was lively, filled with people enjoying their meals and the vibrant ambiance.

Upon entering, we were greeted warmly and promptly offered a booth with a high chair for my child, which was thoughtful. The menu itself is fun to explore—it’s a large, detailed menu with plenty of options ranging from street tacos and burritos to seafood dishes and chimichangas.

Our food arrived quickly, and the flavors didn’t disappoint. I had the chicken and rice bowl, which was flavorful with tender chicken and perfectly cooked rice. My family tried the burrito topped with fresh pico de gallo and tacos, all of which were delicious. The hot sauce was a standout, adding just the right kick to each dish.

The only downside was the wait time for additional service. It took quite a while before our server checked back in, and I wanted to order another drink but couldn’t due to the delay. It seemed like the staff was doing their best but was likely understaffed given the crowd.

Overall, the experience was enjoyable, and the food was worth it. I felt sympathetic for the staff as they were clearly working hard under pressure. Despite the wait, I will definitely be returning for the flavorful dishes and...

We wanted to like this place, but it was kind of just “meh” for its first impression. We weren’t greeted when we walked in and we waited a little then a waiter saw us from across the room and came over to greet us and sit us at a table. The bartender was friendly and said hi, as we walked by. The chips and salsa were good and the grande happy hour margaritas were what you’d expect for a happy hour drink (and lasted until 7:00 which was nice). The house tequila shots were good! There were four of us, and two of us got the street tacos that were good and had an authentic feel to them. The salsas that came with the tacos were very good, and the spicy one was on point for people who like heat! My friend that got the ceviche was not impressed and sent it back. They’ve had ceviche before, so it wasn’t an issue of not liking the dish, this particular ceviche just didn’t sit well with her. One of the other four got a burrito and said that it was just ok. Our waiter was friendly and attentive, until it got busier, which is understandable. Bless his heart, though, he had a hard time dividing the check in half and had all of our orders mixed up. He fixed it and did not charge our friend for the ceviche. All in all, I would still tell anybody to try this place to see how their experience is; sometimes people/places just have an off day and we drew the short straw this time. If we lived close by, I’m sure we would give this place...

While the food was very tasty and fresh, the service was not as on point. We arrived on a Sunday evening around 5:20 and wanted outdoor seating, which was full at that time. We opted to wait (which was about 20-25 minutes). Once seated, you could tell that there were a couple of other tables that were seated before us that had yet to be waited on (meaning, not even their drink order had been taken). You could see their displeasure in their facial expressions as several waiters and waitresses continued to walk past their tables (and ours too!) without stopping. Finally, the host (I assume maybe the owner too?) walked outside and asked us had we been waited on and we said no, so he sent over a waiter. It was VERY evident that he (the waiter) was annoyed; especially when we told him we were ready to place our order in addition to giving him our drink order. We never got a "thank you for waiting," "sorry it took a while to get to your table," etc. After he brought us our drinks, we never saw him again the entire time we ate. He never once asked us if we needed refills, how our food was, if we needed anything. He walked by us, but never stopped. So, this is the reason for the 3 stars. I think being a new establishment may have had something to do with it, but, more training is definitely needed for the staff and a better "plan" so that it doesn't look like utter chaos...