Union Taco — Restaurant in Norfolk

We were excited to try Union Taco. We went right before Christmas. It has a hip vibe and we walked in hopeful that it would become a new “go to”. Unfortunately, this is not the case. I have Celiac and am gluten free. I am not gluten free to be trendy or cool; gluten literally makes me sick and predisposes me for serious health issues. Avoiding gluten keeps things in check. We understand that not everyone can accommodate this, so we do our research in advance. We went on the union taco website where it clearly listed gluten free options. Seeing that, we decided to give it a shot. Even with gluten free being listed, I know that I have the responsibility and need to clarify cross contamination risks and give special instructions. I am not a Karen and hate making special requests but it is a medical issue. When we were seated, we looked at the drink menu. My husband was interested in trying some tequilas, they have a huge list, but he knows very little about them. The server came over with a cool but kind of cold vibe. He asked about the tequilas and she pretty much said that they all taste the same. She wasn’t selling it and could care less. We didn’t think much of it. I was looking over the menu at gluten free options. She came back with waters. She wanted to take our order. I shared my celiac needs and proceeded to inquire about an option on the menu that was labeled gf. She said that it wasn’t really gluten free. I then picked a second item, she said that it wasn’t gluten free. I picked a third item labeled gf and she said it wasn’t gluten free. I asked, well what is gf? She said that I could probably get the tofu but was noncommittal. I asked if she would check with the chef. She looked very annoyed and had kind of an attitude of I don’t care if you order or not. They were not busy at all. Workers/servers were hanging out at the bar; there were only a few tables with customers. Feeling very uneasy at this point, and banking on the fact that I would probably get sick, we decided that we should probably leave. We told the server that we were going to go ahead and try somewhere else she said in a snarky voice, “I figured”, then she laughed. She said, we’ll see you next time… then she turned away and said “haha- but l guess you won’t be coming back.hahaha”. I guess that she’s right. Having celiac is hard. I know not everyone gets it. I think that this was the rudest, most unaccommodating experience that I have ever had. Based on this one experience, Union Taco is a no go for those with celiac/gluten issues, those who would like to try tequilas, and maybe for those who would like good service. Hopefully this was an isolated issue, but I have no...

I have to start this review absolutely SINGING praises for our server, ANGIE! She was super attentive, checking in consistently and letting us know we weren't forgotten in the chaos. It's always super refreshing to feel seen and attended to in such a crowded setting. She asked genuine questions about our experience and explained the menu very thoroughly, it really truly feels like she loves her job. She even went out of her way to make me some fresh lemonade because I really wanted some, I appreciate her so much for that. I just had to let yall know about her because she was even better than the food! And I do believe we may have also been served our food by the manager on duty! I'm not sure, I forgot to ask his name because I was so focused on the food.

Speaking of, I honestly didn't get a chance to take pictures of our drinks, food, or dessert for this review because we absolutely destroyed them. We tried steak, pork, chicken, and shrimp tacos with three different sauces and corn salsa. All were absolutely phenomenal. I love that you can try multiple options and choose a bowl OR burrito. And the menu has something for everyone's tastes (I cannot wait to try the pickled veggies next). And the dessert! I love a good churro, this one was beautifully presented and the PERFECT texture, despite ice cream on top. Which, by the way, I think they make from scratch just from the taste and texture.

And the atmosphere? Casual bar vibes but not too loud, surprisingly chill for a packed Saturday night. Inside seating was a little limited, but thats to be expected for such a popular spot. Outdoor seating is available and very cute at night. Despite all this, we were seated within 2min. We actually did not make it in time the last time we wanted to come (Google didn't reflect their winter hours) but they were really gracious in apologizing and explaining it to us. And I'm not sure if there's a different owner or management, but the bad reviews were clearly from a different time and things have since improved astronomically. I'm glad I took a chance to come again!

Highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend,...

Like many other reviewers, we came here expecting great things. We had heard rave reviews from friends so we decided to journey down to this part of town to check it out.

The main issue at Union Taco is an offense that all too many restaurants in the area are guilty of: beautiful design at the expense of a complete lack of noise abatement. So many restaurants have exposed ceilings, which give them a fantastic atmosphere, but they don’t spare the expense of a few hundred dollars to add noise abatement. They could easily hide plenty of padding to the rafters and no one would be the wiser, but their ears certainly would thank them. See No Frill Bar and Grill for an amazing example of how to execute this correctly. As a result, Union Taco is almost unbearably loud inside (when busy.) But enough about that.

The staff is incredibly nice, albeit understaffed on a holiday Monday. They were apologetic for the wait and were on their game for the most part. Trouble was, the bartender, who also tended our table, was very soft spoken, as were some at our table. Normally not an issue, but in a loud restaurant, it can be a bit frustrating on both ends.

The real reason this place doesn’t get five stars is the tacos. You know, the things that you came here for. They were, for a lack of a better word, “meh.” The Seared Ahi Tuna was the best of the bunch, and it was only okay. The tuna they use is a bit higher in fat so it was rather chewy. The Baja had a nice flavor but was very dry. Even the Beef Bulgogi (and I’m a sucker for some good bulgogi) wasn’t much to write home about.

The salsa is an interesting consistency, almost like it has a red pepper paste in it. We liked the flavor. The cantina chips stole the show. The guacamole was also pretty decent, but doesn’t hold a candle to a few other places around HR so, again, nothing special.

All in all, Union Taco is average. No bad, but not great. Thus the three stars. Don’t take it as a warning not to go, just don’t go in expecting the best meal or experience of your life. And bring...