Good Eats On A College Budget

Now that I have been in Tampa for a few years, and have worked in the restaurant industry most of my life, I have explored various restaurants in the Tampa Bay Area. Being a college student can be rough on our wallets which is inconvenient during this time in our young lives. Wanting to go out and grab a few drinks, or having a meal can sometimes be tough. In college, one thing me and my friends always do when we want to catch up, or spend time together is going out to eat. But sometimes eating out on a budget can be difficult. Between Downtown Tampa, Hyde Park and South Howard there are multiple restaurants to choose from, but when it is time to choose what you want to eat, at our age it often comes down to price.

I decided to evaluate what restaurants I enjoy that hit these three categories:

• Good food

• Reasonable prices

• Great atmosphere

• Cleanliness

When it came down to it, I immediately thought of one of my family’s favorite places to eat in Tampa, Bar Taco. But this time, I decided to take my best friend with me to show her why I think it is so good.

Bar Taco is located in Hyde Park. Hyde Park consists of shopping, restaurants and a great place to walk around. If you’re looking to grab a coffee, or have a nice dinner, Hyde Park is a great spot to find what you’re looking for. If you want to go shopping, Hyde Park has a great variety of stores to look at. It’s a beautiful area and is very safe.

Bar Taco is a casual restaurant with street-style food, a bar, and has inside and outdoor seating areas. The atmosphere is so authentic, from the light fixtures, to the wooden bench tables, you can clearly tell this restaurant is different than most.

In days without COVID-19, you could walk in, get sat and order your food. The ordering process consisted of a checklist. You would choose what tacos, or items that you wanted and that is how your server took your order. You also have a blue card that you can put in its stand to notify your waiter/waitress that you need service. The process was unique and memorable, it was something that made them stand out in Hyde Park. The staff dresses in white and blue flannels and are incredibly knowledgeable about the menu items.

This time was different, but although this visit I took was different, it was just as good of an experience as my past experiences at Bar Taco.

When you walk into the restaurant, you get sat inside or inside. Upon entering you need a mask until to follow COVID-19 precautions. The restaurant is impeccably clean, which is always important in the restaurant industry. Once seated, the ordering process is very modern. There is a QR code placed on the table that you can scan with your phone. Once you scan the QR code you are taken to an online menu and can pay directly from your phone. All you need to do is select what items you’d like to your cart and simply check out. The process doesn’t take more than 5 minutes.

Bar Taco has an array of drinks, tacos, sides, rice bowls, guacamole, salsa and more. The best way to experience Bar Taco is by going with friends, ordering all their different types of tacos, and sharing them.

They have beverages that are alcoholic and non-alcoholic. They have margaritas, paloma fresca, sangria, beer and wine. For non-alcoholic beverages they have soda, iced tea, lemonade and juice. The menu has a wide range of tacos such as mojo pork, roasted brussels, spiced chicken verde, falafel, tuna, baja fish, corvina, oyster, sesame ribeye, duck, and pork belly. Their guacamole and salsa is some of the best I have tried in the Tampa area. And if you like dessert, their churros come with a chocolate dipping sauce which is to die for.

During this outing, I wanted to get a decent amount of food at a good price, because for college students this is important. I ordered a baja fish taco, a pork belly taco and a side of street corn. For my beverage I had a diet coke, although the margaritas are amazing. I would highly recommend getting a cocktail during your visit. If you’re not looking to sit down at a table, Bar Taco has a full bar where you can sit, relax and drink a cocktail and munch on some food. They also do to-go orders, if you want to take your food home or go sit outside to eat in the heart of Hyde Park.

The food comes out on little tin trays, the trays consist of the tacos you ordered and your server will identify which taco is which for you. The silverware is given to you in a paper bag to ensure the cleanliness and safety precautions they are taken.

If you are someone who thinks it is important to be COVID-19 cautious, I highly recommend going to Bar Taco.

I have been to restaurants in the Tampa Bay area where employees don’t properly wear their masks, which can be uncomfortable for guests during these unprecedented times.

I will say the pork belly taco was by far my favorite, I wanted to try something new and I am glad I did. If you like pickled onions, the pickled onions on top of the pork belly taco really added a lot of flavor. If you’re like me and enjoy something spicy, Bar Taco offers three different hot sauces, habanero, jalapeno, and roja. The roja was my favorite, because it had a kick of spice, but was also sweet. As for the street corn, Bar Tacos street corn is the best I have ever had. It is a great side to get if you only have a few tacos, because it leaves you feeling full.

The best part of all of this, was that my total was only $14.78, and that was with a 20% tip.

I had a great time getting dinner with my best friend, and the food was just how I remembered it. There is nothing better than consistency when it comes to going to your favorite restaurant. My best friend tried the pork belly taco and finally realized what all of the Bar Taco hype was about. My friend enjoyed it so much, she asked me when we can go back with the rest of our friends.

Bar Taco is somewhere you can go with friends, family, children or on a date. The atmosphere makes it a relaxed, fun place to hangout inside, or in the sun. And most importantly, the COVID-19 precautions make your experience easy and stress free.