Talkin’ Tacos - Tampa, FL
Located in Tampa, FL, Talkin’ Tacos has been open for almost three months as of this review, with a grand opening in August 2024.
A new location for a chain based in Miami, Talkin’ Tacos has a unique “look at me” vibe with a large social media presence. Mind you, my feed is pretty loaded with taco restaurants, but for the last two months I’ve seen numerous posts from Talkin’ Tacos own accounts as well as various influencer collaborations spouting high praise; Even Googling “Talkin’ Tacos Tampa” shows the headline “Best Tacos in Tampa” - a pretty bold statement…. but can they possibly back up that claim? Read on to find out….
Google Search Headline for Talkin’ Tacos
Located in an typical Florida strip mall in the vicinity of University of South Florida’s main Tampa campus, Talkin’ Tacos is one of many food options to choose from, but to my knowledge it’s the only one claiming to have the best tacos in town. Keep in mind, I’ll never claim to be a good photographer, in reality I’m an amateur on my best days, and this spot was incredibly hard to photograph given their aesthetic.
Black from floor to ceiling, filled with neon signs, colorful murals, and various blacklights amongst other bits of interesting decor, Talkin’ Tacos put off cosmic bowling or night club vibes more than a taco restaurant. But if I’m being honest, that’s one of the things that piqued my interest. It was a cool vibe, and we were hopeful the tacos would match the bold aesthetic.
Upon entering, we were pointed to the two tablet kiosks as the only way to place orders. There was an employee standing by to assist, and thankfully they weren’t too busy when we visited as I’d imagine that having only two order kiosks in a busy college town may lead to some long waits during more popular times. There wasn’t a ton of employee engagement, so it felt like ordering Uber Eats while in the restaurant if that makes any sense.
Talkin’ Tacos - Jalapeno Taki Queso & Chips
First Bites
The Jalapeno Taki Queso & Chips
We decided to order this after seeing the option on the menu and finding it visually appealing. To their credit, it looked pretty close to what we saw on the menu, and we were excited to try it. The queso itself was topped with cilantro, cheese, and Taki crumbles and made to look like the flag of Mexico. The chips were pretty good, with a decent crunch and the right balance of salt.
The queso itself started strong with the Taki crumbles and cheese topping adding a good balance of flavors and texture, but that excitement soon faded.
Please trust me when I say I’ve had a variety of quesos, and this my friends, in my opinion should not be included among them, nor should it be classified as a queso. It is absolutely more along the lines of nacho cheese. A thick consistency with flavors that bring you back to elementary school, skating rinks, and overpriced stadium food, this was very disappointing for our first impression of what was to come. Once the realization came, we nibbled on the chips but pretty much left the “queso” alone.
Crunching the Numbers:
The Tacothority Scorecard
Our taco rating system runs from 0 to 10, where 5 is perfectly average, and 10 is pure taco nirvana. A 0 is the dreaded "Sad Taco"—so bad you’d prefer last week's leftovers. A 5 is a neutral, forgettable taco, while anything above that ranges from decent (6-7) to almost perfect (8-9). A 10 is the ultimate taco experience—flawless in every way.
Talkin’ Tacos - Three Amigos - Caribbean Carne, Carne Pastor, Chicken Achiote
The Three Amigos
Of note - Talkin’ Tacos serves no pork products, so I wasn’t able to order the traditional variety that we do for a consistent review, so I ended up with two steak varieties and a chicken.. They also only have tacos available to order in groups of three, either all of the same variety ranging from $12.99 to $14.99, or allowing you to order any three for $13.99, and additional tacos for $4.99.
Caribbean Carne - 4.5
The Caribbean Carne looked appealing, and since almost all of the tacos were rather unique, I chose it in favor of the traditional Carne Asada. Marinated steak with sliced plantains, avocado salsa and cotija cheese, it sounded interesting. A battle of sweet flavors, both the plantains and the steak itself had an overly sweet flavors, and just seemed to be missing a proper balance.
Carne Pastor - 5.4
As stated above, Talkin’ Tacos doesn’t serve pork, so I chose a Carne Pastor to serve in place of the traditional Pork al Pastor. It was an interesting take, paired with pineapple, pickled onion, avocado salsa, and cotija cheese. The tortilla was yellow corn, a bit greasy, and missing the perfect texture you look for in a tortilla. The steak was a bit dry but didn’t taste bad. The avocado salsa helped, but also felt like “too much” with competing flavors, so much so that I couldn’t even taste the pineapple over the avocado salsa.
Chicken Achiote 4.5
The Chicken Achiote had chunks of chicken thigh, avocado salsa, pickled onions, and cotija cheese. It wasn’t a “horrible” taco, but the chicken lacked some flavor, and the avocado salsa once again overpowered everything, while still wishing for more flavor from the other components.
Talkin’ Tacos - Mahi Mahi
The Wildcard
Going beyond the usual lineup, The Wildcard is the taco that stands out—whether it’s the restaurant’s go-to recommendation or just one that caught my eye. It’s the bonus option that brings something different to the plate.
Mahi Mahi- 5.1
Mahi Mahi is a fish you can find at almost any Florida seafood restaurant and it’s a fish I typically enjoy, so I decided to give this one a shot. A corn tortilla, red cabbage, avocado salsa, spicy mayo and pico de gallo, this had a lot of stuff and I was worried it would overpower the fish, a common mistake in making fish tacos.
I was disappointed initially at the small size of the fried piece of fish, barely sticking out from the other components piled on top, and my fears were realized. The flavors were okay, but the fish was lost, overwhelmed by everything else. Even though the fish was fried, there was virtually no crunch outside of the cabbage. It was mid…as the kids say, and one I didn’t particularly love when reminiscing on other fish tacos like those at Reyna’s or Los Chiludos that really hit the spot compared to this one.
Final Thoughts
This one was surprising; I was really looking forward to trying Talkin’ Tacos, but I wasn’t a fan. The concept is clearly geared towards a younger crowd, drawing people in with the unique atmosphere, but all it did was get my hopes up.
Sometimes when looking at things, it’s best to subtract. Simple is better most of the time, and the food at Talkin’ Tacos could benefit from some simplication. Everything had too much stuff, namely the avocado salsa that just overpowered everything and made for messy bites.
I should also note that my wife who LOVES birria tacos couldn’t finish half of the one she ordered, and upon tasting it myself, I found it to be bland, dry, and stringy, with almost no flavor, and even the consomme it was served with left much to be desired.
Perhaps this is just growing pains, or unique to the Tampa location, and maybe we’ll try again one day, but for now, this is a spot that can be skipped in my own opinion.
