Tio's Tacos

Hi!
A friend took me to Tio's Tacos in Riverside today for a belated birthday lunch. If you have never been, you HAVE to go!

This is, without a doubt, the most outrageous restaurant I have ever been to! The five star review is as much about the ambience as anything else!

Don't get me wrong. My food was good. I had three carnitas street tacos. They were on taco Tuesday special for $1.99 each! The deal of the century! Especially in today's price climate! The tacos were not the tiny street tacos I was expecting. They were full sized corn tortillas. A nice portion of meat, onions, cilantro and salsa. Quite tasty and a great deal. I also had an ice tea. $3.99! PRICEY! And they charge for refills! I would normally knock a star off for charging for refills on an already overpriced drink. But, again, the rating is mostly for the ambiance!

The service was good. You order at a counter and they bring the food to you. I suggest you sit out at the patio. Waiting for your food gives you a chance to look around!

There are unusual art pieces all over the place. Sculptures everywhere you look! Make sure you look closely at what everything is made of. I don't want to spoil it. Just go!!!!

You really have to experience this place!!!

Jim

The food isn't what you come for. It's the art, photo ops, and outdoor seating areas.
Garden and outdoor area is nice. Not for kids to play. Everything is art from recycled materials which can be delicate.
You might find broken glass and trip in your sandals.
As a former local it was one of the best spots but now it's just gentrified?

Jazz versions of pop punk music? It's kinda strange since i remember the good ol days with banda blaring.
AGAIN Dont expect good tasting food. It's bland and the salsa bar is MILD at best.

Ok so let's talk about Tio's Tacos in Riverside, it is a hype because the food is not the best. Service is pretty weird though not organized at all and the set up is not best practices or convenient at all.

I tried a taco al pastor and it was ok, I shared the camarones al mojo de ajo with my son and the flavor was different not rhetorical best Ive ever had tasted most salty. My son had the kids nuggets.
My daughter had the mole chicken enchiladas and she stated they didn't taste authentic at all she left half the plate.

We also shared chips w/ guacamole and salsa and they were not that great the guacamole tasted like it was fake like from a bag don't know how to explain it and salsa was like it came out of a can. Total for all was $90. Salsa bar was not maintained and did not look appetizing at all.

However the artwork is unique and we did enjoy exploring around after dinner.

So we gave it a 3 out of 5 for the Art.

Impeccable service and delicious food!!
Our party of 8 came in for lunch. We were seated promptly and drinks served. The waiter was knowledge and made recommendations.although we went for lunch something as simple as tacos were the best I have ever had

Decent tacos. Really good pickled onions. Vibes were fun but I dont know if I would really ever return back unless it was convenient. Service was mediocre. Oh yeah, meats were okay. Not the best or worst. On the midline.

Great Place!!!! Sooooo many things to look at. Make sure when you go read all the signs. The employees were super nice and grateful that we were there. So many places to sit and it took a while to decide where to sit. Everything there was so random but that's what makes the place fun to eat at.
The torta I ate was great with a lot of flavor and my friend enjoyed his wet burrito. There were so many Agua Frescas to choose from. If you are going with a lot of people the parking is very scarce, but when you come don't be overwhelmed. Take your time and look around. The food also comes out fast.

The hard shell taco was very good. The employees were fast and friendly. And the decor will keep you busy. Definitely worth the stop and don't forget to have agua Fresca ( you can mix flavors together)I had mango and pineapple . They were busy and lots of pictures being taken

To us LA people, we think we have the best of the best but coming from one snooty LA gal, I have to humble myself to one of the coolest, most artistic Mexican restaurants I've ever encountered.

I can go on all day about the creative artwork all over the large restaurant space (which by the way is located on two large properties), but the food is pretty damn good too. It's hard to find unique tastes and flavors when it comes to Mexican food but Tio's has a salsa bar with some of the best red and green salsa I've ever tasted. Plus there are like 20 different agua frescas to choose from! On a beautiful day, you can sit outside in the spacious outdoor area and marvel at the colors around you. Parking is in the back or you can park at the library for like $2. Seriously my new spot for when I'm in the IE!

The crazy part is.... We didn't even eat here! The aesthetics itself were enough to hold us for some time. So much beautiful decorative art around this place.

There is a blurb mentioning it is Martin Sanchez who came here from Mexico in 1984 and used old trash like bottles to create all these statues/art. Apparently he's a chef also which is rly impressive!

Very cool ambiance. Decor is so beautiful and traditional. Service and employees were nice as well. Food was ok. I really enjoyed having good time in outside patio.