It’s been quite some time since tacos made the leap from sidewalk fare to posh eateries, and we proudly stake our claim on the Tex-Mex variety. But Rock ‘n’ Taco, the new late night joint that popped up last week in the old Rocco’s Pizza venue next to nightclub Aura, exhibits more of a Cali-Mex style. No one in Uptown seems to mind.
The place has definitely been revamped for the new concept. Aura’s owner bought the adjacent space and put in some skylights in the vaulted ceilings, decked out the patio and threw in hot pink and cowhide details for good measure. I hightailed it over there Saturday afternoon to get a seat before the US v Ghana game (sigh). My hunch paid off, as the place filled up to mass capacity in minutes, the crowd, mostly young euro-ish guys with studded Affliction shirts and Aviators, spilling out through the glass partitions that open to the patio and McKinney Ave.
The waitresses are hot and petite and tan and usually pierced or tattooed, donning tiny black onesies with pink bras hanging out (this may have just been true with our gal. But seriously, try not to look when she’s bending over the table to deliver you the margaritas.) Ah, the margs. We ordered the house editions that were strong but ultimately neon-green in color and not so tasty. They offer a full bar, supplying the usual boozy faves with a couple odd sounding rum drinks and a frozen margarita called “The Shocker.”
Staying true to their theme, Rock ‘n’ Taco lists quite a few menu items named after musical greats (depending on who you ask). There’s the Beach Boys Baja fish tacos, the Elvis Brisket tacos, the Sublime tacos with banana-leaf braised pork shoulder, and the John Lennon taco for the vegetarians out there. Main courses include The Hendrix, The Zeppelin and The Van Halen, all which sound extremely scrumptious and might just live up to their legendary titles.
Even if the waitresses have never heard of them.
