NY Food Finds- Bartaco

I woke up this morning craving tacos. Like, that severe craving that could only be cured by a fattening visit to your local Taco Bell. My roommates and I decided to switch it up this time and try out a new taco joint near our school. Bartaco (1 Willett Ave., Port Chester, NY 10573) is a relatively new establishment right on the waters edge in Port Chester. As we walked in, there was a certain Hollister-esque decor on the inside, which isn't a bad thing! Lots of woven furniture/lighting elements, pictures depicting the ocean, and some of the seating were benches very close to the ground (which is where we were seated, and that was NOT a good thing; very cramped as a party of five). Our waiter was busy when we got there, so another server came over and explained how Bartaco's ordering system works. You write down in tally marks on small cards on the table, and when you're ready to order you put it on a little stand, the server comes over, and puts in your order. It works well, but takes away from some of the experience of actually having a server. The food came out extremely fast, and that was good, because we were starving.

This is the Large Tray of tacos/guac/tamales/sides.

Bartaco serves a lot of dishes, each of which is a tiny portion, so you should expect to order at least 4 items. They have plenty of Taco options ($2.50 ea/ 3 for $7): Baja Fish, Red Snapper, Thai Shrimp, Tripe, Pork Chili Verde, Pork Cascabel, Tamarind Beef, Tongue, Chicken al Pastor, Spicy Chorizo, Veal, and Portobello with Queso Fresco. They also serve Salads, Tamales, Gorditas, Quesadillas, Soup, Ceviche, Rice Bowls, Rotisserie Chicken, and PLENTY of sides.

We decided to order the Large Tray ($33), which is a chefs assortment of Tacos, Guacamole, Tamales, and various sides. Our tray included 9 Chicken/Pork/Red Snapper Tacos, 2 Chicken Tamales, Guacamole, and for sides the Chipotle Slaw, Spicy Cucumber Salad, and Pickled Carrots, Onions, and Jalapenos. All of the Tacos were good, the Red Snapper was definitely not my favorite though. The Chicken Tamales and the Guac were my very favorite thing that were on the Tray. I haven't had many tamales in my life, so I'm not sure if these are the best ones around town, but the chicken was tender and the masa was perfectly seasoned; they basically melted in your mouth. 

The entrance of Bartaco.

So, Bartaco. The Hollister of restaurants. Would I go back? Probably not. The restaurant was filled with servers and other various employees that seemed to look busy but weren't actually doing anything. It took us 15 minutes to get acknowledged at our table. My drink was great, but it came out after some of the food made it to the table (a BIG no-no in my book). The food, while good, wasn't necessarily worth the money that they charge for the tiny portions.