Tahona Reviews

Amazing quesabirria taco. Really good tequila Margarita. The menu is small but the food speaks for itself. Anthony was my waiter and he was very patient and knowledgeable

Mexican food and restaurants are usually known for exceptional service, bold flavor, and good value. Tahona offers indifferent service, "meh" and "underwhelming" flavors (to use quotes from previous reviews that I second), and not much value at all for the price. What we liked: -flavors of cocktails- obviously hand-made and all that -mezcal selection And that's it! Maybe our server was having a bad day but sheesh: not-friendly, not interested in sharing information about the place, and did nothing to make us feel comfortable.

Sharing plates is a great way to experience this unique Mexican restaurant. The margarita's are great. The octopus was divine. They a have a unique tortilla very thick not sure about that.

I love a good Mezcal.. heard they had tasting flights here. YUP !!! an amazing selection and steven really knew his stuff. had a great tasting and education at same time. cant yet comment on the food, maybe next time.

I reconnected with a high school friend during my visit to San Diego. We came here for appetizers and drinks, and we were underwhelmed. We ordered their signature guacamole and empanadas for appetizers, and they were not good. The margaritas and sangria were decent, but we both were not satisfied with our visit overall.

The first word that comes to mind is the creativity. There is a new trend in Mexican food in which the food is obviously prepared by trained chefs with local fresh ingredients. This restaurant is part of the new trend. My wife and I like the more traditional Mexican food but we also like this level of food. This is more of dinning experience instead of just getting a meal. We loved it and will go back. The atmosphere was comfortable, the service was excellent.

The food here is good but way over priced due to being in a tourist area. We got seated outside which was nice but very sunny. They need to invest in umbrellas for sunny San Diego. They had tons of heaters but zero shade. We ordered: -Chips and salsa - came with red and green salsa -Guacamole - had lots of lime juice, we didn’t mind. -Mole sampler - made in house, tastes like chocolate dessert, really good but didn’t come with chips. We used the chips from our salsa. -Empanadas - had lots of fillings -scallops - the best! I wanted more. -Fish tacos - tasty but not worth $10 for a tiny street taco size that was finished in three bites. For drinks I got the Jugo Sano which sounded refreshing with cucumber, basil, lime and tequila. It was not refreshing but bitter strong.

Our group tried a variety of appetizers and tacos. Great food, beverages and service - the trifecta!

We had late dinner reservations elsewhere but wanted to get a little somethin' so we could walk around Old Town for 90 minutes or so before dinner. Tahona was just opening for the evening, so we ducked in. We sat at the bar as the trio of bartenders were getting their provisions ready for the evening. What a surprise--and a true treat. Big tip o' the hat to Carlos, who schooled us on mezcal and made a fabulous round of speciality cocktails. The octopus ceviche was excellent, tender and perfectly presented. This place deserves to succeed--and we definitely would love to return sometime soon to try out the dinner menu--as well as hang out with Carlos at the bar.

This is a favorite spot. The service, food, ambiance is so good. The squash blossoms, carnitas, moctails and quad and chips are just amazing, from apps to main courses and yes dessert it’s just a divine experience!

Five of us were looking forward to trying this Mezcal/Oaxaca restaurant. A mezcal flight was ussgested so tow of us started with that, and they were fair. We never really oucld read about them because they never brought a mezcal menu. As far as we know, those 6 are the only ones that had. The anijitos were fair, nothing outstanding. It went down hill from thee. The second beer for one of us took forever to be poured. When we asked for more chips, they provided, but took away the salsas which were not finished and never bothered replacing. We ordered our main courses, and they were brought out slowly as separate items, like we were really five tables of one. One dinner took so long that the rest of us, despite slowing down, were at least half way finished before it showed up. They did make that entry complimentary but never offered any explanation for the rediculous delay. As to the quality of the food, for the price it was very small, and not well formed. See the picture of the Pork Belly Negro Taco, a lump of pork belly on the tortilla, for $6, or $5.33 if you bought the three tacos. The Pulpo and Pipian was tasty, but see that picture as well. Minimal for $17. I cannot recommend this experience based not the poor service, and excessive prices.

I don't know. I haven't eaten at all of them. But Tahona Bar HAS to be a serious contender. A modern and addictively delicious adaptation of traditional ingredients and flavors. We came by for an early afternoon bite and drink (they just started 1pm service on Saturday). We loved it so much we went back for dinner. Zach runs an incredible place with attention to detail. The food came out fast (even with a full dining room) and was meticulously plated and presented. The seasonal guacamole was a treat - very unique and effective flavor combinations; the molé flight is a must!; the tempura squash blossoms were insane and unlike anything I've tasted before; tacos were fairly-priced for what you get - and so delicious; the shrimp en la playa tasted lovely, bright, and fresh. For dessert we indulged on the churros with two amazing dipping sauces (dulce de lecha and a champurrado-style one), chocoflan, and the lime semifreddo "Carlota" which is like a cross between a cheesecake, a key lime pie, and flan... but sophisticated. Be sure to accompany dessert with a small glass of Nixta (a Mexican corn liqueur). You're welcome. The cocktails are well balanced and refreshing, and we also heard raves from other tables. Don't be afraid to ask about the mezcals. My wife and I did the Mexican States Mezcal tasting flight. Zach delivered it with an informative map touching on the family distillery and tasting notes. He's done his research in person. His knowledge and the tasting flight definitely expanded my mezcal knowledge and went well with every dish. Sit outside or in. Bar, main dining, or mezcal room. Evening can get noisy depending upon the inebriation level of the other guests, which was the only issue we encountered. We did notice a few couples who looked a bit disappointed (us included) by the loud and crass language happening at a large table. Once they left, the place felt much more relaxed, and the spirit of the establishment matched the spirit of the food and the impressive knowledge, care, and attention that goes into its preparation. I will be back, this time with more friends and family.

Food was underwhelming. Maybe the lack of non vegetarian options had a role to play but the recommendations from our waiter weren’t appreciated by any one from our party. Mole was mediocre. Empanadas weren’t great. Tacos were underwhelming. Sopesitos were great though. Great mescal bar on a plus note.

From the decor to the food to the attentive and friendly service, dinner at Tahona is a rewarding experience. It's not just another Old Town restaurant; it's unique, with a focus on Oaxacan food and mezcal. Everyone in my party of eight enjoyed learning about and sampling mezcal, the service was wonderful, and the food was both delicious (shishito peppers and fish tacos in particular) and beautifully presented.

We had a terrific experience at Tahona….our server, Trevor, was fantastic, the food was excellent and the dining room was artsy and fun. Tahona is the only full Mezcal bar in Old Town, and they are serving creative Mexican food with a Oaxacan influence, using sourced local ingredients. We lucked out….it was Tuesday Taco night, so all the apps and some of the tacos were half priced. We probably spent more on alcohol than we did on food! My husband had a delicious octopus ceviche. I took advantage of the Tuesday taco offerings. I had the ahi tuna tostado….a really special dish. The raw tuna was marinated, and then chopped like a carpaccio. The mix was then spread on a blue taco, and topped with drops of guacamole and pickled onion and carrots. I then had the beef barbacoa, shredded beef with Oaxaca cheese, cilantro and tomatillo sauce. The dish was really tasty, with maybe a hint of mole or chocolate. I then tried the maitake mushroom and cauliflower with a mole negro, almonds,pickled red onion and sesame seeds….the dish was good, but the flavors didn’t meld as well as the tuna tostado. There’s a really interesting drink menu, most of the cocktails based around mezcal. Trevor steered me to the Bien Picardo, which was mezcal, watermelon juice, and ginger, topped with a slice of dried pineapple. If you have a chance, don’t miss this enjoyable dining experience.

We had just come from a Mezcal tasting and they recommended this restaurant as a fun place that makes many drink options with Mezcal. They didn't disappoint. We did the sample multi-course meal for two. It was very delicious. The service was excellent as well. We had a wonderful time.

It wasn’t very crowded so thought we would try it. Only 2 waiters working, had a couple delayed items but once the arrived...food was delicious. Not much items to choose for the picky eaters, got quesadillas (not on the menu) Omg.. so good. Got some guacamole with fried crickets.. homemade chicharrones & chips.. it was all so delicious and although they were short staffed at the moment they did a wonderful job!

So good; we ate here twice in one week. The cocktails are amazing and the entrées are really, really good.

The worst experience I've had in a really long time. Do not waste your time at this place. There are so many better opinions for real and great Mexican food. Service-1 star Food-2 stars Vibe-0 stars Manager- minus 10 stars We spent over $700 on dinner and drinks and were told we had 5 minutes to vacate our table. After horribly slow and below average service. We waited 15 minutes for anyone to even come to our table and then they want US to leave quickly. What a joke. The Manager spent his whole night at the table next to us and never even acknowledged any other table. I then tried to explain my frustration to him and his comment was "have a good night. " They will fail. Spend your time and money somewhere (anywhere) else.

Skip all of the other Mexican restaurants in town – this place is not to be missed. Make sure you get a reservation as they are very busy. They have a wonderful selection of Mezcal and some very inventive cocktails if you want to venture away from mezcal Margarita. We had a wonderful guacamole and chips to start. The ahi tostada is not to be missed and the mole is AMAZING!! Wonderful atmosphere where you sit inside or outside and the wait staff is impeccable

Really mixed experience of this place. Very charming interior, nicely done. Had a reservation but could see that they hadn’t prepared for our arrival as there were no table matching the number of people in our party. Interesting drink menu and everyone was happy with their choice. Food wise from a great corn croquettes to pretty good moles and tacos. Once again everyone was happy with the food as well. From a mezcal perspective a huge list of different makes but they don’t have them all, which was disappointing especially since we wanted to splurge. Service wise, very spotty or rather not good at all. Took forever to get the check and when it arrived the check was incorrect but fixed without a problem. Would I come back here again? Yes I would.

This is now my new favorite Mexican restaurant, in SoCal. Tahona was such a great experience, from the moment we walked in. We were greeted by the hostess, Emily, she was super friendly and very welcoming. Our waiter, Richard, was also friendly, welcoming and helpful when it came time to order our food and bev. Richard made outstanding recommendations for both food and drinks...so did Emily by the way, the empanadas and mole flight were on point!!!!! To wrap up our night, we had the churro s'mores and cheesecake with a shot of Pescador de Sueños mezcal (best mezcal I have had in the states and in Mexico). During our visit we learned Tahona's owners are very active in giving back, they partner with non profit Organization called Corazon de Vida. An organization dedicated to helping orphans in Mexico with shelter, food and education. Tahona indeed is the whole package: great staff, great service, great food, great beverage and great HUMANITARIANS!!!!!

For lovers of the Mezcales this is Paradise, a tasting with experience, knowledge and respect for the culture of the Agave de México. An opportunity to meet, learn and know the world of the Mezcales

Overcharged $32 on our bill (didn't notice because all the items looked right, but they sneakily put in 3 orders of 3 tacos), and restaurant has been unresponsive in making it right. I have messaged via Google, I have called and left a message, I have tried calling again and get the busy signal, and now I suppose I am resorting to negative reviews because this is absolutely ridiculous. Food was deece, but service was lacking and impersonal, making the whole experience very mediocre for what you're paying for.