Rreal Taco or Rreal TequellIa?

227 Sandy Springs Pl NE #506, Sandy Springs, GA 30328

I admit that I was unaware that Rreal Taco was featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. Shame on me. Found the story on facebook. That should have been an immediate clue that I was not going a normal taco hangout.

One work will come to mind the first time you step into RReal Taco - Tequila. Holy Crap.

Funny, when you see bottles of tequila behind the bar, you kind of forget they serve food.  For me, it took at least five minutes before the sensory overload of pure agave abated.  The first 20 pages of the menu must have been dedicated to variations of margaritas.

I am a sucker for great service.  It’s my line of separation between good food and fine dining.  I really appreciate our server, Dannielle, at RReal – she made a couple of recommendations that were spot on and really helped elevate my first visit.  

We had a hard time deciding on a direction of margarita flavors and went with a sampler of 5 different flavors.  Perfect when you are overloaded by so many options.

My companion – I do not know if there is a spanish word for it, a close approximation would be a taco sommelier.  Definitely got their seal of approval and that is a better endorsement than I could ever give.

My new Spanish word of the evening was elote.  When I first picked it up, my veins and arteries began a chorus of “Baby Don't You Do It” by Marvin Gaye.  The cob weighed 5 pounds from the cream sauce.  I put it back down, daring others to wield this mighty maíz hammer.  It was messy.  It was unhealthy.  It was the best damn thing I had eaten in a long time.

This is not your normal taco place – not by a long shot.  The atmosphere is hip with a little edge.  I would not describe it as a cozy romantic place for 2, but it’s a great place for people to eat.  It’s fun, and it has that vibe that beckons you to pull out a chair, order a margarita, and just hang out.  The dining area is nice.  The light music and the overwhelming bar give it an edgy feel, reminiscent of a downtown Atlanta club.   Looks can be deceiving.  The food has soul - a flair of upscale, but the soul of fine latin street food has not be lost.   It pays homage to latin food, without losing its identity.    How they do that - it is the great mystery.

I have also visited RReal Taco in Chamblee and will catch-up with its own review.  I am happy that my experience at both locations was consistent.  Thumbs up for both locations. The consistency of quality is appreciated.

Chamblee