ROCTACO ‘Til You Drop
Food
248 S Edison St, Salt Lake City
Mon–Thu: 11:00 a.m.– 9:00 p.m.
Fri–Sat: 11:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.
(801) 905-8016 | roctaco.com
Tucked away in one of the alleys of Salt Lake’s hip and artsy downtown hub stands the artistic and eclectic ROCTACO. From the moment you arrive, the restaurant’s creative spirit is clear, showcasing art made from repurposed materials and flaunting graffiti, stickers and murals across every surface while boasting a unique menu full of experimental taco delights.
ROCTACO’s menu is broken down by meat choice, with options such as BIRD, HOG, COW and SEA AND EARTH. Since it was my first time visiting, I wanted to try a variety of their meat options, so I ordered the HOLY KALBI, AMY HATES FISH and LEBANESE BLONDE. I also picked up a side of elote and a churro for dessert. My date, a ROCTACO frequent flyer, ordered pork quesadillas and a couple of the BANH MIJO tacos ($4.90) to try out, finishing up with a bottled lime Jarritos to complement the meal.
I started with the Korean-inspired taco, the HOLY KALBI ($4.90), which comprises Korean bulgogi, purple cabbage, green onion and pickled jalapeno with a “srirajang” sauce—likely a combination of gochujang and sriracha. As an overall combination, these ingredients work well together, but I found the bulgogi to be lacking in flavor. It was appropriately sweet but missing the balance of the savory flavors usually found in bulgogi. I also expected a bit more of the sauce, which tasted like a sriracha mayo but with underwhelming spice. The highlight of the dish for me was the crunch of the cabbage. The taco was decent overall, but left me longing for more flavor.
Next up on the menu was AMY HATES FISH ($4.90), a taco made with fried fish, chipotle lime sauce, purple cabbage and salsa on a corn tortilla. This taco was an absolute delight to eat. The sauce and salsa were the perfect combination of sour and spicy, which complemented the clear and bright flavor of the perfectly fried and fresh-tasting fish. This taco is bursting with flavor and was my absolute favorite of the night.
The LEBANESE BLONDE ($4.90) is a vegetarian taco that uses juustoleipä cheese as the primary protein. To bring it all together, it also has a citrus tabbouleh, pickled red onions and a creamy cilantro sauce. This was the most unique taco that I tried. The overall combination of flavors was good, and the tabbouleh was especially tasty. The grilled juustoleipä, however, has a richness that isn’t quite cut by the delightful pickled onions and has a distracting texture in the taco—it’s quite thick and squishy. It doesn’t feel nor taste like cheese and it certainly doesn’t replace meat in a palatable way. Perhaps another form of protein or a delicious vegetable could make this veggie taco a winner.
As for the menu items that are not tacos, the elotes ($4) tasted like garlic bread and could have used some more spice. The churro I snagged for dessert ($3.49) was extremely flavorful and fried to a perfect crunch. My date praised the BANH MIJO, saying it was the best dish he had from the restaurant. ROCTACO’s menu is just as creative and unique as their decor, proving their concept runs throughout every aspect of the business.
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