You could say that Pretty Little Tacos’ caterpillar stage was as a food truck, before moving into its cocoon stage as a stall at Colony Square’s Politan Row food hall.
Now, the restaurant has emerged as a beautiful, pink butterfly on Moreland Avenue in Atlanta’s Reynoldstown neighborhood.
The pinkness of the restaurant cannot be overstated; almost everything inside it is pink, including the walls, the tables, the food baskets and even the takeout bags. In contrast to Politan Row’s natural wood tones, restaurateur Michaela Merrick now presents a highly saturated, Barbiecore vision.
Credit: Courtesy of Michaela Merrick
Credit: Courtesy of Michaela Merrick
Certainly, Pretty Little Tacos does not deal in subtlety. The restaurant is meant to be fun, a philosophy reflected in everything from the decor to the loud music to the ebullient service.
If the food wasn’t good, it all might feel like a gimmick. But the cooking matches the energy of the space. The portions are big, the flavors are intense and the prices are reasonable.
One of the more impressive dishes on the menu is the fried avocado appetizer. The delightfully crunchy, savory breading was beautifully fried each time I tried this dish, but that would mean nothing if the large slices of avocado weren’t exactly the right buttery flavor and creamy texture. Someone in that kitchen is a master at picking out a perfectly ripe avocado.
Credit: Henri Hollis
Credit: Henri Hollis
The guacamole also was excellent, but Pretty Little Tacos sometimes runs out, since it’s made fresh each day. In fact, quite a few dishes were not available on each of my visits; they apparently have a few logistical kinks to work out.
The main dishes mostly were available, and the tacos plainly were the star of the show. Pretty Little Tacos specializes in birria-style tacos, which are based on the traditional red Mexican beef stew. Tortillas are stuffed with beef and cheese and then fried hard, so the filling melts together and the exterior becomes crispy. They are served with a dipping sauce, or consommé, usually made from the stew’s broth.
Credit: Henri Hollis
Credit: Henri Hollis
The brilliantly executed tacos can be ordered individually and with or without consommé. If you order a trio, the consommé is thrown in for free.
The restaurant also specializes in oxtail birria, melding together Mexican, Southern and Caribbean influences. Oxtail seems apropos, since traditional Mexican birria often was made with inexpensive, widely available goat meat.
The quesabirria options, available only at the stand-alone Moreland Avenue location, are similar but use a larger tortilla and more cheese to make a wonderfully crunchy quesadilla. Any of the birria choices — which include oxtail, steak, chicken, shrimp and vegan — also can be ordered in the form of ramen. The huge helpings of stew and noodles allow diners to luxuriate in the rich birria flavors.
Credit: Henri Hollis
Credit: Henri Hollis
The stand-alone Pretty Little Tacos also has a full bar, which is not offered at the Politan Row location. Many of the drinks lean toward the sweeter side, but the bartenders use real fruit juice in the house-made syrups to keep the sugar from being overwhelming.
While the cocktails tend to be riffs on such classics as margaritas and whiskey sours, creative names and serving vessels add to the fun. The pretty little margarita, for example, is a passionfruit version served in a perfume-like bottle, while a pink rum punch, known as a pretty mess, is served in a miniature replica of a roll-away trash can.
The vivacious spirit of Pretty Little Tacos already has earned the restaurant a following, and the Moreland Avenue location will allow it to spread its wings.
Most importantly, the tacos are good, even if tasty is a better description than pretty. It’s also a restaurant that exudes positive vibes and creates a party-like atmosphere, without costing an arm and a leg.
Pretty Little Tacos takes all the right things seriously and has fun with the rest, a philosophy that has proved successful so far, and hopefully will inspire imitators.
PRETTY LITTLE TACOS
2 out of 4 stars (very good)
Food: Tex-Mex and Southern fusion
Service: friendly, energetic and attentive
Noise level: loud
Recommended dishes: fried avocado, guacamole, quesabirrias, all OG and birria tacos, Cajun fried cauliflower taco, oxtail birria ramen
Vegetarian dishes: fried avocado, street corn ribs, dip trio, taco salad bowl, burrito bowl, vegan OG taco, vegan juicy birria taco, Cajun fried cauliflower taco, churros, peach cobbler empanadas
Alcohol: full bar
Price range: $$ ($50 or less, excluding drinks)
Hours: 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Sundays
Accessibility: ADA-compliant, with easy-to-move tables and chairs
Parking: free lot
MARTA: half-mile from Inman Park/Reynoldstown Station
Reservations: no
Outdoor dining: yes, covered patio seating
Takeout: yes
Address, phone: 45 Moreland Avenue SE, Atlanta. 470-701-6294
Website: prettylittletacos.com
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s dining critics conduct reviews anonymously. Reservations are not made in their name, nor do they provide restaurants with advance notice about their visits. Our critics always make multiple visits, sample the full range of the menu and pay for all of their meals. AJC dining critics wait at least one month after a new restaurant has opened before visiting.
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