The Early Word on Nico's Taco & Tequila Bar: 'Disappointed Was an Understatement'

This week, Cecely Meller at Heavy Table reports on her visit to recently-opened, Nico's Taco and Tequila Bar. Housed in the former (and seemingly fateful) Birdhouse/Duplex space on Hennepin, Nico's is still in a soft opening phase, and while Meller finds a few things to like, she finds much more that's not up to par, from the food and drinks to the "logo's circa-1996-blog-font (and a few typos)" to the scarcity of beer.

On the bacon guacamole (Tocino Guacamole): "Spoiler Alert: Bad choice. Expecting crispy, smoky bits of bacon, we ended up gnawing on rubber. A face came over both of us. The face you make when you see Miley Cyrus twerk—you're not quite sure what's going on, but you just know it's foul."

On the margaritas: the La Granada margarita (Cabrito Blanco tequila, blood orange, pomegranate, yuzu, and scratch sweet and sour) "fell short—way short," but the chile de arbol margarita (fresh lime, agave nectar, ancho pepper) earned back "a few brownie points."

On the tacos: As a whole, "Disappointed was an understatement." The nopales (cactus) taco was "a mushy, one-note nosh" and the carnitas "was just OK."

Meller did like the shrimp ceviche tostado ("refreshing and well balanced") and gave a nod to Nico's "friendly service and a charming atmosphere." Overall, though: "Nico's is like New Year's Eve. You really want to like it, but afterward you just feel dissatisfied and irked you spent the money."
· Nico's Taco and Tequila Bar in Uptown Minneapolis [Heavy Table]
· All Coverage of Nico's Taco and Tequila Bar [Eater MPLS]