Restaurant review: La Revolución Taqueria Y Cantina

Taquerias are hip right now all across the country, so it’s no surprise to me that someone decided to open one on Main Street in Louisville—La Revolución Taqueria y Cantina brings the trend to one of the most happening strips of restaurant real estate in Boulder County.

La Revolución set up shop in the space occupied by the Cactus Wheel, next to the Texas BBQ joint, LuLu’s. The atmosphere reminded me a bit of a taco truck—in a good way. When the weather is fine, the windows around the bar open up, and diners sit on the patio under umbrellas with cold cans of Tecate. Although it is sit-down service, it feels like you could wander right up to the windows and place your order (There is indoor seating, boasting big TVs for sports-viewing, but we opted to enjoy the patio while we still could).

The lunch and dinner menu features mainly tacos and burritos with a few platos thrown in for good measure. Their newly added brunch menu features Mexican breakfast specialties, including excellent chilaquiles, breakfast burritos and even some gringo breakfast options.

We started with the black bean fundido, a combination of queso and black bean dip that made for a nice twist on your average mound of gloppy cheese. The warm, grilled flour tortilla was perhaps the best part of this dish—ask for extra if you’re serving a crowd (or merely disinclined to share).

I decided to go for the gusto and sample three of their Mexico-City-style tacos: the carne asada served with pico de gallo and cotija; the chile lime shrimp served with a pickled cabbage slaw and a tomato pasilla chile salsa that had a pleasant kick; and the pork carnitas taco dressed in tomatillo salsa and cotija. You can order these a la carte or as part of a plate with rice and beans. As the Spanish rice was nearly flavorless, I’d recommend ordering individually. Plus, at happy hour, you can get a great deal on individual tacos.

All three tacos were good enough to have me contemplating seconds, but the carnitas really shone. Crispy and juicy at the same time, they were decadent and delicious. The shrimp taco was my runner-up, with a fresh flavor balance and spicy sauce. And while the carne asada came in third, there was certainly nothing wrong with it. We also had the carne asada burrito smothered in La Revolución pork green chile. If you have the burrito, go hungry: This monster was easily half again as large as a Chipotle burrito, stuffed with rice, beans, guacamole, pico, crema and cheese.

Our only complaint with La Revolución is that some of the dishes come out a bit bland—a simple lack of seasoning. A dash or two of salt would go a long way to remedy this, and from the buzz I’ve heard, I’m not alone in thinking it. Still, the food is quality, the drinks are pleasantly strong, and there are salt shakers on the table, so you might find me there again, enjoying happy hour on the patio while the weather holds out.

La Revolución Taqueria y Cantina