Blanco Tacos + Tequila: Great Patio, Service And Margaritas

Trendy décor, hip staff and good food — the usual check list for a Fox Restaurant Concepts have all been met at Blanco Tacos + Tequila.

If you desire a great patio, good service and some creative margaritas, Blanco will satisfy your craving. Located at the Borgata in Scottsdale, Blanco offers a truly unique array of menu items to spice up your evening.

I visited Blanco during its happy hour as I have been told more than once that even in the middle of the week they have a wait — a good sign.

Esthetically, Blanco is a winner. The décor is fantastic, and the large bar and open kitchen give guests plenty of action to observe during their visit. The patio area is gorgeous and can accommodate many, something that is a bit of a challenge for many restaurants these days. I was a little disappointed in the happy hour drink choices. I am not a margarita or beer girl — gasp! However, I am a wine and every-other-liquor-than-tequila girl. Unfortunately, the half-off happy hour prices were only good for beer and margaritas. I paid full price for wine, but my husband thoroughly enjoyed half off the mixed berry and blood orange margarita. The margarita choices were festive and unique, and if tequila and I got along better, I would have ordered a few for myself.

In true happy hour style, we ordered a few appetizers to take advantage of the great deal:

Queso Fundido: $9.00

Chorizo, caramelized peppers, warm flour tortillas
We started with the Queso Fundido. It was fantastic! A perfect mix of sweet and spicy, the fundido was served on a hot skillet with warm flour tortillas on the side. A great appetizer to share, I would encourage everyone to order this as the start of their meal.

Nachos con Queso Blanco: $9.00 (Add ground beef or chicken for $12.00)

Served with avocado, crema fresca, black beans and pico de gallo
Any chance of having additional food was shot after we were delivered our nachos. We chose to add beef to our dish, and the serving was huge. As with the fundido, the nachos are a great appetizer to share with a group.

Hot Fudge Sundae: $5.00

This is not your average hot fudge sundae! Although the presentation looks a bit rough, the actual sundae was great. Served with candied almonds, bananas, hot fudge and whipped cream, the sundae was a perfect ending to our happy hour stop.

The service at Blanco was excellent. The server was knowledgeable and full of suggestions for our visit. The hostesses were friendly and did their best to accommodate the growing crowd. A unique touch was that our drinks were also run by the entire staff. It’s common to have someone bring out your food, but the team work extended to the bar to ensure that we didn’t have to wait for our server to be free. We got all of our drinks quickly — an important element to ensure happy guests during happy hour. It was evident that everyone pitches in at this location.

Full-priced wine aside, our visit to Blanco was great. The atmosphere is suitable for all ages. I look forward to sampling what they have to offer during its dinner menu. However, I now have a perfect spot to visit after work or as a place to start our evening out with friends.

Blanco’s Rating:

Food: 4 out of 5
Atmosphere: 5 out of 5
Service: 4 out of 5