Tu Cantinas Takes Fresh Tacos Seriously

Since the owners of Ground Control replaced it with divey Tu Cantinas in March, the taco shop has been busy busy busy — no major surprise given its tiny size and freshly made corn tortillas. But the long lines recall the opening of Sisters and Brothers, the nearby Nashville hot chicken joint that struggled to keep up with demand for months after it opened last spring. Is this the new normal in Georgetown?

To keep things as simple as possible (and because the tight kitchen couldn’t handle much more), Tu Cantinas’ menu lists only three fillings for those handmade masa tortillas, at $3 each: pollo adobada (chicken), cochinita pibil (pork), and frijoles negros (vegetarian) when Eater visited on a Friday at 7 p.m., though there are plans to rotate in other options. Each bite is “heavenly,” said Tan Vinh for The Seattle Times recently.

Grid View

Seating is limited, with most of it at the bar. From some angles, you can peek into neighboring Brass Tacks, run by the same team, while you order from a selection of tequilas, beers, simple cocktails like margaritas, and Mexican coke. During a brief happy hour, Tuesday to Friday 4 to 5 p.m., $5 scores you a taco and a Mexican cerveza. Just make sure you order everything you want right away, because with high volume and low availability at this new hotspot, you might not get a second chance.

Open Tuesday to Friday 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. (happy hour 4 to 5 p.m.), Saturday and Sunday 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.