Coastal Taco Bar + Chill
The epitome of cool. Great tacos. Great location. Great fun. One of the many places that you need to hit on your next trip to the Flats East Bank.
When walking down the east bank, Coastal Taco is definitely the most noticeable establishment. With it’s beach house look, turf and walk up taco station, it’s just cool. Not surprisingly, this tends to be a popular spot on weekend nights in the summer. In the warm months, they offer cornhole and other fun outdoor games while you are hanging out on the outdoor patio, near the fire pits and the sun setting over the water. A beautiful scene, to say the least.
Despite all of that, the real reason people come to the restaurant Coastal Taco, is for the, you guessed it, tacos. Now, Cleveland has a lot of taco joints to pick from, but this may just be one of the top picks in the city. With the cool atmosphere, tacos like the “Pork Al Pastor” (slow roasted, pineapple salsa), the “Short Rib” (crispy shallot & carrot) and the “Mahi Mahi” (house spiced, pico, chipotle crema) and the great prices, it is the perfect place.
Sitting on the east bank, Coastal Taco’s neighbors include the newly built Margaritaville which might be the first real competitor since they are the only other Mexican based restaurant in the area. Most of the other taco-based restaurants are more in the downtown area of the city. So far, it doesn’t seemed to have faze Coastal Taco. They are still doing amazing and are still hopping on the weekend, even now in these colder months.
Another great part about the restaurant is the option to just get a quick bite from the taco stand in the front of the establishment instead of sitting down and having a full-fledged meal. The menu for the taco stand is smaller (and cheaper!) making it easy for a quick pit stop.
The bar is also worth noting. They feature some great beers, wines, cocktails, and like any good Mexican restaurant — margaritas. They even offer a “Build Your Own Damn Margarita” option that allows you to do just that for $15. All of the wines they offer come in both glasses and bottles, ranging from $6 (glass) to $125 (bottle).
Another fun part about Coastal Taco is the events! Throughout the year, they have exciting events that you can be a part of like this past Halloween when they had the “The Working Dead” party or when they participated in the East Bank Bacon Festival. They also offer tailgates for Cleveland Browns games occasionally.
Simply put: Coastal Taco Bar + Chill is awesome. It has everything you could possibly need in a good taco joint, great water views, great city views, fun events, great staff, and oh yeah, amazing tacos.
Visit the Flats East Bank location at 1146 Old River Road Cleveland, Ohio 44113. Call the restaurant at (216) 727-0158 or visit their website here.
About Mike & Abby Sweeney
Mike & Abby Sweeney are our resident foodies. Their thought process on food is "to give everything a chance." Matt loves craft beers, Italian food, and any play on bar bites. Abby is into wine, cheese, and anything Asian. Together they form a dynamic duo eager to weigh in on any new restaurant!
