Rebel Taco: review

Being a taco lover, I knew I had to try the new addition to the Brambleton Town Center, Rebel Taco and share my experience there. 

Rebel Taco opened on August 30 and is definitely catering to a younger crowd. When first entering, I noticed the modern artwork that covered the walls, the main art piece being a graffiti mural with the word “rebel” in bright yellow letters. There was also a wall of neon signs in the back of the restaurant near the bar, and next to the hostess stand was a separate neon sign that was shaped in a semi circle saying, “I see beautiful things around you.” Many people took this backdrop as a photoshoot opportunity. 

When I was seated at Rebel Taco, I was quickly met by my waiter. However, it was hard to hear my waitress and the people I was sitting with due to the loud music. The menu was split into five sections: Sharables”, signature tacos, entrees, salads and something sweet. One note on the menu is it is not very descriptive about what you are ordering. When ordering, I decided to get a full meal to be able to give a fair opinion. I ordered an appetizer, tacos and dessert. 

Appetizer 

Free chips and salsa were quickly brought to my table while I was looking over the menu. The salsa was not very flavorful and lacked any sort of spice and resembled the flavor of Tostitos store-sold salsa. The chips couldn’t even help the salsa taste better due to their lack of salt, but they were freshly made. 

For my appetizer, I choose to go with the classic chips and guacamole combo. On the menu it is called, “Guac My World,” is under the “shareables” section of the menu and costs $14.00. The price was not worth the quality of the guacamole or portion. It was served in a small black bowl that I would not consider very sharable, and the guac itself lacked salt. The one saving grace was the onion, tomato and cilantro mixed in. 

Tacos 

There are seven different “signature tacos’ ‘ on the menu. I chose the “Shrimp Gone Wild,” tacos, and they cost $10.00 for two tacos. The description of the taco was, “panko crusted shrimp, cilantro slaw, rebel sauce, flour tortilla.” The tacos were filled to the perfect amount where they were not falling apart, but each bite wasn’t just tortilla. The shrimp pieces were on the small side, but the cilantro slaw tasted very fresh and flavorful. However, after eating I was not yet full for spending $10.00. 

At California Tortilla, also in the Brambleton Town Center, you can get two “blackened fish tacos” (bigger tacos then at Rebel Taco) for $4.39 and add a side of rice and beans for $2.49. On the Rebel Taco menu there is no option for sides at the Brambleton location. However, at the D.C location they have a bigger menu with side options. The sides consist of rice, beans, mexican street corn and mexican bean salad all costing the high price of $5.00. 

Dessert

To end my meal, I knew I wanted something sweet. There are only three options on the dessert menu, and I chose the churro bites. There were six churro bites, and it cost $9.00, but it also came with a small side of vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. They were warm and sugared to perfection, but I would find it very hard to mess up a churro. 

Throughout the dinner, all staff members were very polite and attentive. However, I would not recommend Rebel Taco due to its lack of original flavors, high price and small portions. The only reason I might go back is if they expand their menu to match the one in D.C.