Wahaca

This is a new Mexican restaurant that has not been opened for too long, we came here without any reservations and there was about a 45 min wait for a table. Walking in I noticed the great colors and very lively décor, there are some really cute hammock style chairs the looked very fun to sit on but they were occupied. We sat at the bar to wait and of course decided to order some margaritas, I ordered the tamarind one. Perhaps since I’m coming from NY and I’m used to having strong drinks, meaning that you can taste and feel the alcohol, the margaritas here tasted like tamarind juice. I was expecting some hint of tequila but it was just straight up juice in my opinion. Considering the price of each drink I’m not sure it was worth it which was pretty disappointing. Once we set down and got our food my opinion of this place instantly changed for the better. All of the food we had was flavorful, great ingredients and had just the right amount of spiciness! I’m Dominican and I’m very picky about plantains and I loved, loved the plantains here! The frijoles were also being good! You can pay your bill using your phone. Tis place is a great option if you want tasty Mexican food.

This is a pretty cool new place in Bristol. The staff is very friendly, informed and hospitable. There were some things I liked and some criticisms I have for this new place that I hope someone will read and take into consideration because this place isn’t far from being great!
Stopping at the bar before being seated, the bartender was more than happy to talk to us about the tequila, which is made a central focus to go along with the Mexican theme. I like this focus on tequila and drinking it the proper way, small slow sips as apposed to rough and nasty shots. Although she was happy to talk to us about the tequila, all the information she had to offer was exactly what was written on the menu and I felt she was trying to up sell a bit. I would have liked a little, «If you like this _​_​_​_​_​, try this _​_​_​_​_​.» We ended up just going for the Tequila Experience which gives you small samples of each of the three kinds of tequilas along with some sangrita to accompany two of them, which is like Bloody Mary juice without the vodka and very tasty. It was a nice way to experience the different tequilas.
For food: We got the cactus and corn tacos and sweet plantains tacos. Both were delicious. I had never had cactus before so that was awesome! The guacamole was a bit bland for me and I was disappointed to find that the «Green Goddess» sauce on the broccoli dish was very similar in being made of avocados and on the bland side. They should just tell you what the sauce is on the menu. The chili quesadilla was tasty but could have used some sour cream with it. We went here because a friend said the steak burrito was the nicest he’s ever had, but my boyfriend was disappointed in the lack of things besides steak in the burrito. It is said to come with lots of other stuffings such as beans, avocados, lettuce, etc. but they were a barely recognizable presence. We shared the corn on the cob and that was yummy.
My last criticism of Wahaca is the waste they are producing with unnecessary use of materials. The server comes over and writes all over your paper menu which is kind of annoying and the large paper menu covers half of a two person table. The specials are on little custom post-​its and one was given to each of the two of us at the table. As cute and quirky as all of this is, it is a horrendous waste of paper. As were the little flags on sticks placed atop the food served to us. Again, cute, but just very unnecessary.
Although I have made many criticisms here, it is a big place with nice atmosphere and staff. I would recommend it for a group of people to share tapas and drinks. The birdcage looking chairs hanging from the ceiling by the bar were awesome. I would come back to try some more of the massive and intriguing menu.
With some minor adjustments here and there I think this place could be great. I believe in you Wahaca!