Where can you eat birria ramen and San Antonio-style puffy tacos in one place? Both (as well as sought-after cheesy birria tacos) are on the menu at Arlington’s Taco Rock. But come early December, diners closer to Alexandria will be able to save on gas when they head to the brand-new Little River Turnpike edition of the fast-casual restaurant.
Team Cordero’s first foray into fast-casual dining was such a success that chef Mike Cordero, his sons Nick Cordero and Anthony Cordero, and chef Stefano Marzano have signed a 20-year lease to occupy the space in Pinecrest Plaza for its sequel. The 2,500-square-foot space will seat 75 diners.
What’s new at this location? An expanded tequila bar and a sizeable patio for outdoor dining. A large garage door opens to the al fresco space, offering 48 additional seats for safe outdoor dining. Those who are willing to sit indoors will find that the seating there is socially distant as well, and regularly disinfected with high-grade cleaning products.
Besides the menu items mentioned above, the bill of fare centers around homemade blue corn tortillas filled with a wide selection of traditional options like carne asada and lengua, as well as innovative eats like General Tso’s cauliflower and jerk chicken. The tequila bar serves up both specialty cocktails and Mexican beers, but diners should save room for dessert. They include crispy churros, stuffed with an assortment of cream fillings, as well as made-to-order ice cream tacos. // 6548 Little River Turnpike, Alexandria
For more foodie news, subscribe to our twice-weekly Food newsletter.