Pedro's Taco Shop

Located at 948 Walker Ave. in the College Hill neighborhood of Greensboro, Pedro’s Taco Shop serves tacos and other Mexican fare for lunch and dinner seven days a week. There is a full bar, margaritas are $1.99 on Thursdays, and gringo-style tacos are 99 cents on Tuesdays.

The corner of Walker and Tate has been home to a succession of bad Mexican restaurants over the years, but there was hope that Pedro’s would be an improvement over its predecessors. Reviews were positive, and the menu offers more than the same predictable Tex-Mex offerings. While the food is a step in the right direction, Pedro’s still has a ways to go in other areas.

First, the good: the brightly colored décor gives Pedro’s a beach casual ambiance, and the food selection is commendable. While you can find the standard burritos and fajitas and whatnot here, Pedro’s also offers enticing apps (elote dip, carne asada fries), build your own salad bowls for the health-conscious, and authentic-style tacos with a variety of fillings.

For our first visit, my wife and I split the elote dip and went with three tacos apiece. The dip – a dressed-up queso with corn – was addictively good, and the accompanying chips were fresh. The tacos were not among the best in town, but they were more enjoyable than not. The carne asada was well-seasoned, the shrimp came with a delicious sauce, and the chorizo was appropriately spicy. While the pastor had the right flavor profile, the meat was disappointingly dry. Accompanying rice and beans were strictly run-of-the-mill.

Given the number of UNCG students this place must attract, it is not surprising that prices are fairly low. Our dip and chips ran about $5 while any three tacos with rice and beans came out to $9. You will get your money’s worth eating here.

Service, on the other hand, leaves a lot to be desired. My wife and I visited shortly after 7 p.m. on a Sunday, and the restaurant was mostly empty. Our server was accommodating at first, but toward the end of the meal, a handful of patrons congregated at the bar, she went on bartending duty, and we were promptly forgotten. Cue awkward waiting and another server who seemed peeved when we asked him about our check. Staff could also be overheard arguing loudly with one another in Spanish.

Were I still living on Tate Street, I would be more inclined to overlook these issues. Indeed, for College Hill residents – and especially the carless among them – the prospect of mostly tasty cheap eats can be enough to offset possible staff mismanagement. But for those who aren’t limited to the neighborhood, El Mercadito and El Azteca are both better options for your taco fix.

7/10