Can I Get Another Street Taco: Tahona Kitchen + Bar

Tahona Kitchen + Bar is but one of several restaurants nestled in the freshly-built Summit Park complex in Blue Ash. The ever-expanding park and mixed-use space rests on the site of the former Cincinnati-Blue Ash Airport, which closed back in 2012. An air traffic control tower-inspired observation deck provides panoramic views of nearby industrial parks and the expensive townhouses that will soon dot the adjacent landscape.

View from observation tower

Fittingly, Tahona's origins are steeped in real estate. A commercial realtor had stuck a post-it note on her bulletin board with a single word: "tacos," a common, universally-adored foodstuff rich capitalists can still culturally appropriate safely. A high-powered client of hers saw the note and the two collaborated on making the popular, derivative concept a reality.

Tahona operates out of a relatively small, cramped space, with very little available indoor dining, but plenty of seating outside. This makes the restaurant most attractive for at least two-and-half seasons out of the year, particularly if you like dining outdoors with little shade.

The menu highlights eight street taco variants that are no more or less affordable than those found at other upscale taquerias. They average about $3.50 per diminutive taco, with a choice of either corn or flour tortillas. Several pressed tortas are a pleasant surprise, as well as roasted corn, fresh-made guacamole, queso blanco, chips and salsa and chicken tortilla soup. A full bar is available offering eight signature cocktails and more than a dozen beer and wine options.

My girlfriend and I got in line to order at the counter, then took a seat in the very hot summer sun to await the arrival of our meal. We were thankful for the partial shade afforded by a nearby umbrella.

I selected three tacos: the fish, with panko-breaded, flash-fried haddock topped with pineapple mango salsa, crema and cilanto; the spicy chicken tinga, with chipotle-braised chicken, lettuce, crema and queso fresco; and a special BBQ pork taco topped with creamy jalapeno cole slaw.

My girlfriend chose a cup of the chicken tortilla soup, along with a chicken tinga taco and the vegetarian taco, with marinated tofu, corn, mushrooms, poblano, crema and topped with micro greens and queso fresco.

Fish, chicken tinga and BBQ pork taco

Chicken tinga, vegetable taco and chicken tortilla soup

Grudgingly, we had to admit that the quality of the tacos was of a higher caliber than anticipated. While still small, each was topped with an impressively liberal amount of fresh ingredients. My girlfriend's tortilla soup was a solid recipe, with ample, hearty chicken flavor. The chicken tinga tacos were appropriately smoky and medium-spiced, and my fish taco's pleasingly crispy outside and flaky inside harbored not a hint of fishiness with plenty of mango-flecked yumminess. The single corn tortilla shells remained fairly sturdy despite all the wet fillings.

Tahona Kitchen + Bar is yet another solid "street taco" option diners can choose in an area already saturated with similar restaurants.