Published by Jeremy. Last Updated on November 26, 2024.
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La Bodega Taqueria is one of those places that we absolutely love to discover in Pittsburgh.
We did not know this one had opened up right on the heart of East Carson Street in South Side, and only stumbled upon it while driving to meet friends for drinks at Acacia a few blocks away.
In the brief seconds it took us to drive by, we knew where we had to end up for dinner after, and a short while later we made our way down the block for some delicious, delicious Mexican food.
Mexico Vibes in the Heart of South Side at La Bodega
The reason that La Bodega made such an impression on us in the brief seconds we saw it driving by is because of its design. The space is bright, vibrant, and has a colorful aesthetic that anyone who has eaten their way around local restaurants throughout Mexico will instantly recognize.
Even when driving by on East Carson Street, it was enough to make us do a double take- La Bodega is just that recognizable. It is because of this that we immediately made our way over to give them a try!
The menu at La Bodega is focused around the fact that it is a Taqueria, naturally. About eight different proteins and fillings are available, including classics like carne asada, barbacoa, and al pastor plus pescado, a vegetarian blend, and more- priced per taco. Guests can then pick their base tortilla (corn or flour- get the corn) and style (Mexi-way or Ameri-way) to round things out.
Going beyond tacos, the restaurant features a modest selection of appetizers like nachos, chips with salsa, and taquitos, a burrito side of the menu, bowls, and a few quesabirria creations to round things out.
Naturally, we started with an order of tacos, including the carnitas, barbacoa, and al pastor, with double shell corn tortilla and the Mexi-way with lime, cilantro, onion, and radish- a classic set of toppings all around. We noted when ordering that the pricing seemed a bit high per average by taco standards, and it didn’t take long after they arrived at the table for us to realize why that was- they were massive.
So massive, in fact, that three tacos was a literal feast in all the best ways possible. Flavorful tacos with generous fillings all with the traditional flavors we seek from Mexico? We’re in. However, we will always get the chorizo as we just love the flavor any time we can get it.
To divert from the taco menu for our second entree, we went for a loaded Oaxaqueno burrito that included a Mexican cheese blend, rice, beans, chicken, picadillo, guac, pico, and crema. For its fairly reasonable price point, we were rather blown away by just how large this burrito was, as it was literally bursting at the seams with so many ingredients inside. While this one was quite rice and beans heavy and masked the chicken a little bit, the sauces were quite flavorful and quite filling all around (but I’d be honest, I wanted more tacos!).
As we were visiting with friends, we added a chip trio order for the table where you can pick three sauces to go along with a massive basket of chips. When we received this order, we were given there fairly large tubs of salsa and had ample of everything to share not only for our table of four, but in all honesty, a small army. That said, I do rather wish there was more than just salsa as options here- we may not order a feast of chips every time, but we’re always suckers for a good choriqueso when we can find it.
Overall, the general consensus from our table was that the portion sizes at La Bodega were incredibly generous, and we all walked away completely stuffed with little room for dessert (the churros do sound lovely, though). But in future visits, one thing is for certain- we’re going to be ordering a platter of tacos and calling it a night. They’re just that good.
La Bodega is located at 1502 East Carson Street in South Side.
