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There’s a reason Taco Bell’s
open late: drunk people love hot sauce and refried beans. There’s something
about Tex-Mex food that settles the belly, soothes the brain, and disguises the
true cause of your horrible time in the bathroom the day after. Sloppy Taco Palace at 4892
S. Kirkman Road in Orlando cuts out the middle man (and the
temptation to drive drunk) and combines the drinking and the tacos under one
roof. With a full bar, a great selection of beer, and tasty food, it’s not just
the tacos that get sloppy here.
Décor: Sloppy Taco Palace
was so excited to open and serve you that they forgot to buy a new sign. So
when you drive into the shopping plaza and see a sign for the old Underground
Bluz and think “Wait, didn’t that one close?” don’t worry – you’re in the right
place. Sloppy Taco Palace
bridges the restaurant/bar gap pretty confidently, though it leans more toward
the drinking (thanks in part to it’s 4 p.m. opening time). Because of the food
there’s no smoking indoors, but fortunately there are a couple tables and
stools outside. Indoor seating is plentiful, but watch out for that corrugated
metal lining the booth walls – the loud crinkling from a lounging drunk can
raise the dead (or a curious eyebrow from the bartender).
The Bar: If there was a
doubt as to whether Sloppy
Taco Palace
was more of a bar or a restaurant all you need to do is look at the lengths of
the food and beer menus. The breadth and quality of beers available is pretty
good for this part of town (I mean, Framboise is on tap, for crying out loud). Other
drafts include Blue Moon Blackthorn Cider, Guinness, Newcastle and Bass and are a respectable
$4.50. The fridge holds its own treasures, with bottles boasting the succulent likes
of Hobgoblin, Lagunitas, Great White, and Chimay. Special prices abound,
especially if you’re willing to dumpster dive a little, with $1.75 High Life
bottles, $2 pints of PBR, and $9 buckets of Tecate. Liquor prices aren’t too
shabby either, with double Smirnoffs going for $5, Cuervo shots for $3.50, and
$4.50 Don Julio shots.
If that’s not enough, there are
two happy hours daily, from 4-7 p.m. and again from midnight to 2 a.m. (now
that’s good timing), bringing you $2 domestic drafts (of which Yuengling is
one, thank the beer gods). And Wednesdays make the midweek hangover worth it
with $1.50 pints.
Service: Depending on the
crowd the service might slow down a tad, but for the most part the food comes
out quickly, and the beer even faster.
Sounds: Good taste rules
the background music, with indie favorites and non-puke worthy popular hits
playing just loudly enough. And there’s live music Thursdays and Saturdays
starting at 10 p.m., but never a cover (though buying the band a beer should
never be out of the question).
Crowd: By
serving good food and having great quality of drinks and prices for them, Sloppy Taco
Palace has crafted a great
spot for everyone to have at least a bite, and at most a cheap but entertaining
night.
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