Barrio Comida in County Durham

service very limited, disposable cutlery and plates, so feels quite cool. Byo atmosphere!

Didn't even get to eat! Booked a table for 7.30pm and arrived a few minutes early...no tables available in the restaurant area, despite a walk in group just ahead of us being seated - offered an overflow high table right next to the door in the takeaway collection area by an indifferent member of staff who seemed to think she was doing us a favour by squeezing us in - seemed surprised when we decided to take our custom elsewhere - will not be returning.

My first time coming here and would definitely go back again food was lovely. The restaurant has a trendy industrial look going on. the staff that greeted us was very friendly and as it was our first time explained how to order both via a QR code or by filling out a menu card. I ordered and paid with the QR quick simple straightforward. Drinks were served quickly and food was served within a reasonable time. The tacos are made fresh in the kitchen and the 3 different tacos I had were all brilliant. I would definitely want to go again to try more from the menu.

Totally overpriced. Burrito was delicious, but I was shocked it was £16.50 and you don’t get sides included with this. Quesadilla was £11.50, lacking flavour and again, no sides included in that price. Food is served on a paper plate with paper cutlery and again for the price I don’t think this is ok. The chicken was burnt and the kids taco so inedible and the ice creams were melted by the time they got to table. The restaurant has a great atmosphere however and a superb view of the cathedral.

Popped in for some late evening tacos after some pints. Totally adore Mexican food and this was a lovley mix of traditional and more anglophiled/americanised Mexican food. Recommend getting the tacos which are around 5.99 pounds, each. The idea being you get a few different ones. I started with the carnitas, birra, and the carbon chicken. By far the best one I had was the carnitas which was a perfect mix of flavour with a secondary heat that came after. The pork was juicy and flavoued well and the toppings of coriander and onions were the icing on the cake, well taco. The carbon chicken was a little lackluster with flavour compared to the pork carnitas likewise was the birria. Although served with its cooking liquid it was not nearly rich enough and, again, unfortunately lacked flavour. I ordered a second round of tacos and went for two more carnitas and a prawn taco which was very nice. The tacos were chased down firstly with a pina colada, which really hit the spot, and secondly, a mango dacuri. Wanted to try the al pastor however as I was later In the evening I believed they ran out. They prefer if you use a QR code to order through a website app which was easy and painless. They do have ordering cards for those who don't do so well with technology. This limited my interaction with staff but they were still friendly and attentive when they delivered the food. The atmosphere was really cozy and I loved the decor, with the open kitchen adding a nice section of entertainment. It's clear that most things are made fresh as you can see them make it. Overall I was slightly disappointed with the lack of flavour for some of the dishes which is something Mexican doesn't usually fall down on. The carnitas proved that it can be incredibly tasty and it's a same the others didn't come close to it. I would return and I would recommend but it's better if you go as a group as it became pricy when on your own. 7/10 Great decor, great staff but food needs improvement

35 pound for the paper plates is a bit of joke. All the food was served cold. No taste in most things 2 out of 5

Llamamos para almorzar y nos sentamos afuera solo queríamos un almuerzo ligero que era igual de bien porque las porciones son pequeñas se podía comer cada taco de un bocado seriamente sobre el precio. Como comimos fuera se servían en un platillo de poliestireno, un plato habría sido demasiado grande, con cubiertos desechables. Otras críticas delira sobre la comida, pero sentimos que nos pareció muy mala comida y muy caro para lo que se sirve.

Absolutamente me encantó. La comida era muy buena. Teníamos tacos y burrito entre nosotros. Las bebidas eran preciosas y el servicio era muy eficiente.

Such lovely people and great food. They’ve had to cut down on staff which means they now use vegeware. Such a shame - not great for the environment. I would definitely come back but encourage the owners and customers to consider alternative options to one-use plates.

Best mexican food in UK, no doubt.

Food was good but serving on paper plates and bowls with plastic/ bamboo cutlery is not appreciated. Patrons should be warned when ordering. The whole ambience was destroyed. Our guests,for a special gathering were horrified. Maybe a discount should he considered? This was an insult and management need to take note.

First time in this place but very impressed. Only had a pint of the house lager so can't comment on the food. Served by Victoria who was very pleasant and lovely to talk to. I loved the decor in the toilets, old fashioned style made modern and spotlessly clean.

Best Mexican food outside of Mexico I’ve ever had

Great place and the chef knows the score foods unreal staff polite awesome decor will be returning, as for the portions are small comments if you read the menu and order one taco 🌮 more fool you we ordered about 6 to share and was plenty if your wanting to be full for 6£ get a kebab

Comida increíble, y aún mejor servicio de la encantadora Maddie y Victoria. Tuvimos un tiempo maravilloso y recomendaría a cualquiera que visite!

First time dining at barrio comida and was not disappointed. A warm and friendly greeting from Maddie, and excellent food served. I appreciated that each dish was labelled, especially when placing the order for several people. Victoria made sure that everything was to our satisfaction. Very pleased to note the premises were clean and tidy including the toilets ! Definitely worth a visit. Would highly recommend!

Mexican snack foods, tacos, quesadillas and burritos. Order over the app or fill in the order form and take it to the counter. The food is lovely, the atmosphere is young and lively, and the staff were friendly. We opted for a selection of snacks and tacos to share. The papa adobadas (potatoes) and pescado (fish) taco were a highlight. Though the burritos looked substantial, the tacos are relatively small, and at around £5 each, your meal may not be filling but it could certainly be expensive.

Very casual resturant. I liked that you can order everything online and pay. No hanging around for a bill or anything. The tacos are amazing!

The food is decent, I really enjoyed trying the tacos here, except for the pork ones, but that is because I don't like the taste of fat/crackling. The food is all made fresh, and it's nice to have an independent Mexican restaurant in Durham that appears to be more authentic. The staff are all lovely, it is nice and clean with a fun atmosphere. The staff at Hjem actually recommended this restaurant too - so that's how you know it's worth a try!

Food was pretty authentic and very tasty. Definitely order one of the burritos. We used to live in the US and eat tons of Mexican food. Only reason I'm not giving them 5 stars is because it was a bit pricey for the tacos. Definitely a 4.5 place.

Great restaurant with a good choice of food. I liked that the menu wasn't massive, which helped us to decide!

Overpriced, small portions. We were told to pick a table, where we ordered via QR code. We decided not to tip as we had received no service or food before we paid. Whilst I was still eating my food, a staff member started trying to clear the table, which I found quite rude. I would have understood if it had been a busy night (or they had to wash the plates) but it was a Tuesday night, and not at all busy. The food was served on paper plates, and paper cutlery. This would be fine if the food was cheap, but it was definitely expensive enough to warrant crockery and cutlery. The food had far too much coriander on it, and was inedible to me. It was also served fairly cold and as tiny portions. We paid £45 for 2 of us and left hungry! Very unimpressed.

Servicio grosero y porciones pequeñas La comida era agradable, inodoro difícil de encontrar, polvoriento, mala selección de bebidas (también sobreprecio) .

Food portion was ridiculous and had to wait over an hour for it. Got a refund immediately but wouldn't go back. Very disappointing

Really tasty food here. I recommend the burrito, it was big! Quesadillas were on the small side so might want to get two. Place was busy so boom a table.

Este es un lugar que he visto a menudo, pero no es adecuado para un tiempo para visitar. Así que fue bueno darle una oportunidad, un menú interesante y bien vale la pena una visita. Más relleno de lo que parece la comida, platos pequeños que pronto suman una comida completa. Muy bien.

After struggling to find a place that does fresh, authentic and tasty Mexican food... we found Barrio Comida. It's on the pricier side, but you pay for what you get in terms of quality. Worth the trek from Newcastle! The only downside I'd say was the speakers in the corner where we were sat made it difficult to have conversation as it was distracting.

The worst floor staff, never made to feel welcome, ordered two bottles of wine and then told to drink up as they were closing, but kindly offered to pour our glasses of wine back into the bottle….classy? Celebrating our daughters birthday was obviously ruined, truly awful experience, avoid.

Great patio! The salsas and burritos were delicious! We went twice on a recent visit to Durham because we enjoyed it so much the first time. We were pleasantly surprised to find spicy, flavorful salsas. The burritos reminded us of ones we get in California. The papas burrito was easily modified to be vegan and was quite filling!

Having grown up in California, I tend to keep my expectations for Mexican food fairly low in the UK but Barrio Comida is a place I’d frequent even if it were in California! Not only is the setting along the river absolutely magical (especially on a sunny day) but the food and drinks were amazing too. My only disappointment was that we timed our visit to be when they serve Pastor on Friday and Saturday night - but despite it being within the hours advertised and staff telling us it would be ready in 5-10 minutes it never appeared on the ordering system. And that very system is the reason I’ve docked a star from service because it made the ordering process unnecessarily complicated. I’ll definitely be coming back here (even though we live up in Scotland) and recommending it to anyone who asks me for recommendations on Mexican.

Easily my favourite restaurant in Durham, the food is incredible. And the service is impeccable. Definitely worth a visit if you are in Durham.

What a great place! Didn't even know it was here which is a shame as it was beautiful. Food was delicious and plentiful, service amazing, friendly staff who looked to genuinely enjoy working there and a great atmosphere. Only issue I would have would be the cardboard cutlery. They get soggy and you need to keep changing them for new ones. However great place to eat would definitely return.

Had a slightly disappointing lunch here and thought it was on the pricey side.

Amazing mexican food and polite staff!

Service is polite and nice, but the food, across courses, comes out very slowly, which is not to he expected at a taco place. Food a bit of a mixed bag - all great quality and made with care but overall lacking some of the tanginess, or spiciness to be expected. Additionally, the portions are rather small. Great potential for five stars, but forcing a more balanced review.

Good food, quality over quantity experience

Visited Barrio Comida as a party of 3. Great atmosphere with a quirky way of ordering high-quality, fresh food. The staff were helpful, answering any questions we had. We will definitely be returning!

The food is very delicious and the service is great Tacos with lamb great have to tried

Delicious food but gutted to have travelled in to find out the 3 for 2 taco Tuesday offer was cancelled because of student graduation week ☹️

Lively Mexican eatery / bar. Friendly service

Best burrito I have ever had! £90 for family of 4 including starters and drinks. Well worth it. Will be back!

The best! I’ve been going to Barrio Comida since it was a pop up on the quayside and whenever I’m back in the North East it’s one of the must go to places for authentic tacos, nice cocktails and wholesome service. There aren’t many places in the UK that do tacos as authentic as this. Always a few good specials on too. Durham is so lucky to have this place as if it was in London or another major city it’d probably require booking in advance (and about twice the cost).

Great small fresh tacos, and frozen cocktails from a slushy machine! Great for a small bite or something more serious.

Great place. Not too expensive, unless you want a lot of food, then the small plates add up! The Burrito was fantastic!

Food was delicious. Loved the options on the menu. Staff were brilliant.

Loved our brief lunch here. Top notch food delicious.

Food was good. Took a Looooong time to get dinner.

Tortillas made right here at the restaurant 😋😋😋 the meat marinated so deliciously. Excellent vibes, cool tunes 🎵 What a great stop on my first visit to Durham 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

Overall a bit disappointing- Birria taco did not have any cheese on it nor they were pan fried - didn’t taste like authentic birria taco! The flavour of onion and coriander was over powering throughout the tacos! We liked the pork tacos the best! Chicken one was ok!

Absolutely wonderful! All staff were so friendly and helpful, food was AMAZING!

Second visit and we'll be back again, so much choice, good service, excellent food

The positives: the food was really tasty, or good quality, and there was plenty of choice. You could see into the kitchen and it was clear that even the tortilla chips were hand made, which was nice. The restaurant also had a nice vibe and atmosphere, the staff were friendly. The downsides: we had to wait about 90 minutes for our food, I appreciate that some days must just get really busy but it would have been nice to have a heads up from the staff about the wait time when we arrived. They did eventually bring us over some complementary tortilla chips and drinks while we waited which was appreciated, but we ended up eating really late and being last to leave the restaurant. The other thing which felt a bit off is that the restaurant is lovely but I think they are also trying to achieve more of a “street food” vibe at the same time. This means that the food all comes out in disposable / single-use packaging or cartons, and the knives and forks are also single use. I think some of the cartons would have been compostable or biodegradable but it just felt a bit wasteful given we were sitting in at a restaurant. I also had to use two of the single use forks as the cutlery wasn’t strong enough to cut the food. Overall, the food was fantastic and I really liked the restaurant - I can overlook the long wait as this probably was a one-off and they may have been understaffed that evening. However, I’m not sure I would go back based on the single-use plates, cutlery and containers as I think they are a bit wasteful if you’re not taking the food away.

Absolutely incredible Mexican food. Probably the best taco I've ever had in my life. Service can be a bit slow, but that's because everything is cooked to order (and if you sit at the bar, you can see them cooking it!)

Great food. Friendly staff. No drama. What a wonderful experience.

What a little gem this is. Bright and airy with a lovely, relaxed atmosphere. There are two menus, one for the mexican street food and one for fried chicken. We had a few of the Mexican dishes which were small but packed with flavour. Drinks were 2-1 and the lager was good. You can order from your table via the QR code or you can mark up a menu and take it to the counter. They also accept cash 👍🏼 The only downside for me was the disposable plates and cutlery but as it's street food I can see why they do that. I'd definitely visit again and would recommend it for a quick snack or for a bigger meal.

Only had a happy hour lager but it was very nice, cold and refreshing after a day walking. Easy ordering on app. Burrito looked massive - definitely coming back to eat.

Pork burrito was very good and quite filling. Quesedilla a friend had looked less filling. Nice atmosphere, bright, quick service

Popped in for lunch. Very nice food and service with a smile. Put atmosphere as 3 as it was very quiet. Nice place with a great view of the Cathedral. Would eat there again.

Okay in all respects but too expensive for fast food without table service

Muy bien. My favourite taco place. In order of preference: 1. Pollo al carbon 2. Barbacoa and carnitas 3. Camaron 4. Pescado 5. Birria I had the birria quesadilla as well, but I didn’t love it. The margaritas are tasty and they do a happy hour. Chicharones were tasty. The best thing it you can order and pay straightaway using your phone so don’t have to faff about trying to get attention or being sat with the receipt but no card machine for 15 minutes (Tango). It’s a shame La Mesa shut, but I have a reason to come back to try the burgers and chicken downstairs at Wishbone.

Can’t speak highly enough of the food, so flavoursome, fresh and in my opinion perfect portion size. Cocktails are 2 for £12 in happy hour and were great. We got 2 frozen pina coladas which were the perfect accompaniment to the food and tried the Jamaica Agua Fresca which was also delicious. Service were smiley, friendly and helpful! Can’t wait to come back

3 large tacos, 1 large burrito and 2 cocktails for £42 :) nicest authentic Mexican food I’ve ever had! 10/10. Will defo be back! Recommend to everyone!

Mega polite serving😁.. Tasty food Too loud music

Very nice mex food. Authentic tastes and style. Cocktails were very tasty. Disliked the paper cutlery and plates. Very much a street food place that I would highly recommend, but not somewhere to impress on a date night perhaps. Overall, good quality authentic food for an ok price. However, after a tortilla and guacamole starter, followed by 3 tacos, I was stil left a little hungry. Pork taco FTW

Food was nice but served on paper plates with plastic cutlery!!!!

Excellent food. Not many places making fresh tacos like this.

Ordering was not easy. Items had to be ordered separately. Food expensive for what you actually receive. Not worth the visit

Friday night calls for tacos! Pretty quick to bring drinks and food over, slight gripe that we’re still using QR codes to order as it took a few attempts for the payment page to work correctly. Guac and salsa were tasty as were all the 3 tacos I had, grilled chicken, pulled pork and beans. Girlfriend had said about stuff being served on polystyrene plates but it wasn’t that bad in reality, nothing like a nice bit of china though. Would definitely recommend to others and come back to try an enchilada or burrito

Food is always delicious but service can be very slow.

Real authentic Mexican food!! A must try if you’ve never had it before

Was recommended this eatery and was not disappointed. Easy to order and food came quickly, was fresh and super tasty. Could not fault it. Lovely view of the cathedral too

Great place, lush food, excellent music

Went in for happy hour drinks which were really reasonable. Great place with good atmosphere.

Really enjoyed our lunch here. Well priced drinks options and the food was lovely. Service super friendly and we found it easy to order using the qr code.

Super helpful and friendly staff, they accommodated for children without us having to ask, Tacos were really nice and Tortilla chips yummy to keep on snacking.

Incredibly friendly welcome, service was great and the food was incredibly flavoursome - went for 3 tacos 🌮 and they were amazing. Would highly recommend, they even grind their own corn and make their own tortillas. Superb 👌🏻

I Think this is one of my favourite places to eat ever! Such beautiful dishes so well executed! Everything seem so simple yet you can taste the complexity of every element of each dish! Keep up the good work

Food was absolutely phenomenal. Great value. Can't recommend highly enough

Was a quiet night, so it was difficult to judge the atmosphere. Service was quick, and the food was very tasty. Be warned, the burritos are very large.

Excellent food, swiftly brought by attentive staff. We ordered 6 tacos to share between 2 and the adobo potatoes. They were all delicious, but our favourites were the prawn, fish and pork tacos. The potatoes were surprisingly flavoursome. We had the milk and honey dessert to share which was also delicious. My only disappointment was that we weren't there when the Al pastor tacos were available, but we'll just have to return to try those.

This place used to serve amazing quality Mexican street food. Sadly over the last year it’s gone completely downhill. It’s now aiming for fast food quality while still charging restaurant prices. Menu reduced, with lots of the best items removed. Drinks from a slushy machine, paper plates, plastic cutlery, QR code ordering that glitches so long delays and missing items. The worst thing is that they have kept the same prices for tacos, but that only gets you one taco, where previously it was two. Really cheeky.

Lovely place that I’ve been wanting to try for a while! Interior was gorgeous and made the atmosphere very relaxed. The staff were friendly and helpful. We needed to order some dishes gluten free and they were very helpful in explaining the menu We went for some tortilla chips and guacamole for some picky bits and then we had a selection of tacos. Pork, beef, chicken and prawn (prawn wasn’t gf) all were delicious and full of flavour! Would definitely recommend and will be back!

Beautiful food and building with a good view of the cathedral and lots of vegetarian options. We tried the margs, burritos, tacos and the potato starters with chips and dip and everything was fresh and really tasty. Service is scanning QR code on table and order and pay online and food comes to the table, you can also order at bar if preferred , great service

Best black beans I've eaten outside of central/ south America 👌

Good place and excellent Tacos 🌮

Good food but rather pricey for what it is and really really disappointing and tacky to be served with paper plates. Sorry but won’t be returning

A true gem, heirloom varieties of corn imported from Mexico and ground fresh daily to form the basis of some of the best tacos you'll try in this country. Cracking cocktails, snacks and a wonderfully curated collection of Mezcals. An insanely special place!

Excellent food, service and ambience. Recommend.

Simply the best food in Durham, amazing.

OK. Food is pretty good but service is mostly app based and slow. Quite expensive after you've ordered a few courses. Kind of gimmicky. Decor is good but paper plates and bowls feels cheap. Wouldn't race back.

Really amazing food and very relaxed. Could order at your own pace with breaks for drinks. Lovely ice cream at the end.

Barrio Comida knows real Mexican food! The flavors, the menu selection, the decor, the vibe, the drinks, and the quality of the food were all outstanding. Do yourself a favor and eat here.

Great Food, in-house made soft tacos were great. My favourite was the Beef Quesadillas and the accompanying beef consomme. Highly recommend.

Taste and food not very subtile and quite disappointing – would be alright if the bill was not 70£ for two. I don’t understand how some reviews could say this is close to their best Mexican food experience in the UK? What? Tacos and guacamole are a bit refreshing, but far from being mind blowing. The “snacks” are a bit of a joke. Margaritas are not made freshly and at the minute, which is once again very disappointing considering their prices. Finally, eating on disposable plates with disposable cutlery is far from being cool, especially inside a restaurant? Everyone working there is very nice though, which is appreciated. Stil, I doubt I would be coming back.

We returned to Barrio Comida after our positive experience there last year. The food is super-tasty and authentic. We imagine the move to paper plates and cutlery has been for good reasons but we felt they don't quite do justice to the excellent food. Thank you Victoria and Marta for your wonderfully warm welcome. You made the evening for us. We returned a couple of days later - different staff and it showed. A reminder that eating out is not just about the food or the surroundings.

Great food and service, only gripe was the cutlery couldn’t cut butter sadly no pictures as all consumed to quickly we will be back

This must be one of the best and most authentic Mexican restaurants in the country. The quality of the ingredients and the flavours are always perfect. The crispy prawn and fish tacos are our favourites. This is a must visit if you are in Durham and the North East.

This place is the best example of relaxed but fabulous dining it is possible to find. Wonderful food cooked with care with the freshest ingredients. Loved it. Can’t wait to return.

Beautiful fresh food. The best guacamole I have ever eaten. Staff were lovely and service was great. And Margaritas to die for.

Came here to catch up with a friend on Friday night, great tacos and margaritas. They’ve opened a chicken place in the basement that you can order from too for some extra variety! I really like that you can just order from you phone so just order bits and bobs as you fancy while enjoying a drink.