The Daily Gamecock

Tin Lizzy's Taqueria and Cantina serves up culturally diverse cuisine

An Atlanta restaurant scene staple, Tin Lizzy's Taqueria and Cantina opened its a new location in the Vista Monday night. Established in 2005 by four college friends, Tin Lizzy’s friendly neighborhood vibe catapulted it to regional success, with nine other locations in Georgia. Columbia is Tin Lizzy's first foray into another state.

“Columbia is a young and exciting environment, and we feel like we have a lot of good potential here,” Ross Waller, general manager of the Columbia location, said. “We feel like our concept matches well with what’s going on in the Vista, and we just really like the city as a whole.”

The restaurant is known for its “FlexMex” cuisine, classic Tex-Mex food items with more flair and a wider variety of different cultures represented in the fresh dishes. The menu ranges from gourmet soft tacos and nachos to skillets (a mix of various ingredients served in a skillet) and quesadillas. The Hot Mess, perhaps the craziest thing on the menu, is a starter served in a hot skillet filled with tater-tots, pulled pork and queso and topped with bacon-cilantro coleslaw and honey chipotle barbecue sauce.

Other standouts are the jam-packed nacho bowls and flavorful quesadillas. Tin Lizzy’s adds a twist to classic tortilla chips and salsa with specially-seasoned tortilla chips.

The inside of the restaurant is warm and inviting, with comfortable booths and various U.S. license plates lining the walls. Loud live music, combined with the hum of 50 different conversations, makes talking to the person sitting across from you difficult, but it's hard to expect anything else when there are $4 house margaritas.

“We do feel like we are a concept that fits well with a young, energetic crowd," Waller said. "We are cost-effective. We are also very high energy, and it fits well with what we’ve seen so far in the neighborhood."

The restaurant has won countless awards this past year. "Thrillist," a daily Atlanta news source, crowned Tin Lizzy's Cantina with owner of one of the nine best tacos in Atlanta. It was a finalist for the "distinguished service award" according to Georgia Restaurant Association, GRACE, and "Jezebel," a modern luxury news source, named it the 25th restaurant in its list of "100 Hottest Restaurants 2015."

Tin Lizzy’s provides a haven to enjoy a couple of drinks and eat some fried pickles and nachos with some friends. Come hungry, because the tortilla chips are addicting.

“We just have a lot of fun, we feel like we’re hosting a party every time we open the doors,” Waller said.


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