Paint a picture in your head of a typical Mexican restaurant. If your thinking of what I’m thinking, then Margaritas Mexican Restaurant or Las Olas probably popped into your head. Barrio is the opposite of that.

Barrio’s Tacos is located next to 3S Artspace in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on 319 Vaughan St., just a 2-minute walk to the middle of Downtown Portsmouth. From their black walled interior decorated with various bike wheels all across the ceiling to the green-topped tables, Barrio is the place to go if you are looking for an authentic, unique dinner.

After being seated, you are met with a “make your own taco” menu. The menu is innovative, as it is one of the most unique parts of this restaurant and part of the reason why some customers love it so much. The taco menu is a series of tortilla options, meats, vegetables, and condiments on one side, and then bubble spaces on the other side to fill in so you can choose what you’d prefer.

With a large variety of different tacos, you can get the option of either popular items like “El Jefe Loco” taco, priced at $4, to an employee, Izze Ardito’s personal favorite, “a hard shell taco with shrimp mushrooms rice and lettuce.” There is an option for everyone!

If you are not into the idea of making your own taco, there is also another menu dedicated to restaurant favorite tacos, appetizers, desserts, and alcoholic drinks. Barrio is a popular location for teenagers/young adults, but if you are not into the idea of interactive ordering, this is definitely not the place for you.

Depending on what you put in your taco, the results could really go either way. It could either be the best taco you’ve ever had, to potentially one of the worst. With meats like “Coca-Cola marinated steak” to “jalapeno lime shrimp,” it’s up to you to decide whether or not this place is for you.

If you are into an interactive, authentic, unique Mexican-styled restaurant, this is the place for you, with great staff who are friendly. If you are into the more traditional Mexican-styled restaurant, you may want to stick to the originals: Margaritas Mexican Restaurant or Vida Cantina.