Session Taco
The al pastor taco sits alongside carne asada and carnitas on a short counter-service menu built for a fast weeknight stop. This is quick-turn taco food, not a sit-down cantina, and the format works because the kitchen keeps the fillings consistent order after order. A dependable lunch stop rather than a destination meal, and it does not pretend otherwise.
What to orderCarne asada tacoAl pastor tacoCarnitas taco Call DirectionsFull review & visiting detailsRead the full review & visiting details
Counter Tacos With a Bar Program Attached
Grilled steak is the straightforward order for anyone measuring this taco lineup against the classic.
Marinated pork carries the char and the sweetness that separates a real al pastor from a shortcut version.
Slow cooked pork keeps this one on the richer end of the taco flight worth ordering alongside the others.
Session Taco runs the counter service format that has taken over the taco business in this metro over the last decade: order at the register, find a seat, watch the number come up. The three tacos that anchor the menu, carne asada, al pastor, and carnitas, cover the standard trio that any serious taco counter in this city gets judged on. Carne asada tests the char and the seasoning on the beef. Al pastor tests whether the kitchen bothers with the marinade and the pineapple, rather than just calling grilled pork by that name.
Carnitas tests the fat rendering, whether the pork comes out with any crisp edge or just steams in its own juice. A brisket birria taco also gets mentioned as a standout, which puts Session Taco in the birria trend that has spread through Mexican counters nationally, distinct from the older al pastor and carnitas lineup and worth watching as its own thread. The bar side matters here as much as the counter. A spicy margarita program gets specific praise, and that is notable for a taco counter, since most of this city's quick-service Mexican spots do not build out a real cocktail list.
That combination, counter ordering with a working bar, points the room toward a moderately priced weeknight dinner or a lunch that can stretch into a drink if the day allows it. Portion size on the tacos draws some pushback, with regulars noting three tacos at the going price feels tighter than it used to. That is worth knowing going in: the kitchen is not skimping on the fillings so much as keeping the format tight, which is standard for the format but still worth pricing out before ordering for a table. Kids get their own taco and a side of fries, which signals a room built for families as much as for a fast lunch alone.
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St. Louis, MO, 63104
Order the brisket birria taco alongside one from the standard trio to compare, and budget for a spicy margarita since the bar program pulls as much attention as the counter.
