Top of St. Louis

St. Louis / Guides / Mexican
Mexican · Soulard

Session Taco

Casual lunch or quick weeknight dinner.

$$ Casual VibesQuick BiteCounter Service
6.1/10
Solid Scored by Nico Marchetti · How we score
№ 01 · The Brief

Counter Tacos With a Bar Program Attached

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.

№ 02 · What to Order

The order, from the record

№ 03 · Insider Tip
!

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.

Nico Marchetti · Top of St. Louis
№ 04 · The Verdict

What earns the 6.1

01
Birria stands out

The brisket birria taco gets called out ahead of the standard trio and signals a kitchen willing to chase a newer trend.

02
Bar carries weight

A real cocktail program, especially the spicy margarita, sets this counter apart from typical quick-service taco rooms.

03
Portions run tight

Regulars note the taco size has shrunk relative to price, worth factoring into how many to order.

How we score

The Insider Score is our own 10-point editorial rating, set by the writer who covers the room. It is never an average of other sites’ stars, and it is never for sale. It weighs three things:

01Track record

How highly a kitchen rates, across how many diners, over how long.

02Consistency

Whether recent diners still agree with the long-term verdict.

03Distinction

What the kitchen does that its category does not.

Session Taco earns a 6.1, solid on our scale for Mexican in St. Louis.
Nico Marchetti
Nico Marchetti

The Hill and Heritage Editor. Third-generation Hill family who grew up bagging hot salami on Saturday shifts. Covers the red-sauce canon, St. Louis-style pizza, and the kitchens of Cherokee Street, South Grand, and the Olive Boulevard corridor. His standard: the regulars would notice.

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