Vagabond boldly mixes together loosely adjacent traditions to create something greater and unique.
The décor is just as much indebted to late 1970s and early ’80s big rock and hip-hop (and the even bigger boombox tech it was enjoyed through) as it is to the vintage video games that sparked an arcade revolution in the same years, all evidenced by the sprawling pop art murals inspired by both the music and Ms. Pac-Man. How early Reagan-era Americana pop culture became the backdrop for, of all things, a taco restaurant is beyond me. As far as Vagabond is concerned, that actually might be the point.
The menu, which features an A-Side of taco listings and a B-Side of assorted small plates and shareables, is chock full of fusion delights.
Featuring roughly two-dozen items, the taco menu is divided among five sub-categories (beef, poultry, pork, seafood and veggie). The only real through line is that they are all, in fact, tacos: small, soft tortillas (corn or flour) liberally topped with marinated and spiced meats and crisp slaws and shredded cheeses and salsas and sauces. That’s really where the similarities end. A meal of three tacos (ordering in trios allows for agua chili rice and “cowboy” beans to be included for a buck each) can include such disparate flavor palates that the literal textbook definition of “taco” represents the only overlap in the taste bud Venn diagram.
For example, a single order can include the classic Al Pastor with roasted pork perfectly topped with an acidic grilled pineapple bite, a Kung Pow shrimp taco tossed in sweet and spicy Hunan sauce, and the fatty Duck Confit that’s more confection than taco. For every traditional Al Pastor or Hanger Steak taco there’s a genre-crossing Kung Pow or Falafel Curry or BLT-A option to counter.
And then there are the straight silly options, like the aptly named Flamin’ Cheeto taco which tops coffee-smoked brisket with, well, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. It’s the kind of combination only a curious child or a not-exactly-sober millennial on a college student budget could think up—and it actually works.
Pair the tacos with a healthy margarita menu, a large draft beer selection, an even larger tequila list and generous daily food and drink specials and Vagabond becomes on of the best hangs in the city. The endless chips delivered with salsa rojo, salsa verde, and a habanero- and ghost pepper-based salsa picoso don’t hurt either (of course).
