Officially the name of the restaurant that celebrated its grand opening Monday at Disney Springs is Frontera Cocina.
That's the real name.
It's a new location of the 6-time-James-Beard-Award-winning Chef Rick Bayless' Mexican chain that opened its first location in the 1980s Chicago.
It should be called The Taco Window.
Don't want to sip $15 margaritas and soak in the blue ceiling lights in the blue hut (that's we're calling it) or pottery strewn walls near the bathrooms as chosen by Philadelphia-based firm Daroff Design Inc + DDI Architects, PC?
Go to the Taco Window, an outward-facing order spot connected right to the kitchen.
At The Taco Window, they offer a 3-for-$12 taco deal that is authentic, affordable and delicious.
Guests can to-go order a small cardboard plate/bowl (blate? plowl?) of three authentic Mexican tacos made with tiny soft corn tortillas and filled with either pork or beef, topped with pickled onions and lime for twelve dollars.
We ate two helpings of these Taco Window tacos Monday night, but not on foot walking the dimly lit streets of Disney Springs. We at them on Frontera Cocina's back porch. We were told that we were the very first guests to do so. So there's that.
The way we got this honor was this. We showed up to the front entrance 10 minutes before Frontera closed (rude). A shockingly gorgeous, tall, tan, thick-haired Latin man with perfect teeth and a personality the size of a state welcome center ushered us into the restaurant, gave us a tour (a complete fact-filled tour) and fed us those Taco Window tacos on the back porch. That's when he revealed the only folks who'd eaten out there were the owners. And us. I felt special about that honor and the honor of his eyes that drilled holes in my soul and made it hard to not wrap my body around his 800 foot long torso and make him carry me to Mexico.
And if you end up going to Frontera Cocina for their full sit-down meal experience, the area in which you should beg to sit (only if it's not too hot and only if it's nighttime) is the back porch.
The view you get on the back porch is the most picturesque in Disney Springs. The lightly-lit blue springs pool gurgles beneath your chairs and spreads to the opposite bank and underneath two foot bridges flanking your view.
The wonderfully lit Morimoto looms large behind a few twinkle light-spattered mature trees.
And speaking of Morimoto, after your Taco Window meal, go to the second floor of Morimoto and order the $15 Watermelon Vodka drink or their $6 jug of water. You get all the ambience of the restaurant and great drinks.
Beef tacos inside corn tortillas topped with cheese (not authentic but tasty), onion, cilantro and lime
Pork tacos inside corn tortillas topped with pickled onions cilantro and lime.
The Frontera Cocina back porch with views of the springs, Morimoto's lighting, twinkle lights and the two foot bridges.
Drinks at the Morimoto upstairs bar. Go after 10pm and you've got the place to yourself. Warning: last call is 11:30pm.
The blue hut lit by a ceiling's worth of teensy Azul mood lights
We'd like to ask
Philadelphia-based firm Daroff Design Inc + DDI Architects, PC to lower this huge chandelier so diners can enjoy it without cracking their necks to see it. We know it might hide the mural (coming soon!) but we doubt the mural will outshine these tubular brown masses dangling from the pointy ceiling.