Elite Event: Gio Taco

I was invited as a guest to this event: BIG thanks to Jenny Y. as this was my FIRST Unilocal Elite event ever! Thank you to beautiful Bella, Brian, and the Gio Taco staff for planning such an amazing, well-​organized, super fun event! I was so amazed at how many Unilocal Elite folks are in Tucson to basically have reserved the entire restaurant!
Gio Taco is at a prime location right smack in downtown, and will hands down become one of the up and coming popular hangout spots in Tucson!
The Gio Taco staff and Brian were generous in serving our group with their refreshing cocktails and drinks namely the «Gio Punch»! I thoroughly enjoyed their Chipper Fish Taco, Korean BBQ taco, and Gio taco ~ and would definitely order them again in the future. Their Churro for dessert was absolutely delicious and was just the right amount of sweetness after the tacos. They were soft in breading, sweet in taste, and incredibly addictive. Had my friends hold me back for asking for more!
Of course the night was topped by dancing on the outside patio to energetic music and a great DJ! This event was super fun and full of positive energy ~ I met a great group of people! Unilocal Elites can hang for reals. :)
Eat it up!

As always Brain roll out the red carpet for the Unilocalers, Everything about this event was awesome, The little game we play always help us get to know other Unilocalers little more. But I have to admit I was helping other people with their questionnaire sheets… guess I won’t do that again…:(
Food wise Korean BBQ was my favorite since its kind of spicy and spicy food always have my vote. Beef short rib is another amazing creation. Guess I stick with these two just keep them on the short list.:)
The business concept is very different than your run of the mill restaurant hour, 830– 1100 and 2230 – 0230 (hope the military time won’t confuse you) take away windows is such a great idea. If you hang out in downtown late next time and craving some good quality tacos. Gio have you cover! as I was leaving their HH menu caught my attention… wow you have to come check it out yourself. Guess the near future visit is a must! Oh don’t forget thanks our CM Bella always here for the local business and all the Unilocalers!

Is it possible for a swanky, fusion taco joint, tucked under a luxury student apartment building, to feel like home? Well if it’s possible — it’s Gio Taco! Brian Metzger and staff are bringing their five star service to a quick eatery in the pulsing downtown entertainment district. And what is the food? An exciting mix of everything. There were tacos showcasing pork belly, butternut squash, Korean BBQ beef, and watermelon. The tortillas were fresh and very sturdy to hold all that goodness inside. And the guacamole, packed with garlic and lime, is addictive. But, it’s good for you, right? Let’s just say it is.
The on tap cocktails were each refreshing and interesting. The Gio Punch, with it’s balance of sweet and tangy is perfect for a co-​ed chilling by the pool. Okay, and everyone else too.
Thanks to Brian and his fam as well as all the staff of Gio Taco for being so welcoming and fun. And of course, Bella for making the magic happen.

What a way to kick off 2014!
I’ve been to Gio before, but it was exciting to taste more of their menu. Our table had plantain chips, chips and guacamole, and yucca tots on it as soon as we came in, and everything was great. The restaurant was especially accommodating to my vegetarian diet, and brought me out two of the veggie tacos instead of the sampling of meat tacos that everyone was getting. The tacos were delicious, lots of melty cheddar cheese engulfing the other vegetables. The rice and beans that accompanied the meal, was a twist from the usual sides, and was fresh and light. The staff was so friendly, with several staff members stopping by to make sure I had enough to eat, etc.
Gio finally has their liquor license, and of the two cocktails we tried, I was definitely a fan of the Gio punch, and I’m excited to get back and try some of their other draft cocktails.
As always, Bella did an amazing job organizing the event, and it’s always so nice to socialize with fellow Unilocalers! Thank you do much to the Metzgers and the Gio staff for your wonderful hospitality! I’m sure I will be making many more stops to Gio in the future.

Tacos + cocktails + a DJ + a great photographer + an amazing staff + Unilocalers + our amazing CM Bella = one fabulous evening!
My favorite tacos were the Korean BBQ and the Gio. The Korean BBQ taco consists of marinated beef short rib, mango and carrot slaw, and pineapple soda in a lettuce cup. It’s tendy, juicy, flavorful and delicious. The Gio Taco, with coffee, chipotle rubbed smoked pork belly, seared butternut squash and pumpkin seed salsa is off the hook. All the flavors go well together, and are amazing with each bite. The rice and beans are a simple dish, but they definitely had a unique twist to them, with cilantro pineapple rice, white beans, and jalapeño. I’m usually not a fan of rice that isn’t plain old jasmine rice, but I actually finished my entire sample of rice and beans and was left craving more. The Yucca Tots with spicy sambal ketchup were to die for! They were a treat compared to only having regular tots most of my life. I think they were my favorite of the snacks!
Now I’m a sucker for any «girly/​fruity» drinks, so of course, I LOVED the Gio Punch with strawberry infused rum, pineapple granite, and pineapple sour. I could drink this all day! It’s a light and refreshing cocktail with a perfect blend of fruit with alcohol. I’ll definitely be coming back for more!
Brian Metzger, the owner, is friendly, generous, and awesome. He gave us a speech and thanked us all for being there and told us about Poppy Kitchen, which is opening up soon.
During the night, we got to participate in a Bingo scavenger hunt for prizes, which allowed us to break the ice and mingle with fellow Unilocalers. We also received fun goody bags from Gio filled with treats.
Thank you to Brian, the staff of Gio Taco, and to Bella for a fabulous Unilocal Elite Event. This was the perfect way to kick off the year!

Unilocal’s Taco Take Over… a great way to kick off the 2014 Unilocal Elite year :) We really enjoyed our indulgent and fun evening at Gio Taco sampling tons of tacos, appetizers, sides and beverages all while being entertain by good conversation with fellow Unilocalers, fun games and a great DJ! There was plenty of seating for everyone which was awesome and at each table there were already plantain chips with a lime crema plus chips & guac. We liked both a lot but were definitely really impressed by the lime crema. There was a lot of flavor in just a tiny dip. I was really impressed with the staff at Gio. They took the time to explain all of the different items they brought out and seemed genuinely excited about the food and drinks offered at Gio. After being seated for a few minutes and noshing on some apps we were brought out cantaloupe water to start which was nice and refreshing as well as yucca tots. Really tasty and I loved the ketchup served with them. It tasted very fresh and had a nice kick to it. I hope I’m not wrong in assuming it is house made!
And then… THE TACOS started making an appearance. While I enjoyed them all I was definitely getting full towards the end. My favorite was the Korean BBQ served on a lettuce leaf followed by the simple steak taco. I like the unique take on tacos they have here… kale? sure! blackberries? why not! watermelon? of course! Brian Metzger definitely characterized Gio accurately when he said if you think about a taco as something with stuff on it you have that here. Seems like they’ll put about anything on a taco as long as it tastes good! Our meal ended with a delicious fresh churro and a Gio Coffee which is coffee + horchata. A great way to end a delicious meal if you ask me. I never would have thought to put horchata in coffee but they are really a perfect pair, especially when you throw a piping hot churro into the mix. It was really neat for him to bring out his adorable family (whom his restaurants are named after) and tell us a bit more about Gio and Poppy Kitchen which will open up in about two weeks. He also told us about their new take on a bar where they have cocktails on tap. Seems like an interesting idea but I’m not sure how I feel about it. The cocktails didn’t seem very strong to me and the prices are what I would expect to pay for hand crafted cocktails in Tucson so I’ll have to check out their awesome happy hour before I form an opinion on them.
A huge thanks to the staff at Gio Taco as well as Brian Metzger and his family for hosting us for the evening and to Bella our wonderful CM for organizing such a kick-​ass first Elite event of the year!

What a hospitable and enjoyable evening. Sometimes I feel awkward reviewing events: bribed, in a way. This time, I would feel ashamed to not give five — SIX, if I could — stars to Bella, Metzger and his adorable family, the attentive manager, DJ Johnny Five, and the whole crew who worked hard to made this experience nothing shy of perfect. Really. It was one of the best Unilocal events I’ve ever been to.
(By the way, I don’t check in to things. There are people I don’t want to know where I am. Sorry. There’s a valid reason.)
Wait, there was a GIFT BAG? Kidding. I won a GLASS. I love my GLASS.
Ok, deets: our primary server, whose name I didn’t get (boo), was just right on top of it. I wasn’t drinking last night, unfortunately (the cocktails looked yummy and according to my new friends they were!), but our guy was so gracious — he didn’t forget, didn’t make me feel silly, and brought me water upon request. The food. Was. To die for. Per everyone else, the KBBQ taco wrapped in Bibb lettuce was the fave and the house Gio Taco was the second fave. They even served an albacore taco that wasn’t on the menu. I am coming back for the plantains with crema, and to try the tots with mozzarella.
I loved the décor — cute, communal, hip yet homey somehow. Picnic meets gourmet.
Some items were not as delish, and there’s no point of being an Elite Unilocaler if you’re not going to say so: something happened with the rice and beans. Soggy, needed salt, more pineapple, more jalapeño. The grilled steak taco was dryish. There’s not a lot I wouldn’t have done for more of that blue cheese crema.
But again, SIX stars to you, Gio Taco. Innovation, quality, care: just what D-​Town T-​Town needs. Big hug.

What a fun way to kick off 2014, with Unilocal bingo and swag, a D.J. on the patio and dozens of friendly Elites taste-​testing Tucson’s hippest tacos and cocktails-​on-​tap at one of the freshest new restaurants downtown, Gio Taco.
I was just inside the door when I was handed a glass of Gio Punch: strawberry– infused rum, pineapple granita, pineapple sour. So good! Then the amazing servers kept the plates coming as fast as we could taste, reciting the full list of «Who-​woulda-​thought-​mixing-​all-​that-​stuff-​in-​a-​soft-​taco-​shell-​would-​be-​so-​amazing?» ingredients.
Okay, brown sugar and vinegar-​braised pork, watermelon with pickled rind, and celery seed slaw: It’s called The Tarheel at Gio and, trust me, it’s delish. You can mix and match your own favs anytime. My number one was The Korean BBQ: marinated beef short rib, mango/​carrot slaw, pineapple soda in a Bibb lettuce cup. Followed closely by the Gio: pork belly with coffee/​chipotle rub plus seared butternut squash and pumpkin seed salsa. When I return I’ll have my eye on the Duck with cherry and chocolate mole and blood orange segments. Now that’s thinkin’ outside a shell! They’re all big bites for 3 bucks.
Also loved the chip-​style Plantain «Crisps» served with a chive and lime spice-​dusted crema and the finger-​food dessert churros.

This is the latest relaxed-​gourmet, expect-​the-​unexpected concept from the fabulous Metzger family. Just like The Abbey and Jax, Gio Taco is named for one of their adorable kids, Giovanni. I love that the Metzgers also treat their entire staff like family, and this event made us feel the love, too. Thank you, Bella. You did it again!

This event was aaaamaaaazzinggg! I don’t know how else to describe it! Especially being a great start to the new 2014 year and being able to see old plus new faces! I met some great people last night who were just filled with so much excitement and energy! I’m glad to see that the Unilocal Elites are growing each year as I participate more and more in these events.
The food, was amazing along with the drinks and games. The bingo game really was a great ice breaker and allowed people to socialized more. I met so many new people who matched the criteria listed on the bingo game. I definitely enjoyed that type of game and agree it should be added to future events.
I can’t wait to see what other Elite events this 2014 year has to offer! Great job at it once again Bella! You rock!
Cheers!

2014 starts on a great note for Unilocal Elites! I can think of no better place to have the first elite event of the year than Gio Taco! It has the killer downtown location, bomb tacos, the lovely Metzger family tradition, and the most friendly staff members! Gio Taco basically summarizes all I love about Tucson: food, people, and culture.
Food, of course, was the star of the show from start to finish. I love the yucca tots and plantain chips, pork belly and smoked bird tacos, and the churros. What made the experience even more memorable was the wonderful Unilocal community. The bingo games definitely allowed us to meet new Unilocalers and reconnect with old friends. The moving speech by Brian at the patio brought us all to appreciate this hardworking culinary family’s efforts to make Tucson a better place. Thanks Bella and the Unilocal team for hosting this extraordinary event!
Last but not the least, a special shout-​out to our fabulous server ELIZA, who is the most helpful, adorable, friendly, and passionate! Gio Taco has an awesome team — keep up the good work!

Walking up to Gio Taco in their beautiful downtown location is exciting enough but the DJ spinning and our CM smiling makes it even more exciting! As always Mr. Metzger (Gio Taco’s proprietor) & our community manager Bella deliver. As elites we were able to sample a plethora of Gio’s sophisticated street food. From Korean Tacos to Yucca tots all was delicious and the servers were amazing.
Food highlights: the signature Gio Taco made with pork belly and in a coffee chipolte sauce nailed it. A close second was the Korean Taco served in a lettuce leaf. Drinks: I personally didn’t care for the Foot in the Grave as the tea and bitters combo left me wanting a chaser but the Gio Punch was fruity and delightful and reminded me of relaxing on the beach. Snacks: two words: Yucca. Tots. Oh my goodness. I’m Cuban and love me some Yucca but these were a much lighter popable version that I think will give those unfamiliar with the root vegetable a good introduction.
Brian Metzger and his beautiful family explained their vision and also mentioned that they have a late night menu for those frequenting some near by late night establishments, they’re also connected to the pool next door for some eats while you lap, and offer breakfast! What doesn’t Gio do?! Unilocal’s taco takeover for the win! Thank you Bella & Brian! Can’t wait to check this spot out again.

Last night we partied liked rockstars — drank like there was no tomorrow — ate like kings and danced till the DJ stop spinning the ones and twos. Way to start the new Unilocal year with GREAT people at a GREAT location! On the southeast corner of congress — is this awesome little restaurant called «Gio Taco».
To start off the night we had chips and guacamoles, fried plantain chips, and some sort of what seem to be cut up fried potatoes. Then rain down tacos upon tacos, out of the 5 tacos that were served that night my favorite was the Korean BBQ Taco. The taco consisted of Marinated beef short Ribs, mango — carrot slaw, pineapple soda wrapped with lettuce.
Can’t be at an elite event without the liquor! Drink of the night for me was a Strawberry infused rum pineapple granite and pineapple sour called the «Gio Punch». Sure gives you a mean punch at the end of the night.
Brain and his staff were beyond GREAT! Friendly smiles — awesome attitude, made me feel right at home.
As always — It was great seeing the Unilocal OG’s and meeting the new elites! Last but not least, Thank you Bella — you sure out did yourself on this one — keep up the awesome work!
KCYE!

First Unilocal elite event and I was definitely impressed ! The General Manager I believe sought me out because of my last review and tried to straighten out everything for me. Taco portions were great and everything tasted so good. The punch they served was my favorite of the night as well as their korean bbq taco. Will have to come back next time to order those exact items! Oh I also won a Gio Taco cup from bingo! Yay me! and Yay Bella for setting this up =D

After completing miscalculating the amount of time it would take to get to the restaurant, I finally arrived at Gio Taco for my first ever Elite event. Despite my tardiness, Bella greeted us kindly and sorted out where we would sit.
We immediately immersed ourselves in what Gio had provided us: Tacos and liquor.
If I had to choose a favorite, it’s a neck-​and-​neck race between the Korean BBQ and The Gio. Every last one of the tacos I consumed was absolutely fantastic and cooked to perfection. Much like their sister restaurant, Jax Kitchen, Gio Taco’s food was seasoned perfectly and cooked properly.
I also tried the fried plantains too, which — surprisingly enough — was the very first time I had tried plantains in any form. I was a bit surprised at how much I enjoyed them and I could envision myself snacking on them for hours. It was also the first time I have feasted upon yuca, and this was — once again — fried. Given that it come from a root, it came as no surprise that it had a similar taste to french fries… but saying you ate yuca sounds drastically more classy than saying you ate potatoes.
I forgot what I had to drink, but I had two of them and they were filled with alcohol and thirst-​quenching. I would have had more if it wasn’t a work night.
The staff was incredible. Very attentive, fast, extremely friendly and very knowledgeable. They were truly on top of their game and there wasn’t enough tip money available to truly justify the effort put into to making sure we were taken care of. The owner introduced himself to us and it’s not difficult to fathom why his staff works hard for him. I mean, it’s obvious he cares about his business and his product. His innovation and restaurant expertise is going to allow this business to thrive in this location.
The indoor /​outdoor venue is bright and vibrant and looks like an establishment that can attract a pretty respectable nightlife crowd. A truly perfect place for my first ever Unilocal Elite Event and a great way to kick the year off in the first of hopefully many Elite events this year.

In one word Unilocalerrific! This was my 1^st elite event and it was A+ in my book! Gio Taco was an amazing new spot that I am so happy that Unilocal introduce me too! Now I have a new Taco spot that’s a Fast Casual Bar! The cocktail drink was probably the best I have had in a long time. Super refreshing crisp and full of flavor– oh and what there was liquor in it:) tacos different spin on mixing flavors but the cremas very well paired. Can’t wait to go and review them on Unilocal!Super cool to put faces to names! Thanks Bella and everyone that put this together– makes me love Tucson more and more!

Gio Taco + Unilocal Elite= THE BOMB! I loved this event but I would’ve been shocked if I didn’t. A Metzger restaurant and Bella J planning? So fun! From start to finish… FUN!
Mark S. always outshines me when he describes food at events. I shall not repeat his excellent descriptions but will concur that the guac was ridiculously good! I even added some to my rice n beans. I wanted to be greedy with that guacamole but could never not share the deliciousness with my fellow Yeeps! All of the apps were delightful. The plantain crisps had such a yummy dip to assist. I’m happy that Gio exposed Unilocalers to the snacks on the menu because I may have skipped them on future visits. I probably would’ve only dined on the tacos, but now I know better! The consensus at my table was that the Korean BBQ was the Best of the night. I am a sucker for beef short rib and the combination of ingredients in this taco thrilled me!
DJ Johnny Five was rockin’ it tonight! Even little Gio himself couldn’t help but get up and dance to the fun music playing! I left this event with such happiness! How could I not? Great Gio Punch, amazing food, fun Unilocalers, and DJ Johnny Five playing some Rob Base «It Takes Two».
Brian Metzger summed up Gio Taco by saying it is a fun place to have some inventive tacos. Heck yeah it is!
Thank you so much to the staff at Gio (our servers were fantastic), the Metzger fam and our always fabulous Bella!

You take something as simple as a taco and put it in the hands of Brian Metzger and his crackerjack staff and you have tacos taken to another level completely
To start off with the tables were graced with chips and some of the best guac I have had in the city, fried plantain chips served with a lime crema with a wicked kick and yucca «tots» served with a spicy sambal ketchup. I enjoyed every single one of these but then came… TACOS!
The Tarheel — brown sugar braised pork on top of a celery seed slaw conjured up visions of your favorite pulled pork sandwich… in taco format. Genius!
The Smokey Bird — smoked turkey with a kale salad all topped off with pumpkin seed salsa and given a jolt with fresh blackberries. Who would have thunk it?
Grilled Steak — the simplest of the tacos, but sometimes simple is good. In this case VERY GOOD!
The Gio — OK, you had me at pork belly, but I think the coffee and chipotle was just a little too much for me. I ate it all anyway.
Korean BBQ — my personal favorite. Marinated beef short ribs, with a carrot and mango slaw served inside a Bibb lettuce cup. I plan to go back just for that.
All this was washed down with three different cocktails: a rum cocktail called Foot in The Grave. a cachaca, grapefruit and mint thing and cherry infused gin based Gio Punch. Speaking of cocktails, the aforementioned Brian spoke about (among other things like some upcoming ventures) their innovative tap cocktails, their very own idea. Let’s hope that catches on…
Churros finished out the meal after which we moved out to the patio for sounds from DJ Johnny 5 of 520Soundz.
We simply can’t expect Bella to keep stringing together events of this quality, but somehow she seems to keep outdoing herself and raising the bar. Hat’s off to her… and thank you.
More thanks to Brian, Josh and the rest of the Gio crew for hosting this rowdy group of Unilocalers and doing it in style.

This event was amazing. The atmosphere was laid back and fun. Thank you to DJ Johnny Five and Pedro Romano Photography for spinning some tunes and taking some fab snapshots. Thank you Bella for putting on another great event. And a big thank you to Gio Taco for hosting us.
We experienced the rice and beans side that was a great mix of, well beans and rice, but cooked with cilantro, pineapple, and jalapeño. I devoured the homemade guac/​chips, Yucca Tots/​spicy sambal ketchup, and plaintain crisps/​chive, lime crema. The sampling of tacos (The Tarheel, Smokey Bird, Grilled Steak, The Gio, Korean BBQ) were all delicious. My favorite was the Korean BBQ was so juicy and tender with a hint of heat and sweetness. Dessert was churros which came out hot, crisp, and sugary… yummy!
I will be making this a regular stop in my foodie obsession.

What a great kickoff to the 2014 Elite season! The event was beyond fabulous and the food was crazy good. But what always makes these events even more special is when one feels truly welcome and at ease. Bella and my fellow Yeeps always make me feel that way but the staff at Gio did so as well. And Brian Metzger… well, he is so appreciative and humble. I mean, look at his success in Tucson. That kind of thing doesn’t happen to mean, awful people. Obviously there is a bit of karma going on in Brian’s life.
So many tacos! So many different cocktails! We were treated like kings and queens and I’m still full from all the delicious food. My favorites were the Smoky Bird and the Korean BBQ. And I just love that Gio has a takeout window, a window that backs up to the pool at Cadence for the college kids, and cocktails on tap. Gio is a great addition to the downtown scene.
Bella always puts on a great event and I love when we play games that make us get up and mingle. Loved meeting Aimee from St. Louis and intern? Michael. We listened to fun, upbeat music from DJ Johnny Five and were all given fun goodie bags from the good folks at Gio.
I’m definitely going to come back to Gio! Hmmmm, cocktails on the patio perhaps?

Goodness, every single person was in such a great mood during this event! We had a wonderful time!
I loved the energy of this event — including DJ Johnny Five (who rocked it out with an excellent mix of fresh music), the atmosphere and ambiance, the conversation and the movement.
I met some new Unilocalers, and a couple of folks who have «celebrity status» with me :-) You don’t know who you are…
The service was consistent and attentive. Every single item I tried — amazing tacos, the yucca tots, the delicious drinks — was fabulous. I’ll call it: My favorite items served up for the tasting (which turned out to be a full and complete meal) were the Korean-​style taco served in a lettuce wrap without the taco shell, and also the gorgeous and light bean and rice mixture, which had a lovely hit of pineapple. Beautiful concepts and exceptional design.
And I so appreciated the executive staff coming out to say hello and check in. Fun side note: Brian Metzger, who also co-​owns The Abbey and Jax Kitchen, named the two restaurants, along with Gio, after his three children. Also, Jax will be shutting down mid-​February, and the family is opening a brand new restaurant with a new concept. You get the good sense that he is deeply invested in Tucson and creating solid, vibrant places for people who also care about this place.
Anyhow, great organization with fun takeaways. Plus, the bingo game was fun and actually got us floating the room and meeting other Unilocalers and their Plus-​1s. The event wasn’t too short and it didn’t run too long; started at the perfect time at the start of the busy work week.
I look forward to visiting the restaurant and giving it a proper review.
And, seriously, next time we need to fire up the dance floor.