Daejeon Mexican restaurant burrito set lunch date: Horse Taco Soje

Last Friday was my husband's birthday, so we went on a lunch date. We live near Soje-dong, and I'd walk past Horse Taco Soje sometimes on stream walks — always meaning to go, always telling myself I'd try it for dinner sometime. But this time, we made it a special lunch date!

Where is Horse Taco Soje, and what are its hours and parking?

Horse Taco Soje is a Mexican restaurant on the stream in Soje-dong, Dong-gu, Daejeon, about a 7-minute walk from the East Square side of Daejeon Station. I went on a weekday lunch, parked near Midoin Curry, and walked across the stream bridge to get there!

— Hours — Tuesday–Sunday 11:30–20:00 Closed every Monday Last order 19:30 No break time / closed on Chuseok day

Parking is available right in front of the restaurant. There's also a streamside lot, but it was blocked off when I visited, so I couldn't use it!

Inside Horse Taco Soje: cozy seating with a Mexican feel

Once the weather cools down, this outdoor spot looks perfect for a beer — sit here and you get a stream view right in front of you!

Opening time is 11:30! I had plans in the afternoon so I timed it to arrive right at 11:30, but I was surprised when I opened the door — there was only one seat left inside. My husband and I hurried in before someone else grabbed it! Definitely a Soje-dong, Daejeon hot spot.

Head all the way to the back and you can watch the cooking happen — there's a bar table up front where you can sit and eat too.

Near the entrance there are three tables that seat groups. Soje-dong as a whole keeps the layout of its old traditional houses while giving them a hip vibe, so the space itself is on the small side. Because it's popular, there can be a wait!!

The interior isn't elaborately designed, but the mix of props, lighting, and tablecloths gives it a cozy yet comfortable, distinctly exotic feel that fits right in with Soje-dong's hip atmosphere. With no break time, it's great for casually enjoying any time of day. I'd recommend going right at opening, haha.

Through a small window you can catch the owner cooking, and since it's an open kitchen, sitting and waiting means delicious smells drift over and get your appetite going!

What comes in the 31,000-won burrito set at Horse Taco Soje?

You order through a kiosk! The main menu covers tacos and burritos, plus sides, alcohol, and drinks. Since I'd never properly had Mexican food before, I went with a set menu to make the choice easier!

• Burrito set: burrito, taco, nachos, drink — ₩31,000
• Taco set for two: 4 kinds of tacos, nachos, drink

Since it was our first time, we ordered the ₩31,000 burrito set! You can ask to leave out cilantro when ordering, so if you can't handle it, be sure to check that box!

How do the birria tacos, chili nachos and chili burrito taste?

Our food arrived. The colors were so pretty.

The view through the floor-to-ceiling window — lush greenery and sunlight streaming in — was gorgeous.

Time to dig in!

On the wall was a guide on how to eat tacos properly — it was so fun that I read the whole thing at a glance before digging in. The owner also explained how to eat everything, super kind all around at Horse Taco Soje.

Birria taco, 2 pieces. Apparently it's Horse Taco's signature dish, made by simmering flap meat (bucheotsal) with Korean beef stock! The owner told us to dip it in the sauce that came with it, and to squeeze lime over it too — though I got confused whether the lime went on the sauce or straight on the taco! I ended up dipping it in the sauce first to try it.

Packed with meat and cheese, savory and salty — perfectly suited to Korean tastebuds! Dip it in the sauce and the flavor turns more exotic, and it was light enough to eat easily. The only tacos I'd had before were from buffets, so tasting one properly made this way was so goood. All the ingredients and sauces are made in-house with nothing pre-made, so everything felt fresh and delicious! It would pair perfectly with a beer — I'd recommend this as a date spot!

Second on the menu, chili nachos. Various toppings and sauces piled on top turn ordinary nachos into something special. There are disposable gloves on the table — put them on and dig in properly!

With all those sauce toppings, it's moist and crunchy at once — my hand kept reaching for more!

Last up, chili burrito.

The spicy, savory sauce goes so well with the rice, and there's plenty of meat inside too, making it very filling. Topping it with the accompanying sauce cuts right through the richness!

Tacos or burrito: which should you order at Horse Taco Soje?

I went to Horse Taco Soje meaning to have a light lunch, but by the time I finished the burrito, I was completely stuffed! If you want to eat light, go for tacos; if you want to be full, order the burrito!

While we were having lunch, I noticed a lot of foreign visitors coming in too — between the exotic flavors and the atmosphere, this is a Soje-dong, Daejeon restaurant worth recommending.