Raoul Villegas went from selling vacuum cleaners to opening his own food truck, called Street Tacos. Villegas owns the food truck with Artemio Ruiz.
The choices for Taco Tuesday just got more interesting and creative thanks to the succinctly named Taco Shop on the East Side.
The eatery, which opened last week at 1920 N. Zaragoza Road, is owned by chefs Chris Morrill and Santiago Reyes, two business partners who have plenty of experience behind their aprons.
Morrill is a graduate of the Scottsdale Culinary Institute in Arizona and Reyes is a graduate of El Paso Community College.
Morrill and Reyes have owned Around the World Catering for almost 10 years. About three years ago, the two decided to open the Gallery 3 Kitchen, 6655 Gateway Blvd. W., at the Best Western Plus El Paso Airport Hotel & Conference Center.
“The Taco Shop is a passion project for us,” Morrill said. “Last year, we went to a food convention in San Diego and we got a lot of inspiration and ideas and just started talking about it.”
The concept is pretty simple — tacos and beer. But the taste and look of the tacos are anything but simple. And worth any wait.
Morrill said the tacos on the menu are a mix of ideas from different styles of food, from Chicago to New York to Mexico.
“It’s a combination of that with some El Paso flavor,” he said. The menu also offers flautas and various appetizers, such as hot Cheeto pie and loaded quesadillas.
There are carne asada ($6) and carnitas ($6) street tacos, as well as shrimp, and a chipotle-lime roasted-chicken taco plate. Add a drink and side for $3 more.
For the vegetarians, there are Brussels sprout tacos and chipotle-barbecue charred rainbow cauliflower tacos. Both make you want to eat your veggies more. In fact, the Brussels sprouts appetizer ($7), roasted with lots of chorizo and bacon, is a must try.
And for a real twist, try the tacos made of birria served with a consommé, and lengua (beef tongue) tacos.
Morrill said the taco fillings and the way they cook them is what sets them apart. Many of the meats are cooked sous-vide style, which means the food is sealed in air-tight containers, then cooked slowly for 48 to 56 hours, which results in flavorful protein.
Morrill said the partnership works because they play to their strengths and respect each other. Reyes likes to focus on the kitchen, dishing out quality food. And Morrill enjoys being at the front of the house, visiting tables and dealing with the paperwork.
“We are like a marriage. We know our likes and dislikes and when to stay away from each other,” he said. “Sometimes you’ll see us work in complete silence, but we’re in sync.”
What: Taco Shop
Where: 1920 N. Zaragoza Road
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday.
Details: Creative and tasty tacos with a variety of Mexican beers. Casual family atmosphere with plenty of board games.
Cost: $
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