PrimeTime_Fall_2018

FARM TO TACO

How Tacodeli ® and HeartBrand ® Beef Work Together to Keep Taco Traditions Alive in Texas

BY CHRIS WOLFGANG, FREELANCE WRITER T here’s no doubt that a wave of taqueria- based restaurants has swept across the restaurant scenes of most U.S. cities over the past several years. Texas is certainly no dif- ferent, and Mexican-style street taco shops are certainly plentiful, but Austin-based Tacodeli ® has been ahead of the curve since their first location opened almost 20 years ago. Tacodeli definitely has the authenticity part nailed down. Co-owner Roberto Espinoza grew up in Mexico City before moving to Austin with his family in 1980 when Espinoza was just 10 years old. Tacodeli’s menu is heavily influenced by the flavors Espinoza grew up with, but the path to opening his own restaurant was a long and winding one. Espinoza went to the University of Texas, and his career led him to Atlanta, where his experi- ence in the restaurant business started on the supplier side, doing on-premise sales of beer, wine and spirits to Atlanta bars and restau- rants. But in 1999, he quit his job and moved back to Austin with the goal of opening his own taqueria. “In a sense, I really wanted to eat food that I like,” Espinoza says. “But this is the food I grew up with. That was the inspiration.”

Shortly after opening the first Tacodeli on the west side of Austin, Espinoza met future co-owner Eric Wilkerson, who was ready for a career change as well after working as an IT consultant for several years. The two men struck up a friendship and soon became part- ners in the restaurant. After just a few minutes of talking with the pair, it’s obvious that their partnership and friendship are both still going strong. Tacodeli’s beef taco selections include the Akaushi picadillo (left) and the Frontero Fundido Sirloin.

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Akaushi Prime Time • Fall 2018

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