Locoz Tacoz Taqueria is opening a brick-and-mortar in Maplewood this winter

Tyler Garcia, owner of the popular Locoz Tacoz food truck, is proud to announce he is bringing his authentic taqueria concept to a storefront at 7374 Manchester Road in Maplewood with plans to open Locoz Tacoz Taqueria by December.

For the past nine years, Garcia and his parents have strived to bring a real Mexican taqueria experience to the area with their restaurant La Tejana Taqueria in St. Ann and a food truck, which was rebranded to Locoz Tacoz in 2014. After all the praise and support his parents received, he felt inspired to carry on the family name in his own way. “I’ve always been a very ambitious person,” said Garcia. “Once I got the food truck, I was already thinking about a restaurant.” 

When it came to a location, Garcia felt he could offer Maplewood the most authentic taqueria experience around and quickly noticed how welcoming everyone was. “When I heard about all the events they do in the area, I thought what better way to grow and participate in that community,” he said. “Even people just walking by the new shop take time to stop to welcome me to the neighborhood and tell me about all the cool stuff there, and I couldn’t be more excited.”

The new location, which formerly housed a Jimmy John’s, is all about replicating the vibe of an authentic taqueria stand you’d find in the streets of Mexico instead of the more Americanized restaurant so popular in the U.S. The menu will be an expanded version of what the food truck offers and consists of street tacos, quesadillas, burritos, tortas, street corn and more. Special plated items will be offered during the weekend, such as fajitas and carne asada prepared on an open-flame grill. Guests will be able to drink Mexican cokes, Jarritos and agua frescas, along with alcoholic options like Mexican beers, margaritas and micheladas.

There will be no servers, and guests will place orders at a counter and may choose to have it brought to them or pick it up themselves. The 1,850-square-foot space will seat about 50 and will be very clean and neat feeling with touches of red from the logo. A street taco mural will decorate the wall, and guests are encouraged to take pictures and share their experience. “If you’ve been to Mexico and been to any of the ones they have there, things will be very familiar,” Garcia said.

When he’s not working, Garcia spends most of his time with his four children. One of his most cherished activities with them is making hot sauces, which he then sells at the family businesses. Garcia hopes to get into bottling his own sauces when the new location opens.

Tentative hours will be 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The restaurant will offer carryout, as well as delivery through third-party apps. For more information about Locoz Tacoz and the new location, visit locoztacoz.com or find them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.