This is the story of a misunderstood taco restaurant, sandwiched between vegan spots
When Rachel Alvarez opened Tex-Mex takeout restaurant Tu One Oh Tacos at City West Commons in December, she thought she had thought of everything. She stocked the menu with fresh, authentic, made-from-scratch dishes. She added signature items including a 210 Puffy Taco (more on that later), Texas Chili Cheese Fries and Texas Chili.
She opened the walk-up window at her new spot, in a shopping center at West Boulevard and Remount Road, and waited for the Tex-Mex fans to arrive.
It was then she realized the one thing she hadn’t thought of: She needed to show her customers that her restaurant is not vegan.
You see, Tu One Oh Tacos is sandwiched between two vegan restaurants in an area that is becoming known for its vegan food options. Its sign is so close to Exposed Vegan’s sign that it is easy to see why customers might assume they will be handed a vegan taco menu at either spot.
And while you can eat meatless at Tu One Oh Tacos — Veggierito and Mexican rice, for example — you certainly don’t have to.
So what’s a meat-friendly taco spot to do?
“We try to promote as much as we can,” she said. “We go out to the public, hand out menus, take samples, and walk around the neighborhood, so people can sample the food. Our biggest struggle is trying to get the community to notice we’re here being in between two vegan places.”
Tu One Oh Tacos — a nod to San Antonio’s area code — is focused on creating a high-quality, fresh product for customers, Alvarez said. Each item — from the sauces to the tortillas — is made from scratch.
“We work really really hard to come in here every day to make sure everything is made fresh,” Alvarez said.
A taste of Texas
Born in San Antonio, Alvarez was adamant about featuring the Texas flavor on the menu. The 210 Puffy Taco is a signature menu item and a San Antonio staple. It’s a deep fried, puffy corn tortilla shell that’s stuffed with chicken or ground beef. It’s topped with lettuce, tomatoes, cotija cheese and a Mexican sour cream.
While some menu items like the Texas Chili Cheese Fries, Texas Heat Salsa and Texas Chili may be here to stay, Alavrez does like to add a bit of creativity to the rotating specials. One goal is to do what has not been done.
“I feel like if you go to any other Mexican restaurant or Tex-Mex, they all have pretty much the same menu,” she said. “For me, I’m very artistic, so I try to come up with a menu item that’s different from what you would find at a typical Tex-Mex restaurant.”
Owning her own restaurant means Alvarez has the opportunity to be as creative as she wants to be. It’s something she’s always wanted to do. Prior to COVID-19, Alvarez was a general manager in the industry. Like many Charlotte restaurants, the place where she worked shut down, which ultimately provided her with time to develop a plan that’s now Tu One Oh Tacos. With her skills and experience, along with the guidance of a mentor in the industry, Alvarez was able to make her dream a reality.
“I already owned my own cleaning business, so owning a business was something I always wanted to do,” she said. “I just didn’t know I wanted to be in restaurants but when I met [my mentor], I learned how to operate the restaurant. I knew that’s what I wanted to do.”
Tu One Oh Tacos may be new, but the owner of the walk-up window concept is looking for ways to expand. There’s an upcoming opportunity to partner with a local market to sell her tacos, as well as hopes to have at least a second location within the next few years. The goal is to get the word out so people will know more about where it’s located and pick up some takeout.
‘Our returning customers is what keeps us going’
Although the location presents some meaty challenges, Alvarez keeps her focus on brand awareness, with hopes of serving more people in the community where the restaurant is located.
“We’re reaching people that are on social media that’s from outside of this community, but I really really want the community here to know that we have fresh, authentic tacos,” Alvarez told CharlotteFive. “We’re trying to come up with different ways to try to differentiate ourselves.”
While she waits for the word to get out, Alvarez said that return customers have kept the business going.
“We get so many compliments on how good our food is,” she said.
So whether you’re plant-based, carnivore or somewhere in between, this might just be the spot to get your next Tex-Mex fix. And stay tuned: Alvarez said she is planning to expand to more locations in the future.
Tu One Oh Tacos
1540 West Blvd., Suite 101
Walk-up window only
Instagram: @tuoneohtacos
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Sunday from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; closed on Monday.
Melissa Oyler contributed to this story.
This story was originally published May 27, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
