Charlotte restaurant with ‘best tacos al pastor’ expands to Lake Norman.
Gabriel and Hilda Manjarrez opened a Lake Norman location of their popular Charlotte family restaurant on Tuesday.
With “the best tacos al pastor in Mooresville,” La Michoacana Taqueria y Tortilleria is now serving diners across from Walmart Supercenter off Interstate 77/N.C. 150, Exit 36.
As he installed kitchen equipment at the former Pacheco’s Tortilleria y Grill in July, Gabriel Manjarrez recounted to CharlotteFive his family’s Michoacán roots and how they inspired the menu at the family restaurant.
The west-central state in Mexico borders the Pacific Ocean and has the best tacos al pastor in the country, Manjarrez said. And the menu at the couple’s restaurant is based on his family’s recipes from that area, he said.
La Michoacana’s Charlotte location opened in 2020 on Nevin Road, off West Sugar Creek Road.
The couple lives in Huntersville. Their daughter, Karina, designed the interior and handles La Michoacana’s social media channels, Manjarrez said.
The menu includes tacos, tortas, carnitas, barbacoa, chicharrón, quesadillas, burritos, tamales, pupusas, menudo and guiso del dia, or stew of the day — all made with fresh ingredients and meats. Its gently pressed, authentic Mexican corn tortillas are handmade daily.
Conida por libra, or food by the pound, also is available for purchase.
La Michoacana Taqueria y Tortilleria
Location: 5400 Nevin Road, Charlotte, 28269
Location: 168 Norman Station Blvd., Suite Z, Mooresville, N.C., 28117.
Cuisine: Mexican.
Instagram: @michoacanataqueriaytortilleria
This story was originally published September 25, 2025 at 5:30 AM.