rva food

Indian Street Food Restaurant & Pop-Up Bar Come to Richmond

Amy David | September 20, 2018

Topics: Belle, Curry Craft, Good Eats, Indian food, Indian restaurant, Jesse Smith, Kabana Rooftop, Loose Screw Tattoo, Nama, pop-up bar, RVA dine, rva food, Switch

The crew behind downtown Richmond’s Kabana Rooftop and Belle have joined forces with a well-known restaurateur and a major R&B singer to bring two concepts to life in the fall.

Neal Patel and Kunal Shah have leased two adjoining spaces on West Broad Street to open Nama, an Indian restaurant with Chef Mel Oza serving at the helm, along with a pop-up bar called Switch that will feature rotating themes every few months.

Nama will offer family-style shared plates ranging from $11-20 to give patrons the opportunity to experience more than just one entree per person.

“When we say shared plates, people generally think of really small portions, like tapas, which is not what we’re trying to do. There are many dishes from India that make kind of mini meals for an individual or are good to share with people,” said Oza. “Sharing is a big part of Indian culture, it’s actually considered rude to order something and not share it with others at the table in most dining situations.”

While curries and tandoori will make their appearance at Nama, Oza said the restaurant will instead focus on a variety of street foods and delicacies from different regions of India.

“Street food in India used to be very risqué in terms of hygiene. A lot of progress has been made in recent times as the lifestyles are getting busier and people need to eat out more,” Oza said. “What we are trying to do at Nama is similar to what people would generally enjoy eating out. The full-on meals that involve the works are reserved for certain occasions or settings. An average person would rather have chaats, pav bhajis, street side kababs or pulaos [rice dish]. These kinds of dishes serve the purpose of stimulating your taste buds and yet comfortably satiating you. Restaurants offering similar cuisine are becoming really popular in the UK and big cities in the western world.”

Patrons can expect to find dishes from western and northeast India including pav bhaji, a spiced vegetable mash, goat meat Mamna which are roasted meatballs, quail eggs, chaat, and a fermented lentils rice cake in additional to more common staples like Indian fritters, kebab dishes, curries, and hot and cold chaat.

Oza has been cooking since the late 90s in the UK and later in the US. He served as the chef for contemporary Indian restaurant, Copper, in Charlotte, North Carolina before coming to Richmond in 2009 to pursue other restaurant ventures, including Carytown’s Curry Craft, which sold two years ago after four years in business.

Patel and Shah have wanted to bring an Indian concept to Richmond for quite some time, aiming to offer something a little different than other Indian restaurants that are currently in the market.

“We want people to have the option of coming to an Indian restaurant and not getting filled up by a single curry dish,” Patel said. “If you want to come in and have some craft cocktails or great wine or beer and try a few different plates off the menu, our goal is to create a little bit of a fun and lighter atmosphere. With most concepts we want to introduce, it is all about creating a fun social dining experience.”

After meeting Oza, the group worked on the idea for two years before leasing the space at 15 W. Broad St.

“We had a lot of variations and ideas for what we wanted to do, and my sister actually drafted the initial conceptual menu. Since partnering with Mel that initial vision has morphed into something much greater than we ever expected from a culinary perspective,” Patel said of Nama.

Rounding out the initial investors in Nama, is R&B artist, Jay Sean. The singer knew Shah threw his early promoter days and according to Patel, was enthusiastic about becoming involved in the early stages of development.

“Jay has a great relationship with Kunal. Early in Kunal’s professional career he owned a production company that managed Jay Sean in the US, and they have maintained their friendship for 10 plus years since then,” he said.

Their second concept, Switch, if the name didn’t give it away, will be a pop-up bar with a rotating theme every three, six, or nine months. Patel said the group wanted to bring the concept to Richmond after seeing it take off in bigger markets, citing DC’s wildly popular and seasonal Cherry Blossom pop-up bar as inspiration.

“Pop up bars have been growing in popularity, especially in Chicago, DC, LA, New York,” he said. “Kunal and I have experience in the DC market, and so, we had always been looking for a space to give Richmond what we consider to be its first true pop-up bar.”

The bar, located next to Nama at 13 W. Broad St., will serve cocktails and small bites which, along with the decor, will play off of each theme. As far as themes for the pop-ups, Patel mentioned Halloween or Christmas as potential options, but didn’t want to reveal any details just yet.

“Probably in the next month or two, we’ll start dripping teasers out,” he said. The restaurant and events group also plans to incorporate a second theme into the downstairs portion of Switch to host two separate concepts at the same time. To execute their vision for each theme, Patel and Shah have recruited Richmond interior design firm Lost Art Studios and commissioned local artists for the design and decor.

“Richmond is known for its artistry, and that strong local art scene we have, so we want to partner with a lot of local artists whether it’s for murals or design pieces that are featured in Switch, because when you think about these pop-ups, you’ve got to be able to shut it down and open it back up in a couple weeks with a brand new theme,” Patel said.

Jesse Smith of Loose Screw Tattoo was tapped for a mural for the first theme, which Patel is keeping under wraps for now, but be on the lookout in the coming weeks for hints on their social media.

The group hopes to have both Nama and Switch open by November.

A Taste of New Orleans Rolls Into Northside

Amy David | August 6, 2018

Topics: banh mi, Big Easy, Cajun food, chicken wings, food truck, fried chicken, fried rice, Good Eats, gumbo, Manchu, New Orleans, Northside, RVA dine, rva food, shrimp po boys, Vietnamese, yakamein

If you frequent any of the breweries in town, it’s likely you’ve seen a royal purple truck with a feisty chicken emblazoned on the side serving wings and other Cajun-inspired dishes. And this summer, that truck will settle in with a place of its own in Northside.

Manchu has only been slinging wings, fried rice, fries, shrimp po’ boys, banh mi, and gumbo in Richmond for a year, but its history goes back more than three decades with a family business that originated in New Orleans.

This article originally appeared in RVA #33 Summer 2018, you can check out the issue here, or pick it up around Richmond now.

Although a staple in the Big Easy and highly popular with the locals, there are no frills about Manchu, just a simple corner store near the French Quarter that has served up wings, po’ boys, fried fish, and yakamein for 35 years.

“We’re one of the few corner stores that’s still around,” said Manchu food truck owner Marvin Nguyen, of his family’s business.

Nguyen’s cousin Tommy and his wife Yen Pham, along with his father Kevin, founded the original Manchu, and while Nguyen moved out of New Orleans when he was 10, he returns every year to visit the store and family. His passion for cooking, however, wouldn’t come until years later.

His parents, originally from Vietnam, moved them to North Carolina, then Martinsville, Va. where he grew up. The food truck operator finally planted roots in Richmond in 2005 after transferring from UVA to J. Sarge in 2005 to study biology of all things.

When not in school, Nguyen spent his time working odd office jobs before realizing that wasn’t his true calling.

“I was like, ‘this is not me,’” he said. “All these office jobs I’m getting, I’m helping a lot of people, but I’m not helping myself, it’s not that fun,” he said. After that, he left school and tried out a career as a DJ in Richmond and Washington, DC for 10 years before finally deciding to take up the family business.

“I’ve always liked to cook at home or for my friends, so I thought why not open a food truck. I’ve always talked about it, but never pulled through.”

Nguyen often urged his family during his yearly trips to visit to expand the restaurant up north, and while they were content where they were, Nguyen took the leap to take on the venture himself.

From January to April 2017, he studied under the tutelage of his cousin and dad learning the inner-workings of Manchu. And his time may have been brief, but it was no easy task.

“I went down there and studied for like four months and did everything from the kitchen work, the recipes, the cooking of the fried rice, the chicken, and marinating,” he said.

In 2016, he bought his food truck and the following year, Manchu was up and running in Richmond, starting out in Ashland serving employees at Owens & Minor and Amazon, followed by weekly trips to SunTrust, and growing to regular gigs at local breweries like Ardent Craft Ales, The Veil Brewing Co., Hardywood, and Isley.

Richmond’s Manchu food truck is similar to the NOLA corner store, but with Nguyen ‘s spin on it. The truck sells traditional BBQ, sticky garlic, and ghost pepper wings, which he uses ghost pepper powder to make. “It’s not one of those that things really spicy, but you can taste the ghost pepper.”

As for the recipe for the wings, Nguyen is keeping most of that under his hat, only divulging that it is dry-rubbed and brined for 24 hours. And while the success this year-old food truck has received from the locals has been great for Nguyen, he said expanding with a store of his own was always in the cards.

“The plan was to get people to know who Manchu is, and why we’re here. I wanted to open a store in the first place, but we wanted something that was mobile,” he said.

His new North Avenue restaurant, which he leased in January, will be takeout only, and while he eyed bustling neighborhoods like Scott’s Addition, he said after serving the Northside community, he knew it was the perfect place to set up shop.

“I felt like to be at home, just like our store down in New Orleans, we wanted to find a spot that caters mostly to the kind of people that fit our demographic, and Northside has been such a blast for us,” he said. “We park our food truck out there every now and then, its right next to a library, we made a huge impact in that area.”

All the residents that live there and the heavy foot traffic were another reason he wanted to open his takeout restaurant there.

“I like how people just walk around, that reminds me of home in New Orleans,” he said. “Just outside hanging out. We want to make that impact in that community.”

Since opening the food truck, Nguyen has used a commercial kitchen on West Broad Street, but will move operations to the new shop when it opens. And with only four employees, the roving truck will come home to roost for a bit while the takeout spot gets off the ground, but keep an eye out, as it could pop up at an event here and there.

With the new takeout spot, Manchu will still serve up its signature wings and po’ boys, but Nguyen also plans to experiment with some new recipes and expand the menu.

“We’re going to have some specials too. We have a recipe for crawfish boils and daily specials such as Pho Boys, so basically all the ingredients of Pho, but you eat it like a French dip,” he said. “We do want to create a Mambo sauce, we’ve made it before, but we still want to play with it, it goes on the wings and the rice.”

Image may contain: food — Manchu Pho Boy

His mother, who also worked on the food truck, has come aboard to be the chef for the restaurant. Nguyen handles all the seasonings and prep for the wings, and his mother makes the gumbo and roasted chicken for the business.

The New Orleans Manchu, which was once a Chinese restaurant, doesn’t have a logo, and is just labeled as Manchu Food Store. Nguyen plans to model his Richmond takeout restaurant after the flagship store with a mural of the NOLA sign, along with his unmistakable chicken logo, of course.

“I just want to make sure we are the staple wing place to go to in Richmond, that’s my goal, I’m just going to work my butt off to make that happen.” Manchu will be open sometime in August six days a week from 10 am to 8 pm.

Carytown Burgers & Fries Taking Over Nacho Mama’s Space

Amy David | July 27, 2018

Topics: burgers, Carytown Burgers & Fries, Good Eats, Nacho Mama's, publix, RVA dine, rva food

When news broke that Carytown Burgers & Fries was slated to be knocked down and taken over by grocery-chain Publix, the community was both saddened and outraged, and rallied in hopes of saving the Richmond institution. Their efforts were unsuccessful, but lovers of the burger joint can relish the news that it has found a new place to call home.

Speaking to RVA Mag this afternoon, Operations Manager Jordan Leonard said the restaurant closed this week on the Nacho Mama’s building, located at 3449 W. Cary St., and will reopen in early fall.

“The timing has actually been really perfect given the close on this building, it’s been a pretty long process,” Leonard said.

For those that have been following their story, Carytown Burgers & Fries, along with the Carytown Martin’s building and 10 other shops in the surrounding area, were purchased by Publix, which gave Carytown Burgers only three months’ notice, leaving them scrambling to find a new space.

The restaurant, which has served the community in that same spot since Mike Barber opened it in 1999, was set to close June 30. Their lease has since been extended an additional six months to Oct. 31. A petition was launched in January by Carytown Burgers to rally the community to help save what’s become a beloved eatery and place to hang out; in just under a few days, they received 11,000 signatures.

But, while the community rallied, the clock on Carytown Burgers’ lease was quickly running out. Luckily, Nacho Mama’s owner Raul Cantu already had plans to move on to seek out other ventures. Leonard said Cantu recently got married and his partner had received a job offer in Florida, so the restaurateur was already thinking about selling. But, when Cantu got wind of the turmoil that was going on down the street from his business at Carytown Burgers, he reached out to Barber to help.

Mike Barber and Raul Cantu. “The Passing of the Margarita”

“They hit it off and it seemed like it was a perfect opportunity, the timing was perfect, they both had a specific need that the other fulfilled wonderfully,” she said. “Mike and Raul are both are really excited.”

In their new space, you can still expect the same delicious burgers and fries you have come to know and love, but Leonard said there will be a few changes. The restaurant has applied for a full liquor license so they will be able to expand their offerings beyond beer and wine. The new restaurant will also be full-service, a switch up from the original location, which was only counter-service.

“We’re really trying to get back to our roots with the family feel, bringing in some of the old school arcade games, and make it a really fun place for families to come hang out and people to come grab a drink after work,” Leonard said.

Nacho Mama fans shouldn’t worry, though; Leonard said they are keeping some of the restaurant’s décor and paying homage to them on their menu since they have served the Carytown community for 22 years.

“One of our burgers will be the Nacho Mama’s Burger and their salsa will be featured on it,” she said. “We’re also keeping their margarita machine, nothing will really change with Margarita Monday. We’re definitely trying to incorporate some of their art and some of the feel of Nacho Mama’s into our new space.”

And while Leonard said she’s a little sad about leaving the old space out of nostalgia, she and the crew are more excited for what’s to come at the restaurant’s new location.

“You kind of get attached, but truth be told it’s a really old building, we have our problems with it. There’s a little bit of feelings about having to leave, but more than anything, we’re really excited about the opportunities that lie ahead,” she said.

Nothing is set in stone, but Leonard is toying with the idea of holding an auction for some old Nacho Mama’s and Carytown Burgers & Fries items, with proceeds going to a charity, an aspect that was important to both business owners.

“Charity and community service work is something both Mike and Raul have always been very passionate about,” she said.

Nacho Mama’s will remain open until Aug. 31, and Carytown Burgers & Fries will come in the first two weeks of September to prep for their opening. The original Carytown Burgers & Fries will remain open until early September. Leonard said a soft opening is planned for Sept. 15 with a grand opening weekend by Sept. 29 or 30.

Soul N’ Vinegar Comes to Church Hill and Waffles & Milkshakes Head For Manchester

Amy David | July 27, 2018

Topics: Brewer's Cafe, Brewer's Waffles & Milkshakes, church hill, EAT DRINK, GOOD EATS RVA, manchester, RVA dine, rva food, rva waffles, Soul N' Vinegar, to go market

These stories originally appeared in GOOD EATS RVA in RVA #33 Summer 2018. You can check out the issue here, or pick it up around Richmond now.

This summer, Michelle Parrish is hoping to serve busy working families in the Church Hill community more affordable and nutritious options. Her forthcoming grab and go food shop, Soul N’ Vinegar, will open in the former Ruth’s Beauty Shop spot on R Street, selling vegetarian, gluten-free, and other healthy lunch and dinner options, along with beer and wine.

Residents can expect a variety of packaged to-go meals and sides, from octopus salad to pickled veggies, homemade salsa verde, vegetarian curries, and mac and cheese.

“A lot of the meals will be microwavable, and some will be ready to eat, such as salads and sandwiches,” Parrish said. “It’s right in the middle of a residential neighborhood. It’s meant to be for people who don’t necessarily need a place to eat, they just need food.”

Originally from Massachusetts, when Parrish moved to Church Hill a couple of years ago she wasn’t aware of the food deserts that plague certain areas of the city.

“I didn’t know about the other side of Richmond, where people don’t have access to fresh food [and] the majority of the population is living below the poverty level,” she said. “I was like, this doesn’t make any sense. Richmond’s supposed to be this huge food town, but all of the options are in the same category.”

Living only a couple of blocks away from the shop, she said she felt a calling to it while she was earning her business degree at J Sarge last year. With the urge to revive the shuttered building and offer Church Hill residents affordable fresh food, she enrolled in a free business course through the Office of Minority Business Development.

After that, she decided to focus all her efforts on getting Soul N’ Vinegar up and running. She took a semester off and applied for funding through LISC and Bon Secours’ SEED grant program, which strives to jumpstart small Church Hill businesses. Parrish was awarded $20,000, which gave her the boost she needed to launch the market.

“Up until that point, everything was a daydream,” she said.

About 80 percent of the food at Soul N’ Vinegar will be vegetarian, keeping costs low to cater to a wide range of people in that community.

“The goal is to keep as many of the entrees under $10 [as possible],” she said. “There will always be a $5 meal, and I will accept EBT cards so people who use that have access to fresh options. There are a lot of people that are in the area, a lot of older people that have dietary restrictions. I just wanted to have something that was different.”

Prior to leasing her space, Parrish held pop up events at Sub Rosa and catered for local companies, offering boxed lunches and other snacks including deviled eggs, pimento cheese sliders, smoked chicken salad, and honey cake with candied orange. She plans to continue the catering after the market opens.

Parrish said there will seating for six inside, but she will expand with a 15-seat patio after they open sometime this summer.

Editor’s Note: Soul N’ Vinegar has opened since RVA Magazine went to press.

Brewer’s Waffles & Milkshakes

The owner of Manchester coffee shop Brewer’s Café will open a spot this fall just down the road from his Bainbridge Street location for those with a sweet tooth.

Leasing two spaces at 1309 and 1311 Hull St., Ajay Brewer will not only serve up waffles, alcoholic milkshakes, and lunch fare at his new place, Brewer’s Waffles & Milkshakes, but also will use one half of the building as an art gallery.

Plans didn’t get cooking for the shop until a few months ago, but expansion has been churning in Brewer’s mind since last summer.

“I always wanted to have waffles or pancakes in my shop [and] couldn’t,” he said. “We would bring people to make waffles in the shop, but that was just an ongoing thing, it wasn’t that pressing.”

The café owner and former stockbroker, who opened his shop about three years ago, has played a significant role in bringing people to the neighborhood, launching the monthly Manchester Manifest on first Fridays and drawing in customers recently with “Wu-Tang Sandwich Week.” The proceeds from this collaboration with Wu-Tang Clan members to create some of their favorite sandwiches went to benefit Richmond Public Schools.

“The whole idea is to create a community right here where we live in Southside. Doing what I can to make this population better. I truly feel like we can change the world, we just have to start with these communities,” Brewer said.

Community was also a big part of the appeal to open Brewer’s Waffles & Milkshakes. “You think about a city environment — a lot of millennials, a lot of folks who want to be out and about,” he explained. “What do they want to be doing? Where do they want to eat at night time?”

Brewer said plans for the new shop came together rather smoothly. “I got a call from the landlord a couple of months ago, he wanted to lease the space. He was like, ‘You can have both spaces if you want it, we just really want to get this café idea out,’” he said.

Image may contain: coffee cup and drink — Photo Courtesy of Brewer’s Cafe

James Harris, an investor in Brewer’s Café, was also looking to dive into his next venture. “He was itching to do something else, he has several businesses and all that came to me around the same time so what would we do became the question,” he said.

Brewer said they threw around different ideas for the Hull Street location such as a biscuit restaurant, ice cream shop, even burgers, but ultimately, he knew he wanted to serve the fluffy, golden brown treat.

The menu is in the beginning stages, but Brewer plans to have savory dishes like chicken & waffles and waffle sandwiches that come with sausage, along with a toppings bar with strawberries and other sweeter options. To satisfy the lunch crowd, the shop will also serve sandwiches and salads, with vegetarian and gluten-free options.

Sodas from Union Hill’s Roaring Pines are also on the menu, as well as alcoholic milkshakes, so whether you’re an early riser or a night owl who likes their midnight munchies, Brewer’s forthcoming spot plans to cater to everyone.

As for the art gallery, the spaces will be connected so patrons can walk between the two, and Brewer hopes to showcase art from near and far.

“Personally, I’m an art lover. I’m not really pretending this is something that interests me,” he said. “This space, obviously I’m going to open up for locals too, but I would hope to attract regional, national, and international artists. I’d love for the art space to be an attraction that brings in talent across the world.” His goal is to host exhibits and other gallery openings once he reaches out to community artists.

Brewer’s Waffles & Milkshakes will open sometime in September, operating from 7 am to 2 am seven days a week.

Pizza Peddlers Pop Up on Pine Street

Amy David | June 18, 2018

Topics: Good Eats, Oregon Hill, Peddler on Pine, RVA dine, rva food

These days, more and more Richmond food trucks are planting roots with their own brick and mortar spots. Happy Empanada recently set up shop in Westover Hills, mobile Texas-style BBQ truck ZZQ expanded with a huge location in Scott’s Addition, and fried chicken truck Mean Bird opened their shop near Sticky Rice last spring. Adding to that list is Peddler on Pine Street, a new takeout, and delivery spot dishing out pizzas, paninis, pasta, and hoagies. Opening just a few months ago, the shop will be the answer to all your munchie needs, that is, if you can even spot it, as it’s tucked away on the backside of Fine Food market on Idlewood Avenue, in a small space with a tiny gravel parking lot.

Owners Mike Powers (left) and Kelly McCabe (right) opened up Peddler on Pine Street March 21, but the two are no strangers to the fast and ever-changing food game in town.

“After coming together in 2011, we opened up our three Peddler food carts down in MCV. Mike had done all the footwork before we got together, getting the real estate and all. I then added my culinary expertise and we opened up Discovery Cafe in the Library of Virginia about six years ago,” said McCabe.

The two entrepreneurs, along with McCabe’s wife Catherine and over 10 other employees, run the food carts Mike’s, Taqueria Mexican Grill, and Toastie’s Panini Grill downtown, along with the Discovery Cafe. McCabe was originally an executive chef for the Philip Morris headquarters back in 2003 when they moved from New York to the West End. He then ran food service for SunTrust from here to Fort Lauderdale until partnering with Powers.

And with their new joint, they’re firing up hand-tossed pizzas like the Blanco, Margherita, Caprese and buffalo chicken along with Italian staples like lasagna, penne ala vodka, and baked spaghetti. Of course, cheese steaks and chicken parm sandwiches also grace the menu.

“I want to be known as the local, entrepreneurial, animal, and neighborhood-friendly takeout joint where you can come on down and have some homemade hot sandwiches and pizza made right in front of you for an affordable price, ” he said.

Everything is made from scratch, from the sandwich bread to the sauces, to their potato chips. “I don’t want anyone to have to put anything extra on top for taste,” said McCabe.

RVA Mag had a chance to try are their Caprese pizza, chicken pesto panini, and steak and cheese. Since then, I have ordered two of their buffalo chicken pizzas, which they deliver to my house for $2.00. Next on my list is their margarita shrimp pizza, screw Uber eats for this one. To me, nothing says Oregon Hill more than a take-out joint selling pizza for $2.00 a slice, look out Christians.

The menu is going through some change right now, the owners plan to drop about half their pasta entrees and replace with different types of barbecue. It’s quite obvious this panini and pizza shop is driven by the passion of running a local business and immersing themselves in the local community, not to just make money and keep up with the demand of their food trucks.

Since their opening, the two said they are averaging just around 700 customers a day. As for the future, they hope to extend the outside with picnic benches, and a tent to make it dog-friendly for patrons. 238 S. Pine St.

Photos By: Ethan Malamud

The Real People’s Tacos: A Journey Through Southside’s Hidden Gems

Andrew Goetzinger | May 15, 2018

Topics: authentic tacos, El Tio, RVA dine, rva food, tacos, Tacos Mexico, Taqueria Panchito

This year, I couldn’t make it to Richmond’s 2nd Annual Taco Crawl, held April 21, one day late if you ask me. The crawl took taco lovers from Shockoe Bottom to The Fan, ultimately crowning one taco, “The People’s Taco.” Judging from their stops, I felt a few hidden gems were left out and so, wanting to give our readers and fellow taco lovers alike a little insight into some places off the beaten path, I decided to embark on my own journey to reveal the REAL “People’s Tacos”.

Originally a cheap and portable meal for the working class silver miner, the taco is said to date back to 18th century Mexico. What better way to experience authentic Mexican street food than to dive right into the culture of where the delicacy came from by taste testing the very recipes that have been made in the kitchens of these families’ ancestors? To do this, I headed across the bridge to Southside’s Hispanic Burroughs, where the true locals and residents of that area go to get authentic eats.

I’d say in the past week or so, I’ve eaten about 20 different tacos, ranging from cow head and intestine, to the classics like al pastor and chicken, while speaking more broken Spanish than on my annual Miami vacations to visit my Cuban circus of a family. I’ve gone from rusty taco stands to trailer parks and seen it all, from a pile of tamales by registers to add to your purchase for $1.00 like a pack of gum, to witnessing a Hispanic grandma in action, whipping up some homemade corn tortillas by hand in the back of a hot-plate kitchen.

Fortunately for you, my journey doesn’t start in a trailer park, it starts at an old, family-owned, El Salvadorian bodega on Jefferson Davis Highway called Tienda el Tio. Originally founded in 2001 by husband and wife Melbis and Oscar Romero after leaving San Miguel, El Salvador, Tienda El Tio or, “The Uncle’s Shop,” has coined itself as one of the pioneering taquerias in the Southside of Richmond.

With Telemundo playing re-runs of an old novela on an outdated box TV resting on top of a fridge, a dusty, stand-up, rotating fan blowing in the middle of the room, and WVMZ’s Maxima 1320, Richmond’s go-to Latino radio station playing reggaeton throwbacks in the background, I was hit with a sense of nostalgia from when my grandma and I would take trips to the Annandale butcher at the Bodega Latina to pick up pork for her famous Masita de Puerco, a Cuban marinated pork dish.

I sat down with Kristen Romero, daughter of Oscar and Melbis and the current owner of El Tio since it was passed down the bloodline just two years ago. After looking through some old pictures of her in an apron waiting the same booth we were sitting in when she was just eleven years old, she brought out a menu for me along with what she called an El Salvadorian rendition of a homemade fruit cocktail, filled with diced apples and small red apricot looking things called “Jocotes”.

Served out of a big plastic jug with a ladle into a tall glass chalice over ice, I slurped down the drink which tasted more like juice than the syrupy Dole fruit cocktails we all ate as kids, and proceeded to finish it off with a fork, spitting out the pits of the Jocotes into a napkin.

Kristen said most of their business comes from area workers and the Hispanic population in the neighborhood.

“Predominantly El Salvadorians, but many Guatemaltecos, and Hondurans as well. Mostly men working construction looking for a cheap meal on their way home,” she said. “We couldn’t tackle the lunch rush in our small kitchen so we decided to open up a small stand out front solely for tacos to help keep up.”

After El Tio set up the taco stand, word spread beyond the local community of their delicious eats. “Since then, we have noticed much more of a younger crowd coming in, mostly Americans like yourself,” Kristen said. So the gringos have caught on, but that didn’t deter me from venturing in and chowing down. I decided to order three carne asada tacos off the whiteboard menu, hanging by a nail behind the register. Now tacos are typically a Mexican dish, which is why I was interested to see the game being run by El Salvadorians, and boy did they deliver.

I think what makes a taco truly authentic is being able to have so much flavor compacted in a minimal number of ingredients. This isn’t Chipotle or Taco Bell here people. No cheese, no sour cream, no tomato, and definitely no flour tortillas. One thing I have never seen before was the use of two tortillas stacked on top of one another for each taco. “It’s for support I guess,” said Kristen.

Pupusas are among their most popular items, but they also sell $1 tamales. At first, I was a little skeptical when Kristen brought out my plate. Now keep in mind I hadn’t eaten all day, and with three mini tacos, each the size of my palm, staring me in the face, I thought it had better be a good idea to order some tamales on the side as back up. I picked up the double stacked tortilla, folded the ends, and shoved it in my mouth; leaving just scraps after the very first bite. I had yet to even try the sauces, which Kristen insisted I do. But my first thought was, ‘How the hell did they put so much flavor into just some onions, cilantro, and a squeeze of lemon over some steak?’

As I began to feast, Kristen brought out chicken tamales and the mango Jarrito soft drink that I ordered. Now if you try and search El Tio, you will see that it is currently listed as a convenience store, which is possibly what has kept this hidden gem a secret for years. But not for long, Kristen said she plans to change the Yelp and Google listings to “restaurant” to attract more customers.

Not only do their unique condiments separate them from the competition, being one of the older taquerias in Richmond has allowed the place to immerse itself well into the community and contribute greatly to its rapidly increasing orientation. “Everyone around here knows us, my mom, my dad and me,” said Kristen. As for the future of El Tio, Kristen has received several requests to open another taco stand inside of the city bubble, which I believe will be a hit for those looking to take a break from the typical taco joints and discover something new that comes with an entire experience bundled in.

On my way home, I stopped by another taqueria that I passed by on my way to El Tio earlier that morning called Tacos Mexico, a small establishment off Jefferson Davis Highway with very few parking spaces in the gravel, situated right in front of Tom Ford’s trailer park.

Walking into Tacos Mexico during the mid-day lunch rush was probably not the best time to get some words from the ladies running the joint. Crockpots were filled to the brim with beans and rice, turned on low to keep the food warm and ready to serve. I could tell from their sweat-dripped faces and lack of attention that it was a bad time, but I admired their hustle so I left out of respect. It only took me three more visits to get a name, phone number, and an available time scheduled for a brief interview.

Upon my return, I walked in and asked for two tacos, one the American way, and one the authentic way. The perplexed looks on the faces of the women behind the register made me think my Spanish was not as good as I thought, but needless to say, I got the message across. It was interesting to see how these Southside locals are tweaking their original recipes to cater to the typical more city-raised Richmonder, while still providing that same authentic cuisine you would find on the streets of Mexico. Shortly thereafter, I was greeted by 22-year-old Brian Rascon, the son of one the owners. Rascon was a man of very few words, timid in nature but nice and polite. We briefly sat down to talk tacos while family members and co-owners Argelia Perez and Aracely Perez manned the kitchen. Hailing from Chihuahua, the family has operated Tacos Mexico since 2012 and seem to aim to cater to all demographics, selling traditional style tacos, as well as the Americanized versions.

And by traditional, I mean a handmade corn tortilla, cilantro, and onions, and whatever protein you desire. for the authentic taco, you take your food over to a self-service stand where you can add radishes, cilantro, jalapenos, and a variety of salsas.

Although in search of the REAL “people’s taco” of Richmond to pay homage to the ones who originally cultivated the delicacy, I have to say that being an Americanized Latino has really influenced my liking for the “gringo” taco rather than the traditional taco, so I went with the flour tortilla with guacamole, cheddar, and sour cream mix, added by the person behind the counter.

Good thing Cuban’s don’t normally eat tacos or else my Abuela would be pretty damn pissed reading this. One of my favorite things about the authenticity of Tacos Mexico is that when you ask for avocado, the lady in the kitchen grabs a fresh, store-bought avocado right from a bag, and chops it up by hand in from of your very eyes. It is not a sketchy scoop of guacamole soup for $1.85 extra like some places we all know.

Despite the name, the taqueria’s most popular item is not the taco, they are known for their tortas, which is basically a Mexican sandwich. Although I am writing about authentic tacos, let us get one thing straight here, I could not live without guacamole, cheese, or sour cream in my life and quite frankly, I think corn tortillas taste like a napkin. As for the food, I mean, at $2.00 a taco, you get what you pay for, let’s just leave it at that. But, Rascon did say the eatery was very popular in the local community.

“This place is a hit for many Guatemaltecos and El Salvadorians,” he said. Sadly, for me, not so much, but it’s a worth a stop to see authentic tacos being made by a passionate and hardworking family.

The last stop on my taco tasting adventure was Francisco Gonzales’ Taqueria Panchito on Midlothian Turnpike. Panchito meaning, “Little Pancho”, which is a common Spanish nickname for Francisco. Originally from Mexico City, Gonzales came to the states 20 years ago and opened up his restaurant in 2011. In addition to his flourishing restaurant business, which had more customers than the other two combined, Gonzales also runs four food trucks which you can catch at Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Center of the Universe, Isley Brewing, local festivals like the Que Pasa Festival, and the downtown Dominion Power construction site from 9:00am-12: 30 pm.

At Taqueria Panchito, Gonzales serves up everything from tortas, to burritos, chicken enmoladas (enchiladas in mole sauce), Pollo al carbon, and of course, tacos such as carne asada, chicken, chorizo, and much more.

I shared some words with Gonzales over a spread of different tacos ranging from cow’s head to cow stomach and some Horchata, Pineapple, Melon, and Jamaica flower juices that he generously offered.

One aspect unique to Panchito’s was their heavy duty sauce bar, ranging from guacamole to medium to an “Atomic Bomb” hot sauce.

“This shit is spicy,” Gonzales warned as I went for the medium sauce to douse my chicken and al pastor tacos in it to my satisfaction. Don’t try to be a hero here folks, they are for real when they say their sauce is spicy, but both tacos were perfection. Their cantaloupe or “melon” drink was absolute fire, and you could even see the seeds and remnants of the fruit at the bottom of the cup. As for the Jamaica flower drink, it was simply Hibiscus, but he insisted I add sugar to the drink for taste, so I added some, he then grabbed it from my hand and dumped a mound of sugar on top of the ice like a man.

As for the cow’s tongue tacos, or “Lengua de vaca”, that was different, but not really a favorite, personally. I began to swallow the fatty fermented flesh recently taken off the face of this cow, and after letting it sit, clenched between my jaw for a while, I began to notice the meat forming into almost like a gum that wouldn’t break down in my mouth any further. Now, anyone who has been invited to a Hispanic friend’s house for dinner before knows that rejecting the food is a huge sign of disrespect, which is exactly why I smiled and quickly washed it down with a gulp of Horchata to cleanse my palette.

After checking out my three places, I started to reconsider my idea of an “authentic” taqueria. It didn’t take me until the end of my taco tour, to realize that what really made a taqueria authentic was much more than the ingredients, if it tasted “good” to me or not, how much of a hole in the wall the place is, or the recipes that are used. It was the entire dining experience as a whole, from barely being able to read the Spanish only menu, to the way you are treated when you walk in the door, to the feeling you get while you are there.

Although a more mainstream establishment than El Tio and Tacos Mexico, I feel Gonzales does a great job immersing his native culture into the Panchito’s dining experience, leaving a sense of nostalgia that brings these expatriates who left their homelands in search of a better life with a little taste of home. For once I didn’t feel as if I was interrogating a restaurant owner. I felt at home, having a conversation with someone who really loves to make people happy with his food. And quite honestly, I feel like my Panchito’s experience would have been much more enjoyable if I was not told which taco I was eating until after I ate it.

Food really is the glue that welds similar cultures together, but let’s get one thing straight, they were originated as a cheap and easy meal for those who needed a quick bite. They were never meant to be gourmet and served on silver platters, so let’s keep it that way and stop charging a limb for ’em, please.

If you’re ever thinking of going across the bridge and exploring what’s off the grid, I suggest you step your taco game up and explore the many family-owned taco stands inside all the different Spanish Burroughs or Richmond.

Photos By: Ethan Malamud