The Biz Beat: San Jose taqueria claims ‘Masters of Mexican Munchies’ title

In billing itself as “The Masters of Mexican Munchies,” San Jose’s Taqueria Tlaquepaque seriously underplays the authenticity, quality and variety of its dishes. For 35 years, the restaurant has grown from a simple taqueria with a one-page menu to a full-service restaurant with a dedicated clientele.

However, the best endorsement may be from owner Ubaldo Navarro-Castillo’s mother, Maria Louisa Castillo, who began teaching him how to cook when he was 6-years-old. She owned a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Jalisco, Mexico, which was so small that it didn’t even have a name.

“I learned to make Chorizo con Huevo old style from her,” he said. “That was where my dream started, and most of our recipes came from there. I brought her here and cooked for her, and she loved how I fixed everything.”

The restaurant did well enough that when Navarro-Castillo left Mexico at 15, he did it more for the adventure than the money. His first job was washing dishes in a corporate cafeteria. His kitchen work was limited to cooking for himself and friends at home — later for his family.

Along the way, he polished his skills, attending culinary school at San Jose State University, and partnering to open the first Taqueria Tlaquepaque at the corner of Curtner and Lincoln avenues.

“We had tacos, burritos and quesadillas,” Navarro-Castillo said. “Just basic Mexican plates. Then we started making different kinds of enchiladas, but the menu was not as big as it is now.”

In 2004, the current location opened on Willow Street as a more formal restaurant with servers. A few years later, a third location opened at the corner of Canoas Garden and Curtner avenues, but along with the original taqueria, it fell victim to the pandemic.

“We used to have 60 employees across the three locations,” Navarro-Castillo said, “and we ended up with only six for this location, basically just the family. It was difficult to stay open, but it was not impossible.”

Navarro-Castillo credits the current restaurant’s survival–and success–to his close devotion to his mother’s recipes. Everything is cooked from scratch daily, like his mole, which simmers for eight hours. Only the freshest produce and ingredients are used, and the meat is of the highest quality, like the tender New York steak in his Bistec a la Mexicana.

“Most places,” he said, “they do shortcuts. I can always tell when somebody is cooking something out of a can. It’s a completely different flavor. You don’t get the quality.”

The attention to detail can be seen in even the simplest dishes. Rice, for example, prepared with tomato juice, garlic, onion and some yellow peppers, is made three times a day, up to five times on the weekend.

The result is fantastic: every fluffy grain is light and distinct, not overcooked and compacted. The tomato flavor is entrancing: subtle but not overwhelming, and the other ingredients enhance without competing.

Navarro-Castillo is particularly proud of his sauces, which are all housemade daily. The red sauce on his top-selling enchiladas is particularly fine. Made with tomatoes, bell peppers and chilies, it has a nice substance and rich flavor, carrying a light, lingering heat.

“We simmer that enchilada sauce for four hours,” he said. “Most people don’t even do it for 30 minutes, or they buy it from somewhere. My sauce is spicy, but you don’t get heartburn because it’s slow-cooked to the proper time.”

Some dishes take even longer to prepare, partly explaining why Navarro-Castillo is in the kitchen at 5 a.m., starting his beans, roasting his chicken and simmering his sauces.

Loyal customer Dave Peters has been coming to Taqueria Tlaquepaque for more than 25 years, and said the tacos are the best in Santa Clara County.

“I drive in from Gilroy just to get the Super Tacos,” he said. “I also like the chicken enchiladas with red sauce. There are tons of taquerias where I live, but nothing compares to this. The flavors here are awesome, just something else, and the service is great, too.”

And that is precisely what Navarro-Castillo likes to hear.

“This is my dream come true,” he said. “I love doing it. It’s my cup of tea. I get my satisfaction when I see people are happy when they are eating.  When I see them leave happy, that’s my reward.”

Contact Robert Eliason at [email protected].

Editor’s Note: The Biz Beat is a series highlighting local small businesses and restaurants in Silicon Valley. Know a business you’d like to see featured? Let us know at [email protected].