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…

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