Taco Fresco opens in Rutland

Article originally published as “Taco Fresco opens in Rutland” by Gordon Dritschilo

March 31, 2023

Rutland Herald

Ibjar Meneses said Taco Fresco will let him make dishes he never could have attempted at his last restaurant.

“There’s a lot more budget to do things at a grander scale,” said the former owner of Dos Eses Delicious Tamales on Strongs Avenue. “Having the finances to be able to go on and market, I reach a different demographic than I ever did. I’m very happy to be here.

Owner Mark Williams opened Taco Fresco in the space that was once the Center Street Saloon. Meneses, who runs the kitchen, seemed to be doing strong business offering authentic tacos and other Mexican fare at Dos Eses before it closed early last year.

“We’ve been working in steakhouses our whole life,” said Williams, who took over Southside Steakhouse in 2021. “Everyone has subs and pizza. They do good with subs and pizza. We wanted to do something different. We wanted a place where people could get faster food, casual food, inexpensive and get some drinks.”

The reaction to Dos Eses showed Rutland had an appetite for authentic tacos.

Adam Coleman, who sat at the Taco Fresco bar on Friday afternoon finishing off an order of queso and a mojito, said that when a co-worker told him the city had a new Mexican restaurant, his ears perked right up. He warned against the addictive qualities of the peach bourbon, but sang the praises of the tacos de carne platter — three tacos with your choice of chicken, pork or beef.

“I thought all of them were delicious,” he said. “The barbacoa (a slow-cooked beef similar to pulled pork) was my favorite, but that’s splitting hairs. It had a perfect balance. A lot of barbacoa can be under-marinated.”

Williams said part of the plan is to remain open late on Friday and Saturday, offering a spot for people leaving to Paramount Theatre after shows to stop for a quick bite.

The space is bright — the old exposed brick is retained on one wall, but the new interior features warm colors and additional seating is available in the back, near the kitchen. The drinks menu lists 30 tequilas and a variety of specialty margaritas.

In addition to the trio Coleman enjoyed, there are fried catfish tacos, vegan tacos of fried cauliflower with cumin-roasted carrots, and “Tacos Americanos,” with seasoned ground beef and cheese.

There are also salads, burrito bowls and the tamales that gave Meneses his start in cooking at church fundraisers.

Williams said they plan to spread their wings with some more adventurous offerings before too long.

“We want to do the things we know how to do really well first,” he said. “When we nail that down with timing, accuracy, flavors, we can then take the next step into creating a little more variety with dishes.”

Menses said he he was eager to try new dishes. One entry on the menu he said he could not have managed at Dos Eses was the torta ahogada, which translates to “drowned sandwich” and has a deeply personal meaning to him.

“My mom, she’s very good at making torta ahogadas,” he said. “Growing up, I loved that.”

He was finally able to recreate it, he said, in the Taco Fresco kitchen. “It’s magic I was able to do that,” he said.