Greatest Atlanta takeout: Taco Cantina in Smyrna

Talking by telephone not long ago, he claimed company is down 40% to 50% as opposed with “before all this nuts stuff happened.” But, he’s managed to remain open the full time, by providing takeout and using shipping and delivery solutions.

Taco Cantina’s chicken tinga enchiladas appear with eco-friendly salsa, black beans and white rice. Bob Townsend for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Credit score: Bob Townsend

Credit score: Bob Townsend

“A compact business enterprise can’t manage to shut for two or a few weeks,” he explained. “We dwell paycheck to paycheck. What we promote that 7 days, we shell out on labor and stuff that we cook dinner fresh each and every day. We’re not like McDonald’s, with frozen hamburgers. Every thing I prep has to go out the very same working day.”

Gonzalez has been meticulous about basic safety steps, necessitating masks for every person, and setting up protecting glass all around the get counter and open up kitchen area.

Even now, he’s managed to continue to keep his perception of humor, even in the face of a number of uncooperative shoppers.

“I have a sign out entrance that claims, ‘No Masks, No Tacos No Tacos, No Existence.’ It is really really amusing,” he reported. “But, if you never have a mask, we’ll deliver 1 to you, free of charge of value.”

Gonzalez experienced a second Taco Cantina area in Outdated Fourth Ward, but shut it in early 2019, a tiny over a year soon after it opened. “I was limited on cash, and it was a lot of overhead, and I just could not keep it likely with that and all the taxes,” he reported.

Gonzalez admitted his transition from fine-dining to Taco Cantina was hard at to start with.

“To be truthful, when I opened, my things was not that wonderful,” he stated. “I assumed I knew foods, but I realized seafood and other stuff, and it was not from my own lifestyle. So, I started out chatting to my mother, and she wrote me recipes for barbacoa and chicken tinga, and served me with the salsas.”

Later, however, Gonzalez made the decision to branch out, and incorporate sandwiches and fancier-dressed “super tacos,” like Asian beef and buttermilk fried hen, to the menu.

“I set on the torta Cubana, the rooster Milanesa, and the steak torta, just hoping the three would offer, and, all the unexpected, I was having to pay my expenses with tortas,” he stated. “And, together with the nachos and burritos, the tacos grew to become secondary.”

Searching in advance, Gonzales mentioned he has a couple of new initiatives in the functions.

The Indigo Street Hospitality Team requested him to aid open up a new Mexican seafood cafe in Charleston. Just after that, he’s hoping to open up a burrito shop, which will be a spin-off of the ghost kitchen he’s been operating with Burritos California and Uber Eats.

“That’s my future go, to open a compact burrito shop of my individual,” Gonzales said. ”It’s hard now, but you’ve just received to preserve cooking fantastic food items, and really don’t gouge the consumers, and just be genuine.”

TACO CANTINA

Menu: basic and modern Mexican

Liquor: canned and bottled beer

What I requested: common al pastor, super fried hen and super Asian beef tacos chicken tinga enchiladas with inexperienced salsa, black beans and white rice torta Cubana with gradual cooked pork, smoked ham, Swiss cheese, sweet relish, mustard and chile de arbol mayo, served with property tortilla chips. All were being solid choices, but the torta Cubana and super fried rooster taco have been standouts.

Assistance selections: takeout curbside shipping and delivery by means of GrubHub or Uber Eats contact or go on line for takeout or shipping and delivery

Outside eating: small patio and outdoor tables

Mask coverage: staff put on masks clients should have on masks when buying masks will be furnished, if essential

Address, cell phone: 2517 Spring Highway, Smyrna 678-242-1826

Hrs: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays closed Sundays

Site: mytacocantina.com

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