Stop saving your tacos for Tuesdays. There is yet another home for the original Southwestern/Mexican comfort food.
Chris and John Bicos (Magnolia House, Gus’s Barbecue, The Original Tops), have now launched Tacocita, a new fast-casual stop for tacos and chicken.
“Growing up in Southern California and traveling to Mexico often, we have been lucky enough to eat some of the best tacos in the world,” says Chris.
“For us, they will always be our go-to on a good day or a bad day,” he waxed poetic. “We have all these different concepts in our restaurant family — a cocktail lounge, a BBQ restaurant, a 60 year fast food restaurant – and we felt that a taco concept was the next logical step to stretch us a bit further, but also aligned with our deep love and respect for the cuisine.”
Hermano John agrees, saying, “We have been embedded in this neighborhood in East Pasadena for over 60 years because of our first family restaurant The Original Tops, which is just down the street. We have known and loved this community for so long and we saw that it was growing and changing, and we wanted to be at the forefront of that.”
Tacocita features nine signature tacos, from the Braised Beef Birria, a crispy, chile-braised beef short rib taco, with jack cheese, marinated onions, cilantro, and red salsa to the Drunken Carnitas, made with beer-marinated pork shoulder and belly, taco truck vegetables, and green salsa.
But hold that taco.
They’re open now, in case you want to stumble upon them accidentally on purpose. Otherwise, we’re gonna visit them next week, and we will have a full review then. Your call, Paco.
Tacocita is at 203 South Rosemead Boulevard, Pasadena, CA. (626) 460-8669. www.EatTacocita.com