How Taco Rico in Edmonston Helped Ignite the Route 1 Taqueria Boom
Omar and Myrna Luna Ramos first opened Taco Rico as a food truck in 1997, inspired by a successful taco stand they ran in Puebla, a state in eastern-central Mexico.
By 2004, the taqueria was so successful that it opened as a sit-down restaurant at 4811 Edmonston Rd., not far from another Puebla-inspired eatery, Taqueria La Placita.
The menu started with only five dishes: lengua, or beef tongue; al pastor, or marinated pork; suadero, a slow-cooked brisket; pancita, also known as menudo, a traditional beef tripe soup; and caldo de camarón, a shrimp soup.
Since then, both the restaurant and menu have expanded, and Taco Rico now serves a variety of Mexican staples, including burritos, memelitas — a thick tortilla filled with beans and salsa — and nopales, traditional Mexican cactus.
But, true to its roots, Taco Rico is still mobile, catering weddings and quinceañeras for the Mexican-American community along the Route 1 corridor.
Richard Luna, Myrna’s son, is a government consultant who continues to support the family business. He said that when Taco Rico was founded, the local Mexican dining scene was relatively sparse.
“I think my parents laid the foundation in the area,” he told the Wire. “Back then, I remember there weren’t many Mexican restaurants. Now, there are more than 50 in the area.”
Despite their long history in the area, Myrna told the Wire that concerns about immigration raids have affected the restaurant.
“Our fellow Hispanic people are scared of going out, so we provide our own delivery services,” she said. But she mentioned that delivery fees have cut into profits, so they prefer customers call them directly at (301) 779-8001.
Even with the stress, Myrna remains positive. “Food is our country and unites our community,” she said.
If you go: Try the steak tacos and agua de jamaica, or hibiscus water.
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