Popular Mexican food truck El Veneno opens stall at Monarch Market food hall in Uptown
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I tried the al pastor ($6), ribeye ($7.50) and chicken tacos ($6). Photo: Laura Barrero/Axios
The owner of El Veneno food truck quietly opened a food stall inside Monarch Market in Uptown over the weekend.
Why it matters: Owner Kimmy Bazan, who was born and raised in Charlotte but whose family is from Mexico City, says she's bringing "real, authentic" Mexican food to Charlotte.
- "I feel like in Charlotte, we don't have a good representation of Mexican food," she tells Axios.
Dig in: El Veneno's menu is simple and caters to the grab-and-go crowd that stops by the Uptown food stall daily.
- Its tortillas are made with heirloom corn grown in Oaxaca, giving them their distinct color of either red, yellow, or dark blue. "The color of the tortilla might change, but it's always going to be that heirloom nixtamalized corn that gives it that distinct flavor," says Bazan.
Zoom out: El Veneno joins a handful of recent food truck success stories in Charlotte, including Katsu Kart's DŌZO, King of Fire's first brick-and-mortar and Eggroll Company's stall in Camp North End.
Stop by: Monarch Market is at 101 N Tryon St.
- El Veneno is open Sunday-Thursday from 11am-9pm and Friday-Saturday from 11am-10pm.
Flashback: Bazan started her business out of "luck," she says. After a family friend requested an order of her tamales, she informally started her business out of her dad's kitchen. Eventually, demand grew, and in 2020, El Veneno became official — she began doing pop-ups at breweries in Charlotte while traveling back and forth from Greensboro and juggling schoolwork.
- Her experience comes primarily from cooking for loved ones and being surrounded by family recipes. "I started cooking [for my siblings] as a way to help my dad because I felt bad watching him come home late from [his construction job] and cook us dinner," she says.
The big picture: Mexican gastronomy — especially from regions like Mexico City and Oaxaca — is becoming increasingly popular worldwide, and that recognition is trickling down to Charlotte.
- The Michelin Guide included Mexico for the first time in its 2024 edition and even gave a taco stand a Michelin Star.
- From new Tex-Mex chains like The Matador and Dos Caminos to longtime staples like Maria's Mexican Restaurant and Tacos El Nevado, there's a range of Mexican cuisine in Charlotte. But Bazan says there's still a lack of authentic Mexican food here.
Yes, but: Bazan also credits restaurants like Puerta and MAS in doing a good job of "exploring more traditional and culturally significant dishes," she thinks the city is seriously lacking in.
- "Mexican food is way more than just tacos, more than quesadillas, more than burritos," she said.
What's next: Eventually, Bazan wants to open a restaurant so she can bring even more traditional Mexican dishes to Charlotte.
- The El Veneno food truck is temporarily closed while the food stall gets up and running. You can keep up with with its schedule and location on Instagram.
Go deeper: 14 must-try Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in Charlotte