Oscar Diaz' new Durham restaurant is more than a taqueria
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It feels unfair to call TaTaco, the new restaurant from James Beard Award-nominated chef Oscar Diaz, simply a taqueria.
- While the menu for the restaurant — located 620 Foster St. in downtown Durham — does include a wide variety of tacos using made-in-house tortillas, it goes far beyond that.
Why it matters: Diaz has been on a hot streak since leaving the popular but now closed Mexican restaurant Cortez in Raleigh, partnering with the group behind the Mezcalito restaurants on a number of ventures.
- Since then, he has opened the Durham restaurant Little Bull, the all-day cafe Aaktun, which has locations in Durham and Clayton and now TaTaco.
- He also has plans to open a new, not-yet-named concept in downtown Durham later this year.
Zoom in: TaTaco's menu includes the staples of Mexican cuisine, including tacos and quesadillas to enchiladas and flautas.
- But nestled next to those options include creative entrees like clams dunked in a complex birria broth, salmon made with poblano pasta and fresh seafood options, like a tuna and hamachi crudito and raw oysters featuring a passion fruit mignonette.
- The drink menu includes several takes on the margarita and lesser-known Mexican spirits like raicilla, bacanora and sotol.
- The brightly colored dining room offers a front-row view of the bustling kitchen, including a window directly peering into the tortilla-making process as well as seats perched in front of the raw bar.
What they're saying: All of Diaz's restaurants are an attempt at what he calls remixing the Mexican food he grew up with, adding new takes or fusing it with cuisines from other cultures.
- "There's something truly special about being able to infuse a bit of yourself into the projects you create, and I've been lucky enough to do that at each of my restaurants," Diaz said in a statement.
- "With TaTaco, I really poured in my own story and roots, and it's an incredible honor to share that with the Durham community."
What's next: TaTaco will evolve as it gets settled into the new space, but plans are already in place for events and pop-ups.
- Diaz said it hopes to launch a chilaquiles brunch, as well as occasional late-night "ghost kitchen" events in the coming weeks.
Address: 620 Foster St., Durham
Hours: Open daily from 11am-10pm.
