El Taco Real began in 1972 by Raymundo Alcorta Garcia and his wife Esther Anguiano Garcia, because her cooking was “good enough to be served in a restaurant.” It soon became a family business utilizing their son Raymundo and daughters Lillie and Maria and many relatives to prep, cook, wait, lay tile, paint, repair equipment and learn the business.
They opened the doors on April 1st, 1974 with local friends and family being the first customers. The tradition continues today that customers are treated like family with a friendly and generous attitude and the portions are family sized portions. Another tradition established back then that continues today is their own hand trimming of the meat, shredding the lettuce and dicing tomatoes. In the beginning, Mr. Garcia drove his old chevy to the Chicago market to keep costs down. This was the beginning of what has become a 40- year journey.
Today, El Taco Real has been awarded the “Best of the Region” in Best Mexican food for many years. Everything is made from scratch except for some canned stewed tomatoes and pickled jalapeños. “We really care about what we’re doing,” owner Raymundo Garcia said. “We treat every customer like a family member and embrace them. It’s that emotional and sentimental connection that makes it different.”
“One of their most popular items served at El Taco Real is the Queso Fundido, made of a premium Mexican-style Muenster cheese that is very creamy and not as oily as other cheeses,” said Garcia. People rave about the umami-rich queso Fundido. Additionally, online reviewers have said it’s “amazing,” “to die for,” “out-of-control delicious” and “the best thing they ever ate.” But there are plenty of other standouts on the El Taco Real menu. Loyal regulars also love the pork tacos, the fajitas, the mole sauce and the sneakily stiff margaritas.
Breakfast dishes are also a crowd pleaser. Though the restaurant doesn’t open until 11 a.m., Raymundo believes eggs should be enjoyed all day so you can order breakfast at any time. One of his favorite breakfast item is the carne con chile, with pork, rice, beans and sunny-side-up eggs.
El Taco Real is located just outside East Chicago at 935 Hoffman St., Hammond Indiana. They can be reached by calling 219-932-8333 or email raymundo@eltacorealrestaurant.com. They hours are Tue – Thur: 1am to 10pm; Fri & Sat 11am – 11pm and Sunday 11am – 9pm; closed Mondays.
Keeping up with the times, El Taco Real is a part of Door Dash, GrubHub and Seamless.com for home or business deliveries. Their menu is located online at http://www.eltacorealrestaurant.com/index.html
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Susie Young Baxter, CEO, has published PanoramaNOW Magazine for 31 years. Her hobbies are Camping, Boating, Hiking, Nature, Gardening and Outdoor Activities. She is an Artist, Graphic Designer, an Avid Seamstress, Dabbles in Homemade Crafts and Landscaping. Since her Father was a Health Teacher, she also likes homeopathic Health Solutions. Since blogging started over 10 years ago, PanoramaNow has been added to Newsbreak – a national news affiliate.
