July 19, 2022

A new taco shop near The Empire Mall is planning to open next week.

Simon’s Tacos at 5300 S. Louise Ave. has set its opening day for Monday, July 25. Owners of the shop, the Alvarez Argueta family, will hold a soft opening this weekend.

The Alvarez Argueta family also owns and operates Yessica’s Mexican and Italian Restaurant in Brookings.

The California-style taqueria will focus on Mexican cuisine, specifically tacos made from fresh ingredients daily.

The menu includes offerings such as birria tacos, a Nopales Cactus taco with pico de gallo and salsa, a Philly-style burrito, a chimichanga and many dishes that include seafood. There also are burgers, nachos and “super fries,” which include steak, queso, pico de gallo and guacamole, as well as “street fries” with shredded beef, grilled corn, cheese, mayonnaise and house sauce.

There will be breakfast options, too, including huevos rancheros, platanos and chilaquiles, which are fried corn tortillas with over-easy eggs, cheese, sour cream, onions, beans and spicy red or green sauce.

The restaurant will offer dine-in, counter service and delivery through third-party services. It could add a drive-thru at some point, building owner Jeff Carstens said.

Simon’s Tacos, named after a family member, will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.

The building most recently was Erbert & Gerbert’s Sandwich Shop, which closed at the end of 2020.

Yessica’s originally was located in Huron, but the Alvarez Argueta family moved the restaurant to Brookings in 2019 to be supported by a bigger market. They live in Sioux Falls but still plan to keep the Brookings location.