Jan. 15, 2025

Fans of the Mexican food truck Taqueria Juanita can find their favorites year-round now.

Juana Silva Cortez and Miguel Silva Rodriguez opened a restaurant with the same name this week at 923 S. Marion Road.

“The regular menu is kind of similar to the food truck except for a couple different plates, and we’re probably working to add more plates down the road,” Cortez said.

“Everyone is more than welcome to come and try our food,” she said. “People, they know where we are all the time.”

Taqueria Juanita’s street tacos, which are topped with cilantro and onion, have 11 meat choices — everything from carne asada and birria to chicken and carnitas. Traditional Mexican choices like lengua, tripas and cabeza are among the offerings. Most tacos are $3 or $4, with shrimp for $5.

There are eight burrito options – and more if you count all the different choices of meat.

The menu also has fajitas, quesadillas, quesabirria and kids meals. Seafood specialties include ceviche, aguachile and shrimp cocktail.

For now, the plate offerings, which come with rice and beans, are carne asada, birria and chile relleno.

For soups, caldo des res and ramen birria are available daily. Tortilla soup is served Friday through Sunday, and menudo is offered Saturday and Sunday. Carnitas and chicharrons are available by the pound on Sundays.

Drinks include fountain and bottled Coke products, Mexican Coke, Jarritos, agua fresca, a half-dozen Mexican beers, Miller Lite and michelada.

Customers order at the counter. The dining room, which is colorful just like the food truck, has seating for about 50 people at tables and booths, and a couple of TVs.

In a couple of weeks, Taqueria Juanita will start offering a catering option with choices of 20, 50 or 100 tacos.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

The family will keep the food truck and plans to use it for larger special events in the summer.

Mexican food truck to expand with west-side restaurant