Authentic street tacos downtown – say what?! Lake House Kitchen owner Moses Vazquez said, “I have always been in the food industry.” He started with a seafood market and distribution business and opened his first food truck in 2017.
“I enjoyed serving people delicious food, and it started growing from there,” Vazquez said.
He opened Lake House Kitchen at the end of 2021 and now has five operational food trucks with five more ready to roll. “I enjoy pleasing other people with food,” he said.
Now, Vazquez is bringing his traditional Mexican fare downtown to Bowen Yard. At his five food truck locations, birria tacos are the best sellers, and Vazquez suspects his cozy spot at the open-air food hall will be no different. The birria tacos are a cheesy mess – in the best way. I’ll gladly get my fingers greasy for a bite of this satisfying taco dipped in a savory consomé. The loaded tacos don’t disappoint, either. Each bite is filled with succulent steak, queso fresco, and fresh veggies. I drizzled mine in their salsa verde and lime juice for the perfect balanced taco – spicy, acidic, and flavorful.
Clear that he wasn’t putting other restaurants down, Vazquez noted, “No restaurant in Polk County or anywhere around here has an actual street taco – a legitimate taco like you get at the taco stand. […] If people enjoy going to a food truck, I know they’re going to enjoy going to a sit-down restaurant and ask for a street taco or a burrito that’s an actual burrito, and it’s all authentic, not Tex-Mex.”
The Lake House Kitchen owner visited Mexico several times to get an authentic taste of street tacos and birria from where he hails. He returned to the States and worked on recreating that magic. “I’m the one that does all the recipes and the cooking in the background that we distribute to all the food trucks,” he said. “I had a good recipe that I created myself, and now it’s my top seller at all my locations.”
When Vazquez was first approached about opening a Bowen Yard location, he was hesitant. With a construction company, real estate investments, and five food trucks to manage, he already had plenty on his plate. “I didn’t think a full-on restaurant was a good fit for me,” he said.
The more he thought about it and the more encouragement he received to come downtown, Vazquez relented and began plans for his Avenue C SW establishment.
Along with his scrumptious street tacos, Lake House Kitchen at Bowen Yard will serve five to six bottled beers. The downtown location will feature an even larger menu than its current food truck offerings, including street corn.
“The most exciting part is opening,” said Vazquez. “Before, I was a little nervous, but now I’m not. I think it will come naturally.” The owner said he’s excited to meet new people and hear the street taco excitement buzzing around the community.
A few months after opening Lake House Kitchen at Bowen Yard, Vazquez plans to open another restaurant in Orlando and is also eyeing a Tampa location.
The Lake House Kitchen
FB: The Lake House Kitchen
IG @_thelakehousekitchen_
Kommentare