At TaTaco, Oscar Diaz has created more than just another restaurant in a growing empire. At his latest venture, located at 620 Foster Street in Durham, the menu brings forward something deeply personal. It represents a culinary adventure forged between cultures that will surprise and delight diners. I’ve visited TaTaco several times and I’ve found it to be accessible, delicious, and fun.
Diaz calls his food “pocho cuisine.”
“They’re saying I’m not from there. They’re saying I’m not from here. I decided I’m going to make a cuisine that is only something that someone in those parameters could make,” explains Diaz, recalling how he was called pocho as a child visiting Mexico. Pocho was, in effect, a name for a kid with Mexican roots who grew up in America. For Diaz, today as a chef, that means “a non-Mexican Mexican, non-American American is going to do the food that I feel represents me.”
TaTaco is the third outpost in Diaz’s growing Durham presence, following the success of Little Bull, which will celebrate its second anniversary soon, and Aaktun, a popular all-day café-meets-small-plates spot that has already expanded to Clayton. Each concept reflects Diaz’s distinctive approach to food, but TaTaco arguably appears most closely connected to the flavors of his background.
Born and raised in Chicago in a vibrant, multicultural neighborhood, Diaz describes growing up in “a melting pot” surrounded by Polish, Puerto Rican, Mexican, and Filipino families. This diversity of flavors from his childhood, combined with his culinary training in high-end kitchens, created a unique approach to how he designed the menu and experience at TaTaco.
Diaz smiles as he shares how, growing up, many of his favorite nights involved his dad telling him that he was about to grab a skirt steak and some shrimp, fire up the grill, pop open a cold beer, and make a delicious meal. One of his favorite things about visiting family back in Mexico, Diaz says, was pulling up to a food stand and grabbing some spicy shrimp and ceviche. You’ll find elements of these memories in all of his dishes at TaTaco.
“I’m not trying to introduce Mexican food to people,” Diaz says. “I think everyone knows what Mexican is. What I want to do is introduce it the way I see it. The way we ate at home.”
“I’m not trying to introduce Mexican food to people. I think everyone knows what Mexican is. What I want to do is introduce it the way I see it. The way we ate at home.”
This vision translates into a restaurant featuring multiple stations: a seafood counter, a taqueria, and a soon-to-launch tortilla-making station. Diaz is particularly proud of the latter, with machinery arriving soon to help produce tortillas without preservatives for all his restaurants and eventually for retail sale.
TaTaco features a bar program featuring not just tequila and mezcal but lesser-known Mexican spirits like sotol, raicilla, and bacanora. These spirits are often based on the familiar (such as agave) but are produced differently. Raicilla will often feature a blend of agaves, whereas tequila is made from only the Weber blue agave plant.
“I’m not trying to follow the trend,” Diaz says of the program. “I want to be more authentic to myself for the things that I like.”
The menu showcases what Diaz describes as “basic, mom-and-pop dishes” that reflect both his childhood flavors and dishes connected to his entire career.
Standout items during my visits include enchilada stacks in guajillo sauce, a massive bowl of ceviche, and a whole roasted chicken served with fries and tortillas. Diaz described the latter as inspired by the family-style meals at his mother’s and aunt’s homes.
“I think it could be for everybody,” Diaz says of TaTaco’s appeal. “You can get tacos, but you can also come and just get drinks here. We can also have a friend that doesn’t like tacos—they can get vegetarian stuff, or I want to ball out and get some seafood and raw fish and oysters.”
The restaurant is currently open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and recently introduced brunch service. You can find a little bit of everything on the menu, including taco platters for $12.99, a heaping bowl of ceviche for $12, or, to spice it up a bit, a half dozen oysters. With patio seating and ample lighting, the restaurant should become a gathering spot as the weather continues to warm up. Customers can even take palomas and margaritas to go in the designated “Bullpen” cups and walk around the Geer Street neighborhood.
For Diaz, TaTaco represents not just another restaurant opening but another chance to share his unique perspective and approach to life through his food. His approach echoes one particular trait he admires from restaurants he has visited in Mexico: the willingness to accommodate and welcome everyone.
“I noticed how the service happens in Mexico when I visit. They are professional, and they’re just accommodating for everything. You ask for something they don’t have, they’re like, ‘I’ll be right back.’ They’ll run across the street, grab some fresh food, and make you a new drink,” Diaz says. “We designed TaTaco with that in mind, where it’s like, ‘Hey, this is like our house. We have all these things to offer.’”
As Diaz and his partners continue their expansion across the Triangle, TaTaco stands out. More than just a restaurant, it’s an expression of Diaz’s continued evolution. Every bite showcases a place where “pocho cuisine” celebrates the cultures that shaped him. In TaTaco, Diaz created not just another dining destination; he has created a space that celebrates a chef—and a person—who has embraced himself, his background, and his journey fully.
To comment on this story, email [email protected].
You must be logged in to post a comment.