The one thing about living in South Monterey County is the joy of discovering hidden gems throughout the tri cities in Soledad, Gonzales and Greenfield. One of those hole-in-the-wall spots is Taqueria Pacheco, a tiny Mexican restaurant nestled inside La Placita Mercado at 325 Front St. in Soledad.
Inside you will find taqueria owner Jorge Pacheco, a gregarious jolly man that can be found chatting with his customers or food distribution suppliers any time of day.
The 66-year-old Zamora, Michoacán, native has been at the same spot for the past 15 years serving up some of the best food in the county.
Taqueria Pacheco has an array of favorites, such as tacos, burritos, tortas, gorditas, sopes and enchiladas rojas. They even have off-the-menu items, including bistec ranchera and a huarache, named for its resemblance to a sandal.
For those celebrating Lent, they also have Camarones a la Diabla or a whole fried fish accompanied with rice and beans.
Salinas native Ariyana Navarro said she frequently stops by the taqueria with her husband Joey, who is originally from Soledad.
“We go to Salinas and nothing compares to Pacheco,” Navarro said. “I tell everyone in my family, ‘You gotta try this place.’”
Pacheco has been involved in the kitchen business for 30 years. He said the inspiration of opening his own spot came from someone he befriended who happens to be from the same home town.
Pacheco said his friend owned and operated a taqueria inside of the now closed Tienda 4 Hermanos meat market in King City.
Pacheco loves having the taqueria inside La Placita because their food pretty much sells itself.
“It’s great because when all the people walk in to get a soda, and they see tacos, they’ll buy some,” he said.
Just don’t go on a Tuesday because Pacheco and his kitchen staff are not open for business. The best time to go is on a busy Sunday afternoon when Pacheco offers some of the tastiest ribs around. What makes them so good?
“I just season them up and throw them in the rotisserie,” Pacheco said.
Just as simple as that. Three hours later, Pacheco will have an order of savory tender ribs that fall straight off the bone.
Pair them up with a dozen of warm hand-pressed tortillas and a cup of fresh salsa, and we have ourselves a picnic at one of several parks located in Soledad.
Pacheco noted that everything on the menu is made fresh, from the fluffy chile rellenos to the soft corn tortillas that are constantly being tossed on the griddle.
“People like homemade tortillas and there’s nothing better than one freshly made,” Pacheco said. “A majority of people like them like that and that’s why I do it.”
Pacheco doesn’t plan on adding anything new to his menu, saying he doesn’t have the space to do so even if he tried.
For now, he’ll continue to happily serve his regulars while welcoming all newcomers to eat what could easily be called comfort food.
“It’s about treating them right, making sure to serve everything they order,” Pacheco said. “And making sure to have a good attitude so people leave happy, that’s the key to the business.”
