Maria Vizcaino grew up watching her mother and grandmother cook in their hometown of Matamoros, Mexico.
For years, she recreated dishes from her childhood and sold trays of tamales and other items out of her home.
Vizcaino recently opened a small restaurant, Tacos, Tortas y Mas, inside the Rock Island gas station in Irving.
“It’s very overwhelming,” Vizcaino said by phone. “This is something I have dreamed about, but I never really thought it would happen.”
Vizcaino works with her daughter, Bryana Vizcaino, preparing tacos, tortas, flautas and sopes, filled with pastor, chicken, fajita, barbacoa, and desabrada, which is a braised and shredded beef.
But the stars of the new restaurant are the menudo, which is served only on Saturdays, and tamales, served on Fridays. Both sell out every time.
Vizcaino’s menudo, a traditional Mexican soup, is a family recipe. The tamales include pork; bean and cheese; jalapeño and cheese and chicken and come with red or green sauces.
The mother and daughter are considering expanding the restaurant to a food truck, Vizcaino said.
“We are very happy people are coming here and enjoying our food,” Vizcaino said.
Tacos, Tortas, y Mas, 2630 Rock Island Road, is open 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Saturday for carry-out.
