Tacos Los Cholos opens new Orange County location ...Middle East

There’s a distinct aroma that follows Tacos Los Cholos whenever the growing restaurant chain plants roots, the scent of mesquite smoke and prime meats hitting the grill. Now, that savory perfume has found another new home along downtown Santa Ana’s Fourth Street corridor.

Marking its fifth location, the lauded taqueria officially opened its doors on Dec. 22, located on the ground floor of the eight-story Rafferty building, brining new energy to the thoroughfare that’s currently undergoing a transformation.

For co-founder and co-chef Josue Maldonado, planting a flag in the Orange County city with the largest Latino population wasn’t just about expansion, but also about preservation.

The original Tacos Los Cholos opened in Anaheim in 2019. Surviving the pandemic, the taqueria opened its second location in Fullerton. Maldonado and his business partner, co-founder and co-chef Michael Alvarado, followed with spots in Huntington Beach and Huntington Park in Los Angeles County. Now, the duo have opened their fifth location in Santa Ana.

“We knew there was a lot of change going on, so we wanted to bring a little bit of Mexican culture to stay here,” said Maldonado.

While Tacos Los Cholos is rooted in tradition, the new venue itself represents a new tier for the beloved brand. Fans of the taqueria know it for its ingredients and dishes (carne asada tacos, Anaheim burritos and handmade tortillas, to name a few) often served in casual, high-energy settings. But the new Santa Ana location leans into a more polished aesthetic.

“It’s a more upscale feel here,” noted Maldonado, comparing the brand-new build to their older spaces.

Despite the snappy interiors, replete with a mural, crimson paint and a wall of soaring floor-to-ceiling windows (ideal for people watching while adding heaps of natural light to the space), the soul of Tacos Los Cholos remains untouched. “The style of cooking, the way we cook and serve, is the same,” he said.

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The focus is still on the fire and food, which are both open for diners to watch in action care of the visible Santa Maria grill anchoring the behind-the-counter scene. Menu items include meat-heavy tacos (the carne asada or chorizo are musts), the unique Anaheim taco, quesadillas, a loaded papa loka (a Mexican-style “loaded baked potato”), mulita, the Cholo pizza and burritos. Meats include more than a dozen options, including a “prime” section with such heavy hitters as filet mignon, ribeye and mar y tierra. And please ask about the secret menu; a recent visit uncovered exceedingly tender and generously filled wagyu tacos.

In the days since its doors opened, the new Tacos Los Cholos has seen a steady crowd, drawing in a notably younger base and neighbors eager to see what the buzz is about. “It’s been busy. People have really liked it. … We feel support for sure from the area and everyone who lives around here,” said Maldonado.

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As Maldonado revealed in a 2023 social media post detailing Tacos Los Cholos’ inception, he and his best friend, fellow co-chef and co-founder Alvarado, “bought a plancha and grill with a tax return check.” With little money, the two “high school drop outs on the wrong path” found a love for cooking, which “saved and changed our lives.” The Anaheim locals “that were looked down on for most of there lives” put everything they had into their budding home cottage business. Word of their tacos spread right-quick and soon “we had a line in front of my house waiting for our food.”

While the brand has grown at a stead clip, turning from front yard pop-up into a brick-and-mortar story with acclaim galore, its pace isn’t slowing down yet. Maldonado said he and Alvarado have one more location set to open later this year in Eastvale. “And that’s about it for now,” he said with a laugh. “Then we’re taking a break for a while.”

Find it: 113 E Fourth St., Santa Ana, 714-623-4733

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