On the hunt for authentic tacos at Mr. Taco

(Left to right) Mr. Taco’s most popular tacos—the Drippy (ground beef), Barbacoa (shredded beef) and Mixto (chorizo with ham and bacon). Photo by Collin Richie

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When you look at the menu at Mr. Taco, you might be overwhelmed.

The taqueria at 14111 Airline Highway offers 12 proteins—including barbacoa or shredded beef, carne asada, two seafood options, chicken al pastor and even a veggie taco filled with avocado, cabbage, rice and beans. The menu also features specialty plates, papusas and a salsa bar with 10 variations of salsa. And that’s just a fraction of what you could order.

Owner Sonia Godoy says the range of options is the hole-in-the wall’s specialty.

“We don’t just open up a can and make nacho cheese,” she says. “This is authentic, homemade. I have everything. The only difference is it’s made in my kitchen, and it’ll take a few minutes to come out.”

Godoy started Mr. Taco in 2011. She is a first-generation American with Mexican and Columbian heritage and is married to a Salvadorian. She moved to Baton Rouge 20 years ago after growing up in Cerritos, California. “I cover a lot of Latin America,” she says, laughing.

Her restaurant shows that, too. Some of the recipes are hers—like her trademark “drippy” ground beef, which has a sweet taste like an Italian meat sauce. Other recipes come from her Mexican grandmother (pork al pastor) and Salvadorian mother-in-law (the juicy salsa that tops the burritos).

“We’ve incorporated our entire family,” she says.

While some go into the restaurant business right out of college or at young age, Godoy was 47 when she opened Mr. Taco. Bringing a good meal to customers was in the business plan, sure, but she also wanted to show women that it’s not too late to find their entrepreneurial spirit.

“I’m a minority; I’m a woman; and this is a woman-based company,” she says. “I wanted to encourage women that we can do something. I’m 51 years old. It’s never too late.” mrtacola.com

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What to try

Three tacos: Mixto, chorizo with ham, bacon, tomatoes and jalapeños; Barbacoa, shredded beef cheeks; Drippy, Godoy’s signature ground beef
Charros: Beans cooked down with a pork butt bone in a big pot with ham and bacon. “I’ll put mine against anyone’s any day,” Godoy says.
Tropical agua: Made with seven different fruits. “We blend it up, sift it, add sugar and throw away the pulp,” Godoy says. “We do it just like grandma.”

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Looking for more authentic tacos around Baton Rouge? Check out a story from our archives, The Taco Hunt: Searching out authentic taquerias in Baton Rouge.