Local Business Love: taco bar, frederick, md
Why we care about this!
As a travel advisor— and especially as a parent who travels with kids — I care deeply about eating at local businesses because food is one of the easiest, most meaningful ways to connect with a different destination or culture. For kids, trying new flavors is about much more than food. It builds curiosity, flexibility, and confidence. Travel naturally pushes children outside of their routines, and experiencing different cuisines teaches them that the world is bigger — and more connected — than what they see at home.
As a travel-focused family, we see food as part of learning how to be curious and respectful travelers. If our kids can walk into a Salvadoran pupuseria, an Indian grocery store, or a Korean bakery and feel comfortable asking questions and trying something new, they’re building confidence that carries into future travel experiences too. It teaches them that different doesn’t mean unfamiliar or intimidating — it just means there’s something new to discover.
We also intentionally support local immigrant-owned businesses because they bring so much character and culture to the community. Some of the best conversations, meals, and memories happen in small family-run restaurants where you can tell people are sharing a piece of home through food. Exploring those places helps our kids understand that culture exists in their own community, not only in faraway destinations.
behind the scenes: taco bar
I’ve been obsessed with Taco Bar since the first time we stopped in. I got to talk to the family behind the food today and I’m so excited to tell you about it.
Taco Bar is a Golden Mile spot, on the stretch of highway between Baker Park and Middletown. For more about the Golden Mile, check out our blog post here.
I met with Raul, he’s the 40 year old son of the family that owns Taco Bar. Together with his dad, Raul Sr., his mom, Maria, his Aunt Maricela and his cousins, they run the operation along with their staff, who are like family. They opened their Frederick location 9 years ago after the massive success from their Gaithersburg location. When I asked “why Frederick?” Raul’s answer blew me away. Basically the customers insisted on it. Customers were leaving Montgomery County in search of lower cost of living and buying homes in Frederick. They would stop at the Gaithersburg location on their commute home to grab dinner and Raul would constantly hear “you need to come to Frederick,” so they did! They opened their location on the Golden Mile in the former (chicken place name) location.
One of the most special things about Taco Bar is the authenticity of the dishes and the true Mexican flavor. This food tastes exactly like food I have personally eaten in Mexico and immediately, I asked Raul about their family and the food inspiration. His parents are from Jalisco, on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, home to Puerto Vallarta. They emigrated to Mexico City after getting married and Raul was born there. The tastes and cuisines of Jalisco and Mexico City are extremely prevalent in their food. Birria, (explain) is a dish that originated in Jalisco and al pastor of course is the pride of Mexico City (explain history and connection to shawarma). These recipes are family recipes from his mom, his abuelita and they have been passed down through generations. The connection to Mexico here and being run by a Mexican family really separates Taco Bar from a lot of other tex mex options in the area.
Raul and I chatted about how they source ingredients that deliver such a local Mexican flavor and we got deep into tortillas and corn. The tortillas and sopes are freshly pressed and you can taste it. When the Gaithersburg location burnt down due to arson in 2023 (re-opened in 2025), they refocused on the Frederick location and how to really set themselves apart. They made a strategic tortilla decision during this time to start importing organic, nixtamalized corn meal (explain what nixtamalized is) from New York City to then press and serve fresh. These result in the smaller street corn tacos, which are identical to what you would be eating in Mexico City. I love to have their tacos with a glass of iced hibiscus, or jamaica, tea, which Taco Bar is making through an infusion of the dried hibiscus flower imported from Mexico. All the produce, the dried chilis, the ingredients in the marinades are coming from Mexico. Everything is prepared fresh, like the guacamole that you can fully customize to your taste. No tomatoes? No onions? No problem. This attention to detail, freshness and authentic flavor is exactly what I love about Mexico and what I love about Taco Bar.
According to Raul, the most popular dishes are chips and guacamole, tacos, especially el pastor and carnitas. He wishes more people would order the tortas. I asked him what I should eat for lunch and blindly followed his advice. He requested the choriqueso torta, which was basically a Mexican sloppy joe in the best way.
The connection to customers and loyalty is something really special about Taco Bar. Raul has watched customers grow up, get married, have kids and eat tacos through every one of those stages. They love their customers and community and want to share that they offer catering for birthdays, picnics, even work events, and they love to host fundraisers for organizations or local PTAs.
Thank you so much, Raul, for chatting with me and letting me learn more about your incredible family and restaurant.
Don’t forget to visit their new drive-through spot, Takito!
More from Travel Family
Our Family is obsessed with the Golden Mile and we have decided to challenge ourselves to try every non-major chain restaurant on the Golden Mile. I then post a review on Tiktok with the food we ordered, our experience, review and ranking. Our reviews aim to spread awareness of these incredible restaurants and increase local support for these businesses.
Our videos are posted on Tiktok several times a month. Be sure to follow us over there for our reviews on these local gems! https://www.tiktok.com/@travel_family_explores