Mexican food/tacos are some of my family’s favorite eats, so the addition of a new taco joint in Durham is welcome news.
Local food truck owner, Laureano Cortez, wasn’t going to let the pandemic push back his plans to open a brick and mortar spot for El Jefecito, which is located at 4910 Hillsborough Rd.Cortez has a lot of experience working with talented and professional chefs around the Durham area at places like Nana’s, the old Pops, and Magnolia Grill. He also served as executive chef at Durham Catering Company for 15 years, which is when he got his inspiration and dream to open a restaurant. Starting with a food truck was part of that.
El Jefecito specializes in gourmet Mexican food with fresh and creative toppings and a variety of homemade sauces for each taco. Chef’s favorite are the Steak and Cauliflower.
We recently tried a sampling of tacos from El Jefecito and appreciate that each had a distinct flavor profile highlighted by the sauces and topping that accompanied them. The grilled fish tacos were reminiscent of the ones we used to eat while living in Southern California.The restaurant menu is the same as the food truck (which is still in operation), but with a couple exciting additions: Burritos with rice, beans, and pico de Gallo as well as Tajadas con pollo (fried plantains with chicken).
The restaurant is open for limited indoor dining: 16 people max (staff not included) and take out. Hours are Monday-Thursday 11:00am-7:00pm and Friday-Sunday 11:00am-8:00pm.
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