Meet Jo, the owner of True Taco, which serves up authentic Mexican and Salvadorian food. “The experience you’re going to have with us is the one you’re going to have walking down the street there,” Jo says. “A taco cart on the road is preparing the exact same thing. Same recipe, same salsa, that same vibe.”
Jo’s family started True Taco all the way back in 2009. “We’d had Mexican food presented to us in this very not-traditional way because we had lived here for so long,” Jo says. “When we had it authentic, we just immediately thought: this is a thing we can do, we can feed this to people and people will buy it.” Today, their menu includes homemade staples like tacos, quesadillas, tamales, and more.
What’s Jo’s favourite item? “Ooh, I should say tacos, right? But my favourite item is the pupusa because I’m from El Salvador. When I bite into it, it’s like I’m four years old again.” Their bestselling bean & cheese filling uses Salvadorian beans for extra authenticity, and the two-day creation process is a labour of love. “That’s a Salvadorian person’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner,” Jo says.
True Taco is also a proud member of the Old East Village BIA’s Dumpling Trail, a self-guided tour that spotlights different cultures’ twists on the dish. “You think ‘dumpling’ and ‘empanada’ is not the first thing that comes to your mind, but when you look at it… it’s a Mexican dumpling!” Jo says.
True Taco’s story is one with many twists and turns. They ran a small restaurant on Dundas before expanding into one with around 100 seats. This community hub was beloved, but the logistics of running such a large restaurant were challenging and they decided to close after several years. The pandemic presented another obstacle until curbside pickups helped their numbers triple!
Today, True Taco’s home base is The Market at Western Fair District in a booth they’ve had since the beginning. “The Market’s very community-based. Even though the parking lot gets full of cars, a lot of people walk here,” Jo says. “We’re very community and family-oriented. We love that.”
Although the Market is open on weekends, True Taco still does takeout and catering during the week. Customers can also stock up on chorizo, beans, salsa, and chips to enjoy ‘True Taco Tuesday’ at home! If you find yourself in Aylmer, stop by their second location at the Old Imperial Farmers' Market on Saturdays from 8-3pm.
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