Comedor Latino: True Taco

Meet Jo Rivas, the owner of True Taco and one of our Associate Participants! Located at the Market at Western Fair District, True Taco is an authentic comedor latino, specializing in authentic Mexican and Salvadorian foods. “Comedor is literally a dining table and Latino is all Latin America,” Rivas says. “We want to bring those kinds of flavors to the people, these authentic flavors, things that you don't typically see.” True Taco’s very first spot was at the Trails End Market around 18 years ago, but shortly after, they opened a location at The Market at The Western Fair, and has been a market mainstay since.

True Taco was opened by Rivas’ parents in 2009, using family recipes and authentic ingredients. After joining the Market at Western Fair District, demand for a proper restaurant started pouring in. Their first location was a small, 20 seat restaurant, but they quickly expanded to a larger location with 100 seats just across the street. Both those locations are now closed, but Rivas says that she loved being right on the Old East Village main street. “We've always loved Old East Village and this community. We've loved feeding the people here and we have good friends here,” she says. “Going from a massive restaurant to just the Farmers Market was quite the transition, but my mother was very sick at that time, so it was kind of a blessing in disguise to not have to deal with so much work.”

True Taco uses family recipes that are a blend of Salvadorian and Mexican cuisine. Their menu is small, but mighty, featuring mainstays like Tacos and Quesadillas, along with pupusas, totados, and empanadas. They also offer all day breakfast options like huevos rancheros and huarache. “The recipes have not changed, we don't use any additives or preservatives,” Rivas says. “It does take a lot of time, it’s a labour of love, but we’re cooking hundreds of pounds of food a week to serve our weekend community.” She adds that 85% of their produce comes directly from the market, putting money right back into our local economy. 

Having been located in the Market for nearly two decades, True Taco has become a mainstay for weekend shoppers. Rivas says that she loves the Market, saying it has proven quality with a fantastic community. “There's a certain sound that you hear when there's 4000 people in the building,” she says. “Where it's all the noises of people talking, pots clanking, fridges opening, children laughing or crying, dogs barking. It's beautiful.”  Looking to the future, Rivas says she’s not sure she would do another True Taco restaurant, but wants to do more catering for large events and get her to-go products, like chips, salsas, and refried beans, into local grocery stores.

So what’s Rivas’ favourite part of the job? She says she loves being an entrepreneur. “Everything is connected to you, even the things that you delegate still all lands on you. The ingredients are there. But if you only had those ingredients without preparing them and cooking them and taking the time and dedication and all those things, they would just be those ingredients.” 

True Taco is open Saturdays and Sundays during the Market hours and from Wednesday to Friday from 11am to 4pm for pickup!

📍 900 King Street

☎️ (226) 237-2573

🌐 https://www.truetacolondon.com/