Sesame Chicken Tacos and Elote. Photo: Chris Emeott
If you’re a taco fanatic or you love a Margarita on a summer evening, you’ve probably noticed that there’s a new game in town. Lago Tacos opened its latest location in Plymouth this past spring, adding variety to the food scene with its signature modern spin on Mexican favorites. The local business opened its flagship location in Excelsior 11 years ago, expanding to the LynLake neighborhood in Minneapolis a little over 10 years ago. These original locations are staples in their communities, and the Plymouth location is likely well on its way to a similar status.
“Everyone was so excited,” says Emily Mendoza, Lago Tacos area manager, regarding days leading up to the restaurant’s soft opening in March. “Every day, people would stop and be like, ‘I can’t wait for you to open,’ because a lot of the people in Plymouth know us from Excelsior. So right out the gate, people were excited to have [Lago Tacos] on this side of the lake.”
For those not already in the know, the Lago Tacos menu has many Mexican menu staples, including chips and guacamole, quesadillas and tacos six ways to Sunday. But what makes Lago Tacos unique is all of its modern mashups. Fried Avocados, Sesame Chicken Tacos and the Guava BBQ Pork Bowl all stand out.
“Everything’s fresh, made in-house,” Mendoza says. As for crowd favorites, “By far, the biggest thing that we’re known for is our queso sauce,” she says. “That is a hit every single time … As far as presentation-wise, our Nacho Stack is insane. It’s super big. Every time I serve one, there’s three more that go out right after.”
The Plymouth location also serves up some exclusive menu items that can’t be found at the other locations, including elote, vegan chorizo dishes and fajitas.
Mendoza knows firsthand what makes Lago Tacos great goes beyond just the food. “We want people to feel like they’re at home, that they are very welcome in this atmosphere for a quick lunch or to catch up with an old friend or somebody’s birthday,” she says.
The newest location of Lago Tacos at the Plymouth Town Center is a novel venture because of its size, too. “We’re definitely able to accommodate larger parties here than the other two locations,” Mendoza says. “We have a semi-private room in the back that is really nice for office parties or even for family outings.” The latest location also features a dog-friendly patio.
Fall Festivities
September is a celebratory month for Mexican cuisine, with National Guacamole Day falling on September 16 and National Quesadilla Day following shortly after on September 25.
When it comes to guacamole, it’s all about the texture in Emily Mendoza’s estimation. “Our guac is made fresh every day, and we keep it with a consistency to where it still has texture in it. You’re not just getting a guacamole sauce,” she says.
As for Lago Tacos’ quesadillas, “The thing that I love about our quesadillas is that we have multiple different protein options. Any protein that we have in house, we can make it into a quesadilla,” Mendoza says, noting the dish is large enough to share. “We put grilled onions and poblano peppers in ours with the protein.” The dish is served with the classic fixings of sour cream, pico de gallo and guacamole on the side.
Let’s Talk Tequila
The foundation of every Margarita starts with the tequila (or, as occasion may have it, the mezcal). But what do different tequila labels truly mean?
Similar to Champagne, tequila is only considered true tequila if it comes from certain parts of Mexico that grow the blue agave plant. “If it’s from a different area, it’s an agave spirit,” Emily Mendoza says.
The age of the spirit determines its color, flavor and oftentimes price. “It’s similar to meat. When you dry age it, the longer it goes, the more expensive it is,” Mendoza says.
Lago Tacos
3500 Vicksburg Lane N. #500; 763.703.5770
Facebook: Lago Tacos
Instagram: @lagotacos
