For authentic Mexican food in West Chester, look no further than Taco Mar.
Located on Gay Street in the borough, Taco Mar was born from a love of flavors found in Baja and Southern California. Having lived in the San Diego area for 25 years, owner Danny Alka and his family relocated to Chester County in 2005. What they missed the most from their California home was the flavors found in their food; the true authentic chilis and spices commonly used in traditional Mexican cuisine. The Alka family knew it was time to share these flavors with the West Chester community.
To bring these flavors to West Chester, Danny and his team went to Mexico to learn from Luis Trejo, a master chef in Mexico City. With Trejo as their consultant, the Taco Mar team tasted flavors from Baja to Sonora to Guadalajara and beyond. The salsas are crafted using chilies, peppers, and spices found in the Guadalajara region. The tortillas used to cover the amazing burritos that Taco Mar is known for are made from a timeless recipe they discovered in Sonora. The flavors found in the state of Puebla in Mexico are strongly woven throughout the Taco Mar menu. It is true authentic Mexican food!
Taco Mar translates to “sea taco” in Spanish, which sets the bar high for their seafood. As you can imagine, Danny and his team surpass that bar making fresh Baja-style fish and shrimp tacos daily. These tacos are the top of their most wanted menu items from their customers. In addition to the seafood taco items, the house burritos and street tacos are also incredibly popular dishes among the community.
Part of the difference that separates Taco Mar from other Mexican restaurants in the area, is their kitchen. Everything is made fresh using locally sourced ingredients from West Chester farmers and other local business owners. They make their tortillas, pico de gallo, and guacamole daily.
When you order from Taco Mar, it might take a little longer to get your food than from other Mexican restaurants. This wait is worth it though, because every order is being prepared fresh and made to order. If you have food allergies, the kitchen will prepare your meal as needed. If you are gluten-free, make sure to let the kitchen know. They can fry your freshly made tortilla chips in a dedicated fryer. These extra steps show the commitment that Danny and his staff take to ensure your meal will always be fantastic.
Taco Mar wouldn’t be what it is today without the West Chester community. Danny shares that it is the diversity of West Chester that makes the restaurant what it is.
“West Chester is great and so diverse,” says Danny. “It has it all here. From blue-collar to white-collar workers, young and old, students and faculty, everyone comes together from all different backgrounds, cultures, and walks of life. It is a fabulous community. West Chester is a little picture of America right here!”
Danny shared that the community really shined during the pandemic. This is when his regular customers showed their love and compassion to make sure that they stayed open throughout the ordeal.
“The love, compassion, and loyalty we experienced was amazing,” he said. “People accepted all of our protocols. They ordered more often to support us and tipped above and beyond to help us stay in business. Our customers were protective of us and we are forever thankful to them. We are here for them now, because of the kindness they showed us then!”
Since its opening in 2017, Taco Mar has grown tremendously and now includes two additional restaurants. The Downingtown location opened in 2023 and the Malvern location opened just a few months ago. Both locations are family-run and doing incredibly well. They are hoping to have two more in the main line in the coming years for a total of five Taco Mar restaurants.
If you haven’t had a chance to check out Taco Mar, now is the time. It is well worth a visit to any of the three locations. Whether you dine in or do take out, you are in for a treat and will be counting down the days (or hours) until you can dine with them again.
Visit tacomar.com to get their hours, view their menus, and to order online.
West Chester is a little picture of America right here!