Excerpt from Kansas City Star, February 17, 2021
Words and photos by Joyce Smith

Taco Naco KC’s chicken al pastor with pineapple relish.

As the snow piles up outside and temperatures plummet, customers stepping inside the new Taco Naco KC Market & Taqueria get a quick taste of balmy Mexico.

“If you are having a bad day or need to get out, this is a place with bright colors, bright light, good people and a good atmosphere,” said Brian Goldman, who owns the eatery with his wife, Fernanda Reyes.

They first launched Taco Naco as a catering company in 2019, setting up at festivals to build buzz and running it out of Cacao Restaurante, where Reyes was a chef. During the early part of the pandemic, they did pop-ups at the Overland Park Farmers’ Market, selling taco kits along with their branded products.

Over the summer they served tacos hot off the grill, under two tents at the market.

Now they’ve opened the Mexican market and taqueria at 8220 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, with the slogan, “made fresh, made today.” They plan a grand opening for mid-March.

Goldman, who also works with his father in their self storage business, is very familiar with the Metcalf spot. He grew up eating with family and friends at one-time tenant Tienda Casa Paloma.

He met Fernanda at a wedding in Mexico in 2014, and they married three years later.

At Taco Naco they are combining their family recipes — from his grandmother in central Mexico and Reyes’ native northern Mexico — while adding their own touches. That can include guacamole topped with pomegranate, and chicken tacos with pineapple relish.

“To accentuate the flavors, like a canvas,” Goldman said.

Customers ordering at the taqueria first select a base — taco, tostada, quesadilla, burrito, nachos or rice bowl. Then they have a choice of nine fillings/toppings, including vegan, chicken, beef, pork and egg (for breakfast). Tortillas are from Yoli Tortilleria.

Sides include black beans, house-made guacamole, chips and queso, and tater tots (a favorite of Fernanda’s). They also have churros and tres leches cake for dessert, Mexican sodas and fruit juices.

On the market side, look for fresh produce — from pineapples to aloe vera, Mexican candy, salsas, hot chocolate, cookies and more. Taco Naco also is selling its branded spices, margarita mix, salsa and queso, hot sauce, guacamole and taco kits.

It has about 30 seats inside and about a dozen on the patio for warmer weather.

Reyes’ mother has a restaurant in Santiago Papasquiaro, and its logo includes a handlebar mustache, like the one Reyes’ grandfather sported. The couple wanted to include it in the Taco Naco logo, and Goldman has since grown one of his own to match.

Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Preorder for curbside pickup. They plan to add online ordering soon.