Taco Tuesday: Tucos Taco Lounge

The Our Crater crew has set out to find and share Sudbury’s best taco restaurants! Our first Taco Tuesday feature is: Tucos Taco Lounge!

We talked to Mark Browning and Jessica Nadel of Tucos Taco Lounge about the inspiration behind the restaurant, their new bakery, and of course, their favourite tacos on the menu! Find out the details here.

Why did you decide to open a Mexican-style restaurant in Sudbury? What’s the story behind Tucos Taco Lounge?

Mark: Opening Tucos wasn’t a business decision- we live here in the Donovan and thought about what WE’D like to have here in the neighbourhood. Jess and I do a lot of travelling, and I used to tour a lot with my band, OX; I’m fascinated by neighbourhoods and find that the best ones have hubs where people can congregate. When we moved to the Donovan, the location was a bit of a run-down KFC- then it closed down and after a couple of years the property just became derelict. I watched how the neighbourhood deteriorated and since nobody else was coming along to do anything with it, I thought either I do, or we ought to leave. I grew up eating Mexican food- it’s just a passion of ours.

What makes your restaurant stand out in the Sudbury food scene?

Mark: Jess and I are vegan. But, 8 years ago I was as much of a ‘meat-eater’ as anyone. I saw a film called ‘Shark Water’ and it just clicked with me- then I did a lot of reading and it was really a voyage of discovery about all of these industries, and practices that are all going on behind a curtain- that we all prefer to not know about. Cruelty, unsustainable resource usage, water contamination, deforestation, environmental degradation- the extent of which rivals the fossil fuel industry. I envision a world where all of that ends- and no restaurant can afford to serve meat or dairy. So at Tucos, I just wanted to be ahead of the curve. The way I see it, all restaurants will be vegan in 50 years, better to start working it out now.

Jess: I’m a Sudbury transplant, and as a vegetarian and now vegan of over 25 years, the absence of a solid plant-based restaurant here was always void I wanted filled, if only so that I had somewhere I could go out to eat and have choices. At a certain point, Mark started saying that one of these days we’d just have to do it ourselves, and it sort of turned into a bit of a pipe dream in the back of my head. Aside from the fact that it’s vegan, Tucos offers up such fun and fresh flavours that were a new addition to the restaurant scene in Sudbury and I think people up here are always excited for something new to try.

We’ve got to know, what are your favourite items on the menu? And more specifically, do you have a favourite taco that we should definitely try?

Mark: Again, I’m vegan- so our menu is like a ‘GREATEST HITS’ of Mexican food for me, made for me to eat it. I think my favourite is the ‘Cesar Chavez’ taco, but our two most popular are the ‘Phish’ taco (made from battered, deep fried avocado with cilantro) and the new ‘Buffalo’ taco which basically is a taco riffing on hot wings with Buffalo sauce.

Jess: I am ALL ABOUT the Buffalo Tempeh tacos these days – maybe it’s the pregnancy talking but I just can’t get enough of them!  But if you’ve never tried the Sopes, those are incredible and my other go-to dish.

What’s your secret to making one of Sudbury’s most delicious tacos?

Mark: Nothing much comes out of a package at Tucos; it’s a lot of labour to make our refried beans, pico de gallo, chili…we have to close Mondays to make the seitan; a process that creates, primarily from wheat gluten and spices, something resembling sausage and takes about 9 hours to make. Our taco tortillas are fresh made to order and hand pressed from masa right before they’re plated. Freshness, real ingredients, and hard work are our secret.

Jess: Fresh ingredients and a whole lot of love.

When you’re not enjoying Mexican style food, what do you like?

Mark: I lived in Italy for a year and love Italian food. Jess and I are regulars for Bella Vita Cucina down the street from Tucos- their pizza is first rate- and they do a vegan one just for us. I’ve always loved Indian food as well.

Jess: I love to cook, bake and develop recipes. But when it comes to easy weeknight meals, my favourite meal to whip up at home would be a simple, flavourful bowl that combines a whole grain, baked tofu, plenty of veggies & a peanut sauce.

What’s in store for Tucos Taco Lounge in the next year?

Mark: Jess and I are opening a bakery/coffee bar next month called BEARDS. It’s across the street from Tucos and we’re both really excited about it. It will be very complimentary to Tucos, and it’s where all the Tucos desserts will be made. It’ll be more of a 7am espresso stop with cinnamon buns and scones and yummies; right up my alley, really! As for Tucos itself, it’s really just about keeping up the service and quality- and making sure all the staff are happy that concerns me. That’s the name of the game.

Adriana Nicolucci

Adriana Nicolucci is a Communications and Film Production graduate, fashion enthusiast, and patterned sock collector. She’s often spotted munching on the Eenie Meenie Grilled Zucchini Pizza at the Buddha. Danny Ocean is her spirit animal, except she’s planning a heist to steal your hearts (not a casino)

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