For the co-owners of Taqueria Los Puñales, there’s a lot in the name. For starters: It’s not a restaurant, says owner David Madrigal. It’s a taqueria.
“When you go to Mexico, to a taqueria off the street, they have tacos only,” says Madrigal, who grew up working at his family’s place, Taqueria Los Rojos, in Guadalajara. “They don’t offer you chilaquiles, or enchiladas, or tortas, or burritos. It’s a specialty: tacos.”
That was the focus when Madrigal and his partner Brian Aster opened Los Puñales in June of 2020: Serving up a prolific 25-taco lineup of savory braised meats and expertly seasoned veggies, all on fresh-to-order tortillas.
“It was like, no, we’re not doing another taqueria that does everything,” says Aster. “If you do everything, you stand for nothing.”
