Taco Week is underway at La Taqueria Mexican Street Tacos, and behind the scenes, it takes days of preparation to keep up with demand.
Co-owner and chef Cristhel Pipper, along with her husband and co-owner Lyle Jackman, says the work begins long before customers arrive, with hundreds of chiles cleaned and large quantities of meat prepared from scratch.
Last weekend at the food truck battle, she says the kitchen processed roughly 400 kilograms of beef used in dishes like birria and adobo.
“Nobody can fool me. I tell Lyle, this is not real tomato paste. They just open a can, right? I know.”
Pipper draws on her upbringing on the Gulf of Mexico in Veracruz, Mexico, where she learned traditional cooking methods that continue to shape the restaurant’s menu.
“In order to get a good taste, you have to do it the way we do it in Mexico.”
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A focus on authenticity in every taco
During Taco Week, the restaurant is featuring homemade items including its Chicken Tinga taco, made with Pipper’s signature red salsa.
“I try to find the proper salsa that goes with the taco.”
She says that attention to detail is what sets the food apart, with much of the preparation happening well before service begins.
From professor in Mexico to restaurant co-owner in Winnipeg
Pipper was a university professor in Mexico before moving to Canada in 2019 after marrying co-owner Lyle Jackman. The couple launched La Taqueria in 2021.
Since then, she says the business has grown into more than a restaurant; it has become a workplace built on community and support.
She credits staff members, many originally from Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia, for helping create that environment.
“They apply because their English isn’t very good, and they know that they can feel comfortable because it’s all Spanish.”
Pipper also shared how that support became especially meaningful during a challenging period for her family.
“They supported me when my husband was at the hospital for three months. I would go and cook in the middle of the night and then be at his side from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. So I mean, I love my staff because they have shown me that they are there.”
Outdoor seating planned for Taco Week
As part of Taco Week, La Taqueria is also setting up picnic tables outside so customers can enjoy fresh tacos in the warmer weather.