Two years later, with its local following cemented, the humble eatery earned its first mention in The New York Times\u2019 \u201c36 Hours\u201d<\/a> travel series, a huge coup that helped launch its recognition beyond 407-only foodies. An appearance on The Travel Channel in the same year added a second blast to the momentum that seemed unstoppable.<\/p>\n Then came COVID-19, which drowned so many struggling businesses. Black Rooster pulled out of the rip current, connecting folks in isolation with their door-delivered Margaritagrams<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThings like that really pulled us through a very rough time,\u201d she remembers.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are so grateful for the Mills 50 and Orlando communities, who were and are such big supporters. [To this day] we have some customers who come in two or three times a week, and that\u2019s really special. We never take it for granted.\u201d<\/p>\n Surviving the virus made them stronger, as evidenced by the massive leaps of 2022: selection in The Michelin Guide<\/a> and landing a space at Orlando City\u2019s Inter & Co Stadium.<\/p>\n For Calloway, who is Colombian (\u201csoccer is part of my DNA,\u201d she says), it might be hard to choose which was better.<\/p>\n \u201cBoth John and I, when we travel, always used the Michelin Guide to choose where to eat when we could<\/a>,\u201d she explains. \u201cWe\u2019re just a little taqueria \u2026 so for us it was and is incredibly special.\u201d<\/p>\n Chefs on life after Michelin: \u201cOn so many levels, it matters\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n The same went for the counter at Inter & Co, where her family had already been season ticket-holders.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was already great having our family there, together, for every game, so having Black Rooster there was huge.\u201d<\/p>\n Speaking of, their family has grown right along with the business.<\/p>\n Son, Ryder, whom Calloway calls their Chief Tasting Officer, was just 3 back in 2016. Daughter, Lily, came along a little later. Now 7, \u201cshe\u2019s the self-proclaimed guacamole connoisseur;\u201d she\u2019s loved it since she was a baby.<\/p>\n Being a restaurant family, though tough, is also rewarding.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been wonderful having them come help out at the restaurant, or for special occasions like Cinco de Mayo.\u201d<\/p>\n Even for those who\u2019ve achieved it, success isn\u2019t a guarantee, even when you put your soul into it.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a lot,\u201d she admits. \u201cSmall business owners don\u2019t get sick days. You\u2019re there when you open. You\u2019re there when you close. Weekends and holidays.\u201d<\/p>\n Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda\/Orlando Sentinel<\/p>\n Juliana Calloway, owner of Black Rooster Taqueria in Orlando, and her son Ryder Calloway, then 7, package Margarita-grams during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The Margarita-gram concept allowed people to send drinks and good spirits to loved ones on lockdown. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n Her husband, she says, takes on the bulk of this burden.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s no corporate office, and if something breaks, because margins are so small, John has to try and fix it. It\u2019s been a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n Case in point: Black Rooster\u2019s Curry Ford location, which shuttered in 2024 after not quite three years in business.<\/p>\n \u201cBut Mills has always been going strong,\u201d Calloway says.<\/p>\n That\u2019s one constant, at least, in a decade that\u2019s seen many changes.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve seen so many places close, but at the same time, new places are opening all over,\u201d she notes.<\/p>\n \u201cAs small business owners, it\u2019s great to see that people are still taking that plunge, coming together with new ideas. I think it really speaks to Orlando\u2019s diverse dining scene, because it is really tough out there.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition to the rising costs of rent and supplies, Calloway says insurance rates and taxes have made staying afloat a tough go.<\/p>\n \u201cYou want to be a place that pays a living wage and takes care of your team, and it\u2019s really hard,\u201d she says, noting the times that owners don\u2019t draw a paycheck at all are more often than most people know.<\/p>\n \u201cYou want to keep the business going,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have good and bad times of the year, but we\u2019ve been really lucky from go,\u201d she says, again crediting the community and its support.<\/p>\n That connection dates back to before they even made the move from the taco stronghold of San Diego to The City Beautiful, connecting with local influencers to get a lay of the land. And making connections with their food once ensconced.<\/p>\n It was at an early East End Market pop-up, in fact, that they met Stephen Lofaro, a customer who\u2019d become their opening and longtime manager, who was scarfing tacos when the Calloways ended up in the weeds.<\/p>\n \u201cHe saw we needed help, turned his hat backwards and jumped back there with us. John hired him on the spot.\u201d<\/p>\n Lofaro, she says, was an essential part of their growth, \u201cand it all happened because of this event we had at East End, this local connection.\u201d<\/p>\n The same went when content guru Julius Mayo Jr. (better known as Droolius online), gave them intel that an off-market restaurant space on Mills Avenue would soon be available.<\/p>\n Not long after, Mayo\u2019s restaurant scene intel clued them in on a Mills Avenue location that was about to come on the market.<\/p>\n It was Orlando food history in the making, as the area has since exploded into a culinary hotbed. Calloway chuckles at how things change.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we first opened, a lot of people said we were too expensive,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Several years later, on the cusp of Michelin recognition, Orlando Magazine featured Black Rooster on a Cheap Eats roster of affordable places.<\/p>\n Calloway chuckles but also notes that greater awareness of things like organic corn and local sourcing has helped change perception over time.<\/p>\n Brand awareness, too, has continued to blossom. Black Rooster Taqueria joined the roster of brands now serving at the Kia Center in 2024, and for now, says Calloway, the plans are just to keep on truckin\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cWe love being where we are, doing things we can manage, continuing to put out new food,\u201d she says. \u201cWe\u2019re focusing on family, and spending as much time together as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n Find me on Facebook, TikTok, Twitter or Instagram\u00a0@amydroo<\/a>\u00a0or on the OSFoodie Instagram account\u00a0@orlando.foodie<\/a>. Email:\u00a0amthompson@orlandosentinel.com<\/a>, For more foodie fun, join the\u00a0Let\u2019s Eat, Orlando Facebook group<\/a>.<\/p>\n Black Rooster\u2019s 10th Anniversary Specials<\/p>\n Feb. 26: In keeping with the date, margaritas will go for $2.26.<\/p>\n Feb. 27: Free guac card for every guest.<\/p>\n And on both days, the first 10 guests at lunch and the first 10 guests at dinner who ask (that\u2019s key!) will\u00a0receive a limited-edition 10th anniversary keychain that\u2019s good for 10% off your entire check for the rest of the year.\u00a0Limited-edition jersey-style shirts will be available for purchase ($35) while supplies last.<\/p>\n \t\t\t![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/TOS-L-BlackRooster2371.jpg\")
The Chicken Tinga, Achiote Pork, and Smoked Beef Brisket Tacos at Black Rooster Taqueria in Orlando. (Stephen M. Dowell\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n![\"Restaurant](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/TOS-L-BlackRooster2360.jpg\")
Restaurant kids Ryder and Lilly Calloway, with their parents, John and Juliana, celebrate 10 years of tacos in Mills 50 at Black Rooster Taqueria. (Stephen M. Dowell\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n![\"Juliana](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/FQVK67GJ4FGC3HNIOYHFHLSZDQ.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"On](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/TOS-L-BlackRooster2342.jpg\")
On Feb. 26, Black Rooster margaritas will cost $2.26 as part of the weeklong anniversary specials. (Stephen M. Dowell\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n![\"Black](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/TOS-L-BlackRooster2378.jpg\")
Black Rooster Taqueria celebrates 10 years in its Mills 50 location this week. Since opening, they’ve appeared on TV, in The New York Times and were made part of the Michelin Guide’s Orlando selection. (Stephen M. Dowell\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n![\"Guac](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/TOS-L-BlackRooster2333.jpg\")
Guac and chips at Black Rooster Taqueria. (Stephen M. Dowell\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n![\"Lily](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/TOS-L-BlackRooster2345.jpg\")
Lily Calloway, 7, holds a plate of tacos at Black Rooster Taqueria, but she’s actually a self-proclaimed guac connoisseur. (Stephen M. Dowell\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n