Authentic Mexico Arrives in Springfield

Federico Mendiola, after 30 years of working in restaurants, has opened Tacos El Güero on Carew Street in Springfield. The restaurant is a vibrant homage to Mendiola's Mexican roots, featuring hundreds of hand-painted porcelain tiles and oversized handmade butterflies shipped from Mexico. Three dozen commissioned 3D paintings by a Mexican artist also adorn the walls, depicting various aspects of Mexican towns and culture.

The culinary experience at Tacos El Güero centers on authentic Taqueria-style Mexican cuisine, including tacos, burritos, and quesadillas. Recipes are handed down through generations, with ingredients and techniques learned from ancestors. Mendiola emphasizes quality, learned from his mother's taco stand in Mezcales, Nayarit. The restaurant also sources its tortillas from a local Mexican vendor, ensuring they are delivered fresh three times daily.

Mendiola describes the restaurant's layout as uniquely Mexican, blending the quick service of street stands with the comfort of sit-down establishments. This Taqueria style offers an authentic eat-in or takeout option, a concept he believes is new to Western Massachusetts. Mendiola, who came to America at 19, now owns five restaurants in the Springfield area and one in New York.