A new taco place called Taco-Drive has opened in Jersey City. Located at 195 Newark Avenue, Taco-Drive has taken over the space of Rig A Tony’s, and The Hoboken Girl had gotten the inside scoop of what people can expect from the Mexican restaurant prior to its soft opening on Friday, March 18th. Read on to learn more about Taco-Drive in Jersey City.
Behind The Concept
Taco-Drive is owned and operated by Oscar Munoz, a Jersey City resident who wanted to bring a new concept to the area that he believes has been missing.
“I’m very excited. This has been a long-time dream because initially, my idea was to do an app where you find tacos in the area,” Oscar told The Hoboken Girl back in February. “This is something for my kids to do down the road [when they get older]. It’s a concept I’ve been dreaming of for a long time.”
Less than a year after opening, the pizzeria Rig A Tony’s shut down shop. Once Oscar, who likes the fact that Jersey City is very diverse, learned about the news through a bar in town, he knew he had found the perfect place to open up Taco-Drive.
“People will come in and we will have an experience for them to create their own taco. They can pick from fresh flour tortillas or corn tortillas, then whatever meat they like and then whatever ingredients they want — sour cream, cilantro, onions, beans,” Oscar says about the meaning behind the restaurant’s name. “We want to create that experience for people to come and eat whatever they want. Everything is freshly made in front of you. There’s a [sit down] bar so you can grab your food and eat.”
Not only will there be fresh tacos made daily, but there will also be the usual Mexican food such as quesadillas and burritos. What’s going to be even more enticing is the pricing. Taco-Drive will be inexpensive — about $3.50 per taco — and an entire meal, including the drink, will cost less than $10.
Family-Friendly Restaurant
Oscar is a first-time restaurant owner and says he wants to make it family-friendly. “Kids come with their parents and enjoy the experience of having their taco made. I want to make it a place that’s fun for families,” he said. “I want to do something like a ‘sip and paint’ but with tacos. I want to be able to teach kids how to make the tortilla, how to cook meat, and then, boom, how to cut the ingredients.”
Further down the road, Oscar hopes to expand the restaurant by adding breakfast items, making Taco-Drive a franchise, and getting a license to be open 24-7 for locals to be able to watch international games on the big 85-inch screen TV. He also hopes to add some sort of a patio in front of the restaurant so that there’s more room to eat and enjoy the weather once it’s spring and summertime.
The hours of operation will be 10AM to midnight or 10AM to 10PM depending on the day of the week. Taco-Drive will be open for dining in and pick up, with delivery being added at a later date.
To stay in the know, be sure to follow Taco-Drive on Instagram.
