Owners Raul Enciso and Nick Bitz pose in the patio area of El Taco H on April 11, 2023. Maria Crane
The first time Mexico native Raul Enciso, 37, took his longtime friend Nick Bitz, 33, to Mexico City, Bitz spotted graffiti of a tlacuache, or opossum, on the side of a wall.
He snapped a picture of the artwork and uploaded it to social media. The rest of their trip consisted of enjoying one of the biggest cities in the world and eating authentic tacos.
In the years to come, Bitz and Enciso sought out the artist of the tlacuache, Vloke Negro, to license their art to be used as the logo for their restaurant, El Taco H. The restaurant opened in October 2022, and its name is a phonetic play on the Spanish word tlacuache.
After many trips to Mexico City together, Enciso and Bitz said they knew they had to bring authentic Mexican tacos back to the states. Throughout the years, they have focused on making that dream possible in the Denton community.
“I always say that we’re 99 percent authentic,” Enciso said. “In order to be 100 percent authentic, you have to be in Mexico City.”
Auguas Frescas line the main counter of El Taco H while a customer pays for their meal on April 11, 2023. Maria Crane
The pair have known each other since 2007 when they first met as coworkers at a Grapevine restaurant. Years after branching out into other jobs, the two were reunited again in 2018 when they began working together in the mortgage industry.
During their lunch breaks, the two would go out for tacos across the DFW area. They constantly surveyed local joints for the best tacos, taking notes on bits and pieces of each place. Encisco and Bitz began to notice that no restaurant had all of the key elements they were looking for.
"Our core values are we want to offer a clean environment with friendly people to serve delicious food,” Enciso said.
This past month, the restaurant released a new menu that features both new items and some of their older, popular classics. Enciso and Bitz said they seek to have a menu that is simple, so it can be executed perfectly.
“For the most part, we really just have one item with different toppings, right?” Bitz said. “It's all tacos.”
The El Taco H duo said they listen to the community's feedback to see what customers love and what they want improved. Enciso and Bitz seek constructive criticism in their reviews to improve their restaurant.
Some of the biggest comments have to do with the small size and greasiness of the tacos. However, Encisco said those qualities are just making tacos “how it is in Mexico City.”
Various drinks and dishes, al pastor, quesabirria, consommé, carne asada, salsa, agua chiles, el tlacuache and a paloma, sit on a table at El Taco H on Feb. 28, 2023. Maria Crane
Paula Martin Del Campo, university alumna and El Taco H cashier, was born and raised in Mexico City. Since she was little, al pastor has been one of her favorite dishes. Since coming to Texas, she found herself disappointed with local takes on Mexican food.
“The night before I moved here from Mexico City, I had 28 al pastor tacos,” Martin Del Campo said. “I threw up, and I kept eating them because I was like, 'I am going to miss it so much. It is a staple Mexico City food.'”
When she tried El Taco H’s al pastor taco, she felt she had found something comparable to the traditional dish back home.
"I tried it here, and I was like, 'Oh my God, this is just like in Mexico City,'” Martin Del Campo said.
Enciso said when he moved to Denton in 2013, he noticed not a lot of the local Hispanic population came out to visit Denton Square. Through El Taco H, he said he is trying to bring his people to the Square to show them the city. The restaurant aims to craft this sense of representative community by hosting different culturally themed events, such as Latin Nights and Lucha Libre.
Bitz and Enciso said they are doing what they can to foster a community setting, partnering with groups who reach out to host charitable events. Some recent partnerships include a philanthropy event with a university fraternity and a concert series that featured North Texas musical artist Tyler Bond.
The pair said they hope to continue such connective efforts with the local area and its community members.
"We want this to be a fun place and not just a place where you can eat,” Bitz said. “It's an experience and a place to hang out and [be] with the community.”