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Founders of Blaze Pizza, Dog Haus, Wetzel's Pretzels, Gus's BBQ opening taco joint

Provided by Taco Social

September 25, 2023

Taco/Social, which serves tacos and a broad selection of tequila-based cocktails, opens Tuesday in the Eagle Rock community of Los Angeles in a 5,000-square-foot brick building with indoor dining, bar seating, an outdoor patio and a private dining room for special events. Several Pasadena restaurateurs, including Elise Wetzel, co-founder of Blaze Pizza and Wetzel's, are behind the concept. The creators of Dog Haus and Gus's BBQ are also part of the venture.

"We see an opportunity to approach tacos in a completely different way," Wetzel said in a company press release. "At Taco/Social, we'll serve chef-created, globally inspired tacos in a counter-order format, so the food will be both craveable and affordable. And we'll offer signature cocktails, plenty of outdoor seating and a family-friendly kid's menu. Both the food and the format are unique, and we think the community will love it."

Taco/Social will serve creative taco flavors such as Greek Life, Banh Mi, NOLA Po Boy and Tikka Masala. Recipes were created in consultation with Top Chef winner Ilan Hall. Additional menu items include street corn, house-made queso, loaded nachos and a shareable Milk & Cookies cake, offering a playful twist on the traditional tres leches dessert. For guests with dietary preferences, the restaurant will offer a range of gluten-free, vegetarian and keto menu options. Guests may also substitute either corn tortillas or lettuce wraps for flour tortillas on any taco.

"We're one part taco and one part social," Chris Bicos, co-founder of Gus's BBQ, said in the release "You can come for the food and grab some drinks or come for a drink and grab some delicious, memorable tacos."

The restaurant will feature a tequila-forward bar with specialty fresh and frozen margaritas, plus craft cocktails, wine and draft beer. Specialty drinks were developed in partnership with celebrity mixologist Phil Wills, a regular on the TV show, "Bar Rescue," and include a Sweet/Smoke Margarita, Oaxacan Old Fashioned and Hot Honey Whiskey Lemonade. Daily social hours feature food and drink specials from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

"This group of seasoned restaurateurs has wanted to collaborate on a new concept for a long time and now we've come together to create Taco/Social," André Vener, co-founder of Dog Haus, said in the release. "The vision for us was to create a neighborhood place that we'd enjoy sharing with our friends. The result is Taco/Social — an affordable, polished fast-casual concept with a fun bar program. It's designed to be a community gathering spot where you can grab a quick lunch, watch a game or linger over a dinner with friends."