Tacos and Beer has been a prime hotspot in Montrose for taco enthusiasts since opening in 2020. Now, co-owners Patricia Marquez and her husband, Martin Jimenez, are looking to regulate the demand with a second location on Main Street.

The recent move, however, has only succeeded in drawing in more customers eager for the couples’ widely-loved menu.

The popular eatery opened its new doors at 1135 East Main Street on Oct. 28, hoping to help ease the crowds at its original location. Marquez said the opportunity arose after the owner of the short-lived former establishment, Flyin’ Roosters, reached out to the couple to gauge their interest in purchasing the building.

“We opened this [location] to kind of mellow out the other one, but they’re just as busy over there,” Marquez said of the move. “There are still wait times, and that’s been great. It’s been really good.”

The Main Street location brings a different vibe and atmosphere, she noted. While the original spot often attracts locals, tourists and travelers alike, the new location has a more intimate feel, drawing in predominantly local residents. It also boasts a bar, a feature unique to the downtown spot.

“This one feels more like a neighborhood place,” Marquez told the Montrose Business Times. “We get a lot more people who live around here. It feels like home.”

Parking, as always in the downtown area, presents a challenge, but Marquez said the restaurant’s seven-day-a-week schedule should help regulate the flow for patrons. Unlike their first location on the south side of town, which closes on Mondays, the Main Street spot will stay open all week.

Notably, the couple decided to open the downtown spot to the public on a Monday, and the community was quick to pick up on this subtle announcement amidst the restaurant’s grand opening. Marquez said that the community’s response has been overwhelmingly positive. “People are happy” the Mexican eatery moved across town.

For now, the menu remains the same across both locations, but Marquez and Jimenez are already eyeing possible additions next summer. They also have their sights set on further expansion into Grand Junction in the future.

“We’ve had a lot of people asking us to open there,” Marquez said.

Tacos and Beer isn’t the couple’s first venture into the restaurant industry, either. Marquez recalled her father bartending for celebrities in Hollywood before moving the family to Colorado.

“[Here] we started opening our own restaurants,” Marquez said. Inevitably, her experiences growing up in and around the industry was a natural pipeline for her own business ventures with her husband.

The couple first introduced Montrose to the Mexican eatery, Viva Mexico, 12 years ago next to the local bowling alley, where they ran the restaurant for nine years before opening Tacos and Beer in 2020.

For more information, contact the establishment at 970-964-4999.