Taqueria Mercado grows downtown location

Luis Leon grew up in Chicago and lived there with his family for twenty-five years. Luis says, "My father worked in a factory and my mother was a secretary. They were good years, but my mother wanted something else, she had a dream. She wanted to own a restaurant."

So when the family left Chicago and moved to Cincinnati they opened Cancun Mexican Restaurant. A year and half later, the Leon's opened the first of three restaurants bearing the name Taqueria Mercado. The first was in Fairfield, just east of Jungle Jims. The second opened about a year and a half later in Erlanger. That store eventually closed and relocated to its present location in Florence. And then, earlier this year, Leon's family opened the third Taqueria Mercado at 100 E. Eighth Street in the space formerly occupied by Javier's Mexican restaurant.

Asked if he was worried about opening a Mexican Restaurant in a space where another had just failed, Luis smiles and says, "No, not at all."  He then explains, "Many of our customers in Fairfield were from Downtown and they would ask us, all the time, to open a store downtown, so I knew if we opened it people would come."

The restaurant serves as a welcome addition to the downtown dining community. To mollify long time fans of the Fairfield restaurant, and to ensure continuity, Leon brought Alfredo - his favorite cook - with him from Fairfield. Which is not to say that all three stores will be identical.

Taqueria Mercado Downtown will soon offer amenities beyond those at the Florence or Fairfield locations. For instance, Luis has hired long time music promoter Jody Steiner (who held similar responsibilities at The Madison and Stanley's) to book music.

Steiner says live music will start the weekend of October 15 and will eventually feature a myriad of musical styles including Latin, Rock and Roots. Prior to that, physical improvements- including the hanging of acoustic panels- will be undertaken to ensure a pleasant listening environment. 

For Luis and Steiner, both of whom live downtown, the Eighth Street location represents an opportunity to do something special for the ever growing downtown population. As a result, the Downtown restaurant will also be open extended hours, till 11:00 weekdays, 1 am on the weekend, and offer an extended happy hour (11am to 9pm).

Writer: Michael Kearns
Photography by Michael Kearns