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Tight Tacos
Exterior of Tight Tacos in southeast Portland in March 2022
Restaurant information
Established2016 (2016)
Owner(s)
  • Mark Cosio
  • Annamarie Cosio
Food typeMexican
Websitetighttacos.com

Tight Tacos is a small chain of Mexican restaurants based in Portland, Oregon, United States. Established in 2016, the business has also operated in Hawaii. Tight Tacos has garnered a positive reception.

Description

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The restaurant chain and catering company[1][2] Tight Tacos operates in the U.S. states of Oregon and Hawaii. In addition to tacos,[3] the business serves nachos with cheese, guacamole, jalapenos, and salsa fresca,[4] as well as burritos.[5][6] Meatless fillings include adobo-marinated cauliflower and soy chorizo.[7] The Hellaburrito—stylized as Hella(bur)Rito—has cream, French fries, nacho cheese, and onions.[8] Drink options include micheladas made with hard seltzers (Truly, White Claw), as well as agua fresca, horchata, and sodas.[4]

History and locations

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Co-owner Mark Cosio launched Tight Tacos with his brother-in-law Reggie Ballesteros in 2016.[9][10] Annamarie Cosio has also been credited as a co-owner.[11]

By 2019, the business operated four food carts. Tight Tacos's first brick and mortar restaurant opened in The Zipper in Portland in September 2019.[4][12][13] In early 2020, Tight Tacos began operating in the kitchen of Thirsty Monk in southeast Portland.[14][15] The business operated via delivery and take-out at times during the COVID-19 pandemic.[16]

Tight Tacos has also operated on Division Street in southeast Portland,[7] and in Maui and Oahu.[1][17][18][19] The Portland food cart in a southeast Portland parking lot hosted the breakfast burrito pop-up Kooks Burritos.[20][21]

Reception

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Tight Tacos's Hellarito was included in the Daily Hive's 2021 list of the fifteen best eateries in Portland.[22] Michael Russell included the business in The Oregonian's list of Portland's best new food carts of the past decade.[23] Waz Wu recommended Tight Tacos in Eater Portland's 2023 overview of the city's vegan tacos.[7]

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Willamette Week's Matthew Singer included Tight Tacos in a list of twenty "awesome meals for takeout and delivery in Portland right now".[8] The business was a runner-up in the Best Taco category of the newspaper's annual 'Best of Portland' readers' poll in 2022,[24] and ranked second in the Best Catering Service category in the same poll in 2024.[25]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Taketa, Mari (2024-05-22). "Thieves Stole Tight Tacos' Equipment. Then This Happened". Honolulu Magazine. Archived from the original on 2024-06-10. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  2. ^ Boneza, Jenn (May 24, 2024). "Catering van theft brings restaurant community out to support local taqueria". KHON-TV. Archived from the original on May 25, 2024. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  3. ^ Russell, Michael (2018-10-04). "Portland's 8 best tacos within striking distance of downtown". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2021-01-28. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  4. ^ a b c Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2019-09-27). "Cult Favorite Mexican Cart Tight Tacos Opens a Permanent Location in the Zipper Today". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-11-28. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  5. ^ Woo, Nick (2019-03-14). "14 Gargantuan, Stuffed Burritos in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-10-29. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  6. ^ "7 of the best places to get burritos in and around Portland | Dished". Daily Hive. Archived from the original on 2024-07-16. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  7. ^ a b c Wu, Waz (2021-05-11). "Where to Find Tasty Vegan Tacos in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-11-28. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  8. ^ a b "20 Awesome Meals for Takeout and Delivery in Portland Right Now". Willamette Week. 2020-05-27. Archived from the original on 2022-12-21. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  9. ^ Obungen, Thomas (2022-05-13). "Tight Tacos Brings Luscious Carnitas and Foodie Cred to Kaimukī". Honolulu Magazine. Archived from the original on 2024-05-30. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  10. ^ Bakall, Samantha (2016-08-17). "Tight Tacos brings a welcome slice of California: Cheap eats". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2022-12-01. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  11. ^ "Our Favorite 10 New Portland Coffee Shops and Roasters This Year". Willamette Week. 2017-11-08. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  12. ^ "The Zipper Food Hall in NE Portland". PDX Parent. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  13. ^ Smith, Suzette (2020-07-31). "This Week in Food News: Riot Ribs Dissolves, Street Disco Makes Pizza, and Botanist Takes Over On Deck Sports Bar Patio". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  14. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2020-02-06). "Portland Mexican Spot Tight Tacos Will Take Over the Kitchen at Thirsty Monk". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  15. ^ "Thirsty Monk Portland Partners with Tight Tacos To Operate Its Kitchen". brewpublic.com. 2020-02-11. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  16. ^ "The Zipper: How A Portland Building Endures The Economic Storm". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Archived from the original on 2024-09-19. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  17. ^ "What to eat in Portland today: Tight Tacos and the Hellarito | Dished". Daily Hive. 2020-03-18. Archived from the original on 2023-06-03. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  18. ^ Livingston, Sandy Harjo (October 4, 2023). "Where to get the best tacos in Hawaiʻi". KHON-TV. Archived from the original on June 3, 2024. Retrieved October 27, 2024.
  19. ^ Burke, Maria (2022-07-14). "My 5 Favorite Tacos on O'ahu Right Now". Honolulu Magazine. Archived from the original on 2024-03-26. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  20. ^ "Kooks Serves Pop-Up Breakfast Burritos With Handmade Tortillas Out of a Food Cart on Cesar Chavez". Willamette Week. 2017-05-16. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  21. ^ "My Dad Is From Mexico. I Can't Get Mad At Kooks Burritos". Willamette Week. 2017-05-23. Archived from the original on 2024-05-20. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  22. ^ "15 of the best restaurants and food spots in Portland | Dished". Daily Hive. Archived from the original on 2024-05-18. Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  23. ^ Russell, Michael (2022-04-28). "Portland's best new food carts of the past decade — where are they now?". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2024-10-27. Not only did this popular California-style taco cart open a pair of brick-and-mortar locations, one on Southeast Division Street, the other in The Zipper complex on Northeast Sandy Boulevard, but original owner Reggie Balasteros has also opened a restaurant on Maui, with a second coming to Oahu this year.
  24. ^ "Food Winners". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 2022-07-15. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
  25. ^ "2024 Best of Portland Readers' Poll: Food". Willamette Week. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
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