Preview: Taco Guy Opening Tacos 203 at the South Norwalk Train Station

Everything you’ve heard about Adrian Hurtado and his Taco Guy brand opening a new taqueria in Norwalk are true, even if some of the details weren’t originally clear or correct.

Numero tres for Hurtado, if we’re counting the taco truck first, then his Wall Street spot second, is Tacos 203, not Carnitas Michoacán, regardless of what you may have heard.

Tacos 203 will be inside of Metro-North’s South Norwalk Station and the concept won’t resemble the fare that Hurtado’s fans have experienced from the truck or his restaurant.

First came the truck! You’ll still frequently see Taco Guy out at big events like Greenwich Polo and it’s available for private functions.

A fan favorite at Taco Guy, the pork belly taco (guac, salsa macha, onions, cilantro). The tacos at Tacos 203 will look a lot different. Keep reading.

“I’m competing with Taco Guy in a way,” Hurtado explains. “The tacos we don’t have there, we will have here. Taco Guy turned into more than just a taqueria. It became fancier, a date night place, with cocktails. This is not gonna be that. This is $15 for lunch.”

At the end of the day, Hurtado’s new concept will be for everyone, especially commuters. Think along the lines of cheaper prices than Taco Guy and an unfussy drink list, but with the same degree of quality.

Hurtado’s restaurant at 102 Wall Street

If there is a teaser taco, this is it, offered at the restaurant’s daily happy hour, and it’s at least close to what you should expect when Tacos 203 opens.

“Everything has already been created and the inspiration comes straight from Mexico,” Hurtado explains. “A friend of mine in the city, he opened a traditional, street style taco shop. I’m not trying to break the wheel or reinvent the wheel. This is straightforward, like $4 - $5.50 per taco. Cane asada, chorizo, lengua, tripe with cilantro and onions, on your choice of homemade yellow corn or flour tortillas. No sour cream. And they won’t be small, they’ll be hefty. It’s going to be as Mexican as we can get.”

Tacos 203 is also meant to be fast and cater to that commuter lifestyle. For drinks? It’ll be along the lines of grab-and-go like agua frescas, Mexican beer, and margaritas (frozen ones, too), and maybe a “couple of stools” if you’d like to quickly sit and crush your tacos.

Ordering will be done online and via QR code so you don’t have to deal with standing in line.

“I want it to be something easy and fast for the commuters,” Hurtado says. “It’s meant to be in and out, but meant for everyone. Approachable, not just for Mexicans, but for everyone that takes the train. I think people will love the idea of getting a quick taco and calling it a day. If you’re on one side of the station or on the train pulling in, and you want to place an order, by the time you get to us, it’ll be ready.”

Hurtado’s father, Gil, has a popular spot in Bridgeport, Super Taqueria Las Salsas, where carnitas is the focus. You should expect that Tacos 203’s carnitas will be similar. It’s a family tradition after all.

Hurtado clued us into a few other details, too, saying that the space will provide a “show” and passersby will be able to see the action in the kitchen, like yellow corn tortillas being pressed. But it also comes with a small cafeteria where they’ll serve coffee, lattes (he mentioned a hibiscus latte), and breakfast burritos, with the idea to offer a $10 burrito – coffee combo. Breakfast, however, will most likely come after they hit their stride with the taco part first.

Hours are still being worked out, but Hurtado is thinking when it’s all said and done, it’ll be Monday through Friday with breakfast tapering off at 11:45 a.m., then tacos until 8 p.m. or so.

Hurtado’s final teaser was something in his family’s blood dating back almost 100 years.

“On Sundays only, from maybe 11 – 4, we’re going to do just carnitas,” he says.

Follow @tacos.203 on Instagram for updates

For more on Taco Guy’s origin story read HERE