Off Menu: José Pantoja

Even with tacos available nearly everywhere, Tacos Aya Yay stands above the rest

Tacos Aya Yay family. Photo by Dani Cole

On a cool January evening, I ambled into Tacos Aya Yay in Lafayette. The smell of tortillas and braising meats wafted into the air as I shook off the cold. The understated and unassuming counter service restaurant proved, indeed, that big flavor can come in small packages.

Tacos Aya Yay is a favorite haunt for many in the Lafayette area and for good reason — phenomenal food. Chef José Pantoja has crafted the menu to celebrate traditional south-of-the-border cooking, offering classic staples like tacos, tortas, and menudo. Pantoja brings a slice of his home to ours. I gathered some salsa from the self-serve salsa bar and nestled into a seat at the dining counter that wrapped around one side of the restaurant.

Chef Pantoja, barely visible around the corner of the bustling kitchen, diligently put together a plate of quesabirria: corn tortilla quesadillas filled with queso Oaxaca and slow-braised shredded beef, served with a chile consommé for dipping, then garnished with sauteed onions, diced radish, and a fried jalapeño, and, of course, lime, fresh cilantro, and onion. One bite was enough to warm my stomach and heart. On the second bite, memories stirred from when I lived in Southern California where fabulous and authentic Mexican food is easy to find.

Through the translation efforts of one staff member, Chef Pantoja and I spoke about his love for food and sharing his culture with those fortunate enough to live near his establishment. Hailing from Jalisco, Mexico, Pantoja said he “guides himself from the flavors from Mexico, so he tries to remember the flavors, and tries to make it the same as if you’re eating food from Mexico.” When the restaurant began, they served only tacos, but as they’ve grown, they have expanded their menu to include specials, full entrée plates, and more.

When asked who influenced him, Pantoja said, “His wife always did all the cooking” and that “her whole life she wanted to have a food business.” As a family-run restaurant, he pointed out his son running the counter, and it was clear why the food was so delicious. As for the specific style of food, Pantoja talked about “a mix of the two states,” referring to Jalisco and Zacatecas, where his wife is from. Many of us north of the border only have one perception of Mexican food, but the regional varieties are as strong there as they are across the United States 

Nothing beats a cup of birria consume.

As an influx of eaters came and went through the restaurant, I noted that I’d never seen Tacos Aya Yay empty. Pantoja spoke about his relationship with food as a child and how “his mom would cook a lot of food, and once his wife moved in with them, she started to cook where he was from and then a mixture of where she’s from.” The family legacy of serving food goes back even further, as Pantoja’s father used to sell dairy products in Mexico.

The northern Colorado metro area is nearly littered with taco restaurants to an almost oversaturated degree, yet Tacos Aya Yay stands a cut above the rest. Pantoja credits this to the fact that “everything is handmade, we cut our own meat, season our own meat, make our own salsas, and make everything from scratch,” and that “everything is fresh.” Their self-serve salsa bar has several choices, each one more delicious than the last.

Food made with love always tastes the best, and that rang true for Pantoja as well. The passion with which he crafts his food is abundantly clear. That passion serves as an inspiration to his staff, and he said, “The reason the food is so good is because it’s made with love, and we actually want to be here.” He stated, “People like it here because they relate to it.” It’s easy to see how happy his staff is to be in the restaurant, and service is always given with a warm smile.

The air of family and community that surrounds the restaurant is palpable as are the care and passion placed into the food of Tacos Aya Yay. After our conversation, Pantoja returned to the kitchen where he jumped into the fray as a line of diners had formed. Some were grabbing salsa, sipping horchata, or opening their Jarritos as they waited for their food, which came nearly flying out of the kitchen. Without missing a beat, Pantoja was cooking right alongside his staff with a smile on his face.