Off Menu: The Craft, the Crew, and the Community Behind T/aco

At T/aco, the patio doubles as Peter Waters’ front porch—where the tacos are hot, the weather’s warmer, and every lunch feels like a neighborhood reunion hosted by the homecoming king himself. T/aco isn’t trying to be trendy. No neon taco signs, no culinary circus acts—just scratch-made food and the familiar hum of regulars returning. After a long, easy lunch with Waters, it’s clear that T/aco is built on quiet loyalty, handmade tortillas, and the kind of unshakable team that tells you everything you need to know about the guy running the show.

Let’s clear up the name: it’s pronounced “tee-aco,” not taco. Waters’ original partners—who he’s since bought out—also owned H-Burger, and T/aco felt like a natural next step in the alphabet. The name still sparks plenty of confusion, but as Waters says, call it whatever you want—as long as you’re showing up hungry.

“It’s all about people,” he said, not as a pitch but as a principle. “If you don’t understand that, nothing else you do will last.”

You can see it on the plate—house-made tortillas from masa ground right in the restaurant, slightly nutty and warm, kissed with char.

But the real story starts in the kitchen, where three women—Esmerelda, Martha, and Maria—have been the backbone since day one. Thirteen years in the same space, shoulder to shoulder, grinding masa, flipping tortillas, filling tacos with the kind of precision and pride that can’t be faked. 

“They are the heart,” Waters said. “They care in a way you can’t train. They make this place what it is and it’s my job to get out of their way.”

These women aren’t background noise. They are the rhythm of the place—steady, soulful, essential. They work with quiet intensity and deep camaraderie, moving like parts of a single machine. Waters isn’t just their boss; he’s their partner. And that harmony is why T/aco works.

Waters didn’t grow up in restaurants. His background was in tech and sales—pitch decks, performance goals, endless flights. But the call of food, of people, of building something tangible, kept pulling at him. So when the chance to open a taqueria came along in 2012, he jumped.

“I didn’t know how to do anything,” he laughed. “But I knew how I wanted people to feel when they came in, so I figured it out and built a good team.”

That instinct—that hospitality is about care, not polish—has guided him ever since. It’s why customers return week after week.

There’s even a secret menu, hidden in plain sight. On a salt shaker or tucked on the wall, a small QR code leads you to rotating specials: upscale, playful dishes that let the kitchen stretch its creativity. “It’s fun,” Waters said. “It’s a way for the kitchen to play, and for our guests to feel like they’re in on something special.”

A typical meal at T/aco includes three tacos. For meat lovers, don’t miss the pork belly—braised low and slow for eight hours until the fat melts away—or the carnitas, a tender, flavorful option inspired by a recipe from Big Star in Chicago. For a standout vegetarian pick, try the nopales. Many guests skip it out of cactus skepticism, but with a texture similar to cooked green beans and a punchy spice blend, it’s a sleeper hit you’ll be glad you didn’t miss.

Drinks get the same attention, especially the Waters Marg—a refreshing, non-alcoholic blend of soda water, lime juice, pineapple juice, and habanero syrup. It’s so popular, Waters is working on canning it.

“The pandemic could’ve crushed all of this,” Waters said, gesturing around him. They bottled cocktails, sold burritos out of a walk-up window, and partnered with charities to feed frontline workers and teachers. The community donated to charities, the team cooked, and the restaurant gave back. They survived by doing what they do best: taking care of people.

Back at the bar, it’s Friday night. The place is alive. Waters is pouring mezcal, greeting guests like old friends. The music’s vibing, the tortillas warm.

And in the kitchen, three women are doing what they’ve done for over a decade—feeding people, not just with food, but with care.

At T/aco, everything begins with heart. The rest—flavors, drinks, secret menus, merch—is just the good stuff that follows.

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