Within the walls of Don Carlos Street Tacos isn’t just a welcoming environment and delicious food; it is the result of hard work and dedication from friendly owners and a talented manager.
Irma Chihuahua Arteaga, the manager at Don Carlos Street Tacos, is originally from Zacatecas, Mexico. When she got the opportunity to come to the United States, she brought with her a plethora of recipes.
“Ninety percent of the recipes in the restaurant belong to me,” Arteaga said, through the translation of Ismael Sazo. “About 10% of the recipes are from the owners.”
Arteaga said all the recipes she makes at the restaurant are originally from Mexico, and she brought them over to the U.S. Before coming to the United States, she was a teacher at a culinary school, and she used that knowledge of cooking when she started working for Don Carlos Street Tacos as a manager nearly two years ago.
“The owners are very good people,” Arteaga said. “They gave me a great opportunity to come to this restaurant to cook and share my recipes and techniques.”
Not only did Arteaga teach at a culinary school, but she attended a tech school back in Mexico.
“I gained a lot of experiences and gained a lot of connections, which gave me the opportunity to come to the United States and work more to get the opportunity to work here,” Arteaga said.
One of the best parts of Don Carlos Street Tacos is the signature salsas that are unique to their restaurant. Arteaga’s homemade salsas, the Mild Roma and the Don Carlos salsa, are signatures to the restaurant.
Owners Cenobio Valderrama and Ernesto Lopez opened Don Carlos Street Tacos on Feb. 9, 2023, but own another restaurant with a similar concept in Lindon, Utah, called Street Tacos Don Joaquin.
Lopez had no experience in owning a restaurant prior to that, but it was always something he was passionate about.
“After I retired, I pursued that dream,” Lopez said. “I chose Mexican food because I do love that cuisine and due to the fact that Mexican food is one of the top three ethnic foods eaten in the U.S.”
Although happy with where their restaurant currently is, Lopez and Valderrama are passionate about continuing to master their craft.
“We are still working on getting better and to offer authentic, fresh and innovative Mexican food,” Lopez said. “We pride ourselves in having the best food in our genre of fast mexican food in the cleanest environment possible.”
The owners of Don Carlos Street Tacos not only provided Arteaga an amazing opportunity to share her recipes with the community of Ogden, but continue to put the community first by providing a clean and tasty option for fast Mexican food. It’s no surprise that Don Carlos Street Tacos won Waldo’s Choice.
