Taco trouble: A two-week craze sparked debate over health rules, entrepreneurship and what residents want

Taqueria El Chacho in its two-week presence at the corner of Tiburon Boulevard and Greenwood Cove Drive, seen here May 27, drew rave reviews and long lines from locals looking to try their food. The street-food stand was shut down twice following complaints over unpermitted food selling, which led to an outcry on local forums like Nextdoor. (Francisco Martinez / The Ark)

Taqueria El Chacho set up shop at Tiburon Boulevard’s inbound intersection with Greenwood Cove Drive, next to Westminster Presbyterian Church, in mid-May. It quickly built a social-media following online, thanks to its street-food classics: tacos de asada, burritos al pastor and quesadillas con chorizo.

However, as customers lined up, complaints also came in. The Marin County Sheriff’s Office received seven calls about the stand between May 15 and May 31, with callers questioning its legality and safety practices.

County health officials, with support from the Sheriff’s Office, on May 29 confiscated what one official described as “hundreds of pounds of food” amid several health-code violations at the Tiburon Boulevard site: no permit, no handwashing stations, no refrigeration and no clear source for the food or details on how it was prepared.

Locals on Nextdoor were up in arms. A post about the stand’s May 29 shutdown drew 216 reactions and 141 comments, with many supporting the vendor and some raising concerns about health standards.

“I knew this would happen. Was just waiting for a Karen or Ken to freak out,” Reedlands resident Maryam Fooman said in a comment. “Let them be. They are just trying to make a living. You don’t feel like it’s safe to eat there, then don’t. Shame on you.”

After Taqueria El Chacho was shut down May 31 at the Tiburon Boulevard-Greenwood Cove Drive intersection near the 76 gas station, devoted fans put up a message of support for the taqueria, saying ‘the people want tacos,’ at its original location near Westminster Presbyterian Church, seen here June 1. (Francisco Martinez / The Ark)

 On May 30, the stand reappeared on the other side of Tiburon Boulevard near the 76 gas station.

The stand was shut down for good May 31, though a handmade cardboard sign remained posted at its original location near the church: “The people want tacos.”

“We’re going to look (for) the way to move forward and be there in Tiburon as well,” owner Miguel Lopez, a 20-year-old L.A. resident, said in a June 4 interview conducted in both English and Spanish.

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