Taste helps create Taco Depot
by diane Krieger spivak dspivak@post-trib.com February 5, 2011 9:20PM
If you go
1491 E. 82nd Ave., Merrillville
Next to Sheffield’s, Red Lobster and Baker’s Square
Phone: 791-9925
Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday; 10 a.m. to 3 a.m. Thursday-Saturday
Drive-through open till 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday
Maps
Updated: September 24, 2012 6:25AM
MERRILLVILLE — A year ago Orlando Flores got tired of his maintenance job at the Radisson.
“I was sitting with another guy and we were bored and said, ‘What would we like to do?’” Flores said.
With the culinary expertise of Orlando’s father Marcelino Flores II, his brother Marcelino III’s business sense and seven other family members, including mom Socorro, the Flores family opened its first business venture Friday. The restaurant also employs five others.
Taco Depot, just west of Westfield Southlake Mall, and next to Sheffield’s in the former Norma’s Italian Cuisine, features authentic, made-from-scratch Mexican fare, homemade guacamole and salsas.
Flores II worked in the restaurant industry for 17 years in the Chicago area and five years as sous chef at Horseshoe Casino. Later, after 10 years of factory work he was ready to get back into the restaurant business.
“It was Orlando’s idea and I loved it, especially that we own our own business,” the senior Flores said, preparing chicken for a gordita order.
Flores III, who has eight years in management, takes pride in the fact that all the dishes are cooked on site, including the Taco Depot signature mini burrito, torta, tamale, steak and enchilada menu items. Hamburgers and American chicken dishes from the grill are also available.
Free with every dinner is homemade bread pudding, rice pudding or tres leches (three milks) parfait — cake soaked in three types of sweetened milk and topped with whipped cream.
Taco Depot offers the usual fountain drinks, as well as Mexican bottled soda sweetened with sugar syrup — not corn syrup.
The business plans to cater.
Contact Diane Spivak at 648-3073.
