Taco Grande

Don’t let the titular dish fool you. Yabo’s Tacos is not just another Mexican restaurant.

“I wouldn’t even call this Mexican,” says chef and owner Scott Boles. “Our goal is to have fresh, healthy food in kind of a sports bar atmosphere. The vehicle happens to be a tortilla, but the food could be as American as you’d ever find.”

A quick look at the menu shows it is unambiguously American – North Carolina pulled pork, Kansas City short rib and a Louisiana spice rub all make appearances.

The state-hopping nature of the menu is no coincidence; Boles has lived and worked in almost every region of the United States. Originally from Lima, Ohio, he moved to Boston in the 1970s to study under Chef Jim Berrini, President Kennedy’s former executive chef, and attend school at Northeastern University.

From there, Boles traveled to San Francisco, Colorado, North Carolina and, eventually, Florida, where he was responsible for the executive dining at several levels of the Disney Corporation. In 1997, he and his wife, Kris, decided to move the family back to Ohio to get out of food service.

“I wanted to be around for my kids,” he says.

But with both kids recently moved out, Boles, an Upper Arlington resident, found himself itching to get back into the food business. He partnered with Kris and old friends Brent King and Greg Debbe, and the group began to seek possible locations. The former Giammarco’s site on North State Street just outside Westerville was a perfect fit.

“It’s a little smaller than what we would’ve liked, so we’re busy all the time,” Boles says. “… We’re just so pleased with the turnout.”

Customers leave raving about the restaurant’s affordability –there isn’t an entrée over $10 – and the fresh taste, Boles says.

“Many folks come and they can taste the freshness, because it is prepared daily, if not hourly,” he says.

The baja style tacos – hard or soft tacos with lettuce, pico de gallo, feta cheese and your choice of meat, ranging from slow-roasted beef to tempura-fried fish, for only $2 – are the most popular, Boles says. Braver souls might be more interested in the Massive Yabo, a 12-inch taco with a half-pound of chicken, shredded beef and shredded pork, as well as grilled veggies, Monterey Jack and feta cheeses, cilantro, lettuce and pico de gallo.

The restaurant serves beer, wine, sangria and specialty margaritas. Eleven beers are available on tap, and Yabo’s also offers a “retro beer of the day” deal for only $1. Boles describes the beers, such as Pabst Blue Ribbon and Schlitz, as “the beer that I stole out of my dad’s fridge.”

Yabo’s Tacos has only been open for a few months, but there’s no slowing down for Boles. He plans to have another location open in Dublin by October. After that, he has high hopes for as many as eight locations in central Ohio, followed by an expansion to Cincinnati, Dayton and Cleveland.

“We expect in five years to quite possibly be between five and six stores and 20,” says Boles.

Jessica Salerno is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@pubgroupltd.com.

Shredded Pork Tacos

Ingredients:

• 1 5-7 lb. pork shoulder

• 8 oz. Cajun or blackening spice

• 2 pts. water

• 8 plum tomatoes

• 1 small red onion

• 1 bunch cilantro

• 2 heads romaine lettuce

• 12 oz. crumbled feta cheese

• 60 white corn tortillas

• 1 bottle hot sauce

Directions:

Rub shoulder with all of the spice, coating all sides liberally.

Roast shoulder in a 9” by 11” baking pan – adding 2 pts. of water once it reaches 225 degrees –on outdoor grill or in the oven for approximately 10 to 12 hours, or until the meat falls apart and off of the bone. Then, shred the pork to fine strands of meat in a separate bowl and add any remaining juices back into the pork, after straining off any fat that has settled on top of the juices.

Dice tomatoes and red onions and mix together with ¼ cup of chopped cilantro. Shred romaine as thin as possible to make it easier to build tacos. Place crumbled feta into a serving bowl and place ½ cup chopped cilantro into a small dish for garnish. Heat up griddle or frying pan at medium high heat and grill both sides of corn tortillas until lightly browned.

Put out all of the ingredients for tacos and let everyone build their tacos.

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by Thailyr Scrivner