Taqueria Tecoman is a Taste of Colima

Socorro Barajas and her husband Camilo Esqueda are in their sixth year running Taqueria Tecoman, and it's attracted quite a following. On the weekends, the tiny little taco shack on the corner of East Lake Avenue and Union Street swells to full capacity.

"Saturday and Sundays we are the busiest, the whole restaurant will be full and we'll have people waiting in their cars," Barajas said in Spanish. 

And there is a reason. Tacos are only 99 cents, or $2 for tacos with tortillas hechas a manos (handmade). The meat choices include perfectly grilled carne asada, al pastor and tender "cabeza," and on Friday, Saturday and Sundays, Barajas sets up a station complete with salsa, beans, grilled onions and chilis, and fresh oregano so customers can fix up their tacos how they like.

They also have menudo, made in the style of Colima.

"Everybody knows that the menudo is ready Friday afternoons, so we have many customers who are here every Friday afternoon," said Barajas as two of these regular customers who had been sitting at the bar which runs the length of the dining room said their farewells and left. If Taqueria Tecoman had to choose one specialty, Barajas would choose their menudo.

"It's the menudo. All of the people who have tried the menudo come back," she said. "All of the people say it has the taste of where we are from, Colima."

In Colima, they make a red menudo and a white menudo—which is very hard to find in Watsonville. Taqueria Tecoman makes both fresh every Friday and Saturday afternoon to serve all weekend. 

Colima is the smallest state in Mexico; it's wedged between Jalisco and Michoacán on the Western coast. Tecoman is one of the largest towns in the state of Colima, and is known as the world's Lime capital. 

"Almost all of the people that come here on the weekends are from Colima. It's very beautiful, because every table says 'Oh I am from this ranchito, I am from that ranchito,' it's similar to Aptos, Santa Cruz, Corralitos, but in Colima." 

Much of Barajas's family is still in Colima, but the recipes she uses come from her family, like the postres that Barajas loves to bake, like her galletitas de nuez—crumbly, not too sweet, melt in your mouth cookies, or her empanadas de piña or fresa.

In the past, Taqueria sold tacos from a cart outside of their restaurant, since there is more than enough room in the parking lot outside. Barajas says selling outside doubles sales, but that the city's permit restrictions may limit them from being able to continue.

"A lot of customers ask us, "why dont you sell outside anymore?'" said Esqueda.

Barajas says she will take it to the city if she has to.

"In Mexico that is very common, there is food sold on every corner. And plus, we don't have the room in here," said Barajas.

What's your favorite menu item at Taqueria Tecoman? Share it here, or write a review of the restaurant (or another favorite) in Patch's dining guide: http://watsonville.patch.com/places/category/food-dining