From a young age, Yadira Maldonado found purpose in helping out her hardworking mom, Esperanza, at Taqueria Tepeque in Capitola. Esperanza founded the popular local spot 23 years ago, but her journey started much earlier when she began cooking as a child in Mexico. She immigrated to the U.S. at 14 without her parents, seeking a better future.
Yadira, who has now been working at Tepeque for over a decade and is also on the medical assisting career path has a menu that features a large variety of classic Mexican dishes, a combination of passed down family recipes and Esperanza’s own creations.
The best-selling birria is available in a soup, plate, burrito or taco. Other favorites include carne asada, red sauce enchiladas finished with cotija cheese and mole, a family recipe featuring chicken smothered in a sauce with many notes and a kiss of semi-sweet chocolate. For dessert, Esperanza’s flan is a can’t-miss. Yadira says if they run out, “people get mad.”
Tell me more about your mom’s incredible story.
YADIRA MALDONADO: She was born and raised in Michoacan, Mexico, where as a child her mom would help her cook small portions of food in hominy cans and she would sell them right outside her house. People really loved her food, and from there, she moved to the plaza in the middle of town and sold her food alongside other vendors. She woke up at 5am every day, and would always sell out. She always loved cooking, so when she moved to the US and wanted to be her own boss, she started this business with only $50 in her pocket, and has been able to grow it over 23 years.
What sets Tepeque apart?
My mom handmakes all the sauces and doesn’t measure anything; she just goes with her eyes’ and hand’s instincts. Sometimes we ask her for a recipe, and she says, “I don’t know, I just go by hand. Just do whatever feels right.” And she also makes our corn tortillas from scratch, which a lot of other places don’t do, and is very comforting for our guests.
3555 Clares St., Suite LL, Capitola, 831-462-2758; taqueriatepequeca.com.
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