A James Beard semifinalist chef is behind this new Durham taco shop
An acclaimed Durham chef will launch a new taco shop on the ground floor of one of the city’s newest developments.
James Beard semifinalist chef Oscar Diaz will open the casual taqueria Tataco on Foster Street in Durham. Tataco is the first restaurant concept to sign on to the new GeerHouse apartment complex in the middle of Durham’s Geer Street nightlife district.
Diaz was previously the chef of Cortez in Raleigh, an acclaimed coastal Mexican restaurant on Glenwood Avenue. While there, Diaz earned a James Beard Best Chef: Southeast semifinalist mention and was included in a Time magazine profile of chefs blending Mexican and Southern flavors to create a new kind of cuisine.
In 2023 Diaz made the jump to Durham and opened Little Bull, a lively and freewheeling take on Mexican and American dishes.
In Tataco, Diaz said he’s aiming to celebrate the tortilla in its most famous form — the taco.
“Mexican food does revolve around tortillas,” Diaz said. “We’re wanting to make our own tortillas for tacos and sopes.”
Construction is underway on Tataco, which will open in the entire ground floor space of the Foster Street side of GeerHouse.
Diaz said opening Little Bull last year with the Mezcalito restaurant group helped pave the way for the fast-casual taco shop.
“Little Bull opened the doors for me,” Diaz said. “This is the right plan at the right time with the right resources.”
Diaz has big plans for 2024 and is set to open a new restaurant at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. That restaurant, “Adios!”, will open in the next few months.
This story was originally published September 20, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
