New taqueria opening soon on Concord Exchange

New taqueria opening soon on Concord Exchange
By Jake Spitzack | Staff Writer | October 2025

Longtime South St. Paulites Carlos and Mayela Cortes will soon unveil their new high-end Mexican restaurant Don Carlo’s Taqueria, located at 514 Concord Exch. S., in the Asian Mart building that was constructed earlier this year. A soft opening for family and friends is tentatively slated for late September, and a grand opening for the public in early October.

“There are not many places like what I’m building,” said Carlos, who did not look beyond his community for a location. “I’m building something for the community because we’ve been struggling for a good restaurant in South St. Paul.”

Carlos has worked managerial and cooking positions in the food industry for about a decade, all the while biding his time to start his own venture. Now that his kids are older, and the opportunity arose to secure a brand new space suitable for a higher-end atmosphere, the time was finally right. Mayela will be the primary manager, and their two kids are expected to help in some capacity.

The 77-seat space was literally empty when they signed the lease early this year. Carlos and some family members who work in construction did much of the interior work themselves to bring it to life, including adding walls and installing flooring. Professionals outfitted the kitchen and bathroom, and everything is blended together with stylish decor. Approximately 20 can comfortably dine on the patio, and the bar seats seven.

The menu will include a variety of authentic Mexican tacos made from scratch using mostly organic ingredients and other common Mexican plates like burritos and tortas. Nights and weekends will feature a slow-cooked meat stew called birria, as well as ramen birria, a meat stew with noodles.

“We will have some desserts like flans, arroz with leche (creamy rice pudding), and cakes, and we will have different kinds of slushies for the kids,” said Carlos. “I will have a few different types of margaritas, too…. Most taquerias don’t have a bar so that’s something different, and I want to take advantage of that.”

Live music is slated for Saturdays on the patio, and Fridays will be ladies’ night inside with a DJ. Hours are 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 7 a.m.-2 a.m., Friday and Saturday; and 7 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday. Weekday hours may be expanded in the future to open for breakfast, based on community feedback.

“I built this for my family and the community, so I hope everything goes well and I hope everybody likes the food,” he said.

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