Kitchen Doors: A Taste of Tradition

Taco Chelo offers Mexican pueblo flavor 

In June, Taco Chelo opened its second location in Tempe, designed to resemble a traditional Mexican pueblo.

A collaboration between restaurateur Aaron Chamberlin, chef Suny Santana and artist Gennaro Garcia, Taco Chelo opened its first location in downtown Phoenix in 2018. The restaurant, named after Santana’s mother, offers a wide variety of tacos wrapped in hand-pressed, made-to-order tortillas, Mexican favorites and handcrafted cocktails. 

Garcia, who is from Sonora, Mexico, drew inspiration from a 100-year-old Mexican cantina when designing the Tempe location and sourced all of the art, furniture and materials from Mexico and Arizona.

“Taco Chelo Tempe is a space where I’ve poured my heart and soul, aiming to evoke the same emotions as one of my paintings. Every single detail was designed or created by me, inspired by the vibrant colors of my youth in Mexico,” said Garcia, who has designed several other restaurants and has a gallery in downtown Phoenix.

Key elements of the Tempe décor include handmade tiles, woven lamps and a retablo that serves as an altar to display artwork, sculptures, plates and hand-carved butterflies and mariachis made by Garcia’s father.

“The retablo is dedicated to my father, honoring the times we used to carve this type of artwork together years ago,” Garcia said. “I wanted to not only create a visually stunning space but also to curate an immersive experience for guests. I hope that stepping into our restaurant transports diners to a place where they can savor not just the flavors of Mexico, but also its warmth, vibrancy and hospitality.”

For more information, visit tacochelo.com.