Delicious duo tempt taste buds through multicultural menus
Two new celestial bodies have taken up abode in Event City’s fast food galaxy, or Oshkosh Avenue to be exact. Bustling with business, they cast a long shadow on recent flavors of the day. Ever since their summer opening, restaurants The Taqueria and Teriyaki Madness have been dealing with crowds hungry for Mexican or Asian cuisine, respectively.
The Taqueria, which tackles authentic and locally-owned Mexican street food, has been the talk of the town.
“I think it’s beautiful,” an anonymous local said. “I love the outdoor seating. I think people will go there if they want a nice, little place to sit outside and have some yummy tacos.”
To add to their outdoor seating, the restaurant offers a welcoming indoor option, as well.
“It’s very laid back and casual,” senior Erica Kedzierski said. “This would be a great place for casual dates or get-togethers with friends.”
Many enjoy the menu of authentic Mexican foods including tacos, tortas, and tamales, as well as the restaurant's large portion sizes.
“My favorite food there is street corn, called Elote,” a guest said. “It’s creamy and delicious, with so many flavor combinations hitting your tongue at once. First, you have the strong parmesan cheese, then more creamy cheese, and then the crunch of the corn, and just a pinch of spices to top it all off. The flavors create a harmony on the tongue that is like no other, and it is truly corn heaven.”
Sophomore Sarai Barcenas had similar feelings.
“I could tell that they tried hard to create an authentic Mexican restaurant, and they definitely did a good job at achieving that,” Barcenas said. “For example, they displayed many foods like those I've bought from an actual Mexican store.”
These multicultural restaurants have also provided new opportunities for the people of the town to explore fare outside of their comfort zones.
“The food was great, and it had very unique but good flavors I had never tasted before,” a local mentioned. “The portion sizes were huge and, after I ate, I felt I was going to explode."
“My favorite was the chile berde dish, specifically how they used real salsa. It tasted similar to the one my mom makes at home,” Barcenas said. “I also like how they offer traditional snacks and street foods authentic to Mexico.”
Others simply appreciate the idea of more authentic restaurants and fewer fast-food options.
“It’s a really nice restaurant, and we don’t have a lot of Mexican restaurants in Oshkosh,” an anonymous customer said. “This is giving us an opportunity to have some really good food that doesn’t feel like a chain restaurant.”
“It’s cheaper for a more authentic taste,” Kedzierski said. “It feels more authentic than other restaurants around town.”
Just a few feet away, Teriyaki Madness has been attracting customers with sweet and savory smells. This authentic Asian restaurant offers a selection of teriyaki bowls including chicken, beef, and even a vegetarian tofu option, all with rice or noodles and stir fried veggies.
“My favorite is the orange chicken,” Nikki, a Teriyaki Madness employee, said. “I just like how sweet it is and it’s crunchy, so it's pretty good. Otherwise people like spicy chicken, that's the fan favorite.”
“The food was tasty overall,” local Mark Kainz said. “But the fried rice really tied the dish together. They also offer white and brown rice, so you have a lot of control over your meal.”
Customers enjoy the restaurant’s take on their classic favorites.
“My favorite thing was the eggrolls,” an anonymous customer said. “They had good sweet and spicy sauce, and I just love egg rolls.”
The customer service provided Kainz with multiple pleasant experiences.
“The employees are patient and had no problems with substitutions, even multiple of them,” he said. “I’ve been there twice now, and no part of my orders were wrong. Service is also really fast and friendly.”
Both restaurants are also currently hiring. Considering their close proximity, their workforce has a large high school student population.
“Our working experience so far has been fairly good and positive. We’ve been pretty busy since we opened on July 14. Things have not really settled down that much, but it's been very busy everyday,” said Nikki.
New businesses, beyond turning a profit and satisfying customers, have an opportunity to lay down a long-lasting foundation through connections to the city..
“Expanding and growing in the community is a good thing,” Nikki said. “New businesses give opportunities to the people in the community who may not have had an opportunity to have a job, so it's a very good experience to be able to come into these new establishments.”
by Henna Kaiser and Kinji Thao
Published October 3, 2022
Oshkosh West Index Volume 119 Issue 1