Taco shop in Merced serves authentic fast Mexican food to community for more than 30 years

Uniquely is a Merced Sun-Star series that covers the moments, landmarks and personalities that define what makes living in the Merced area so special.

Maria’s Taco Shop has served up local favorites for the Merced community for more than 30 years.

Enrique Valencia, 67, who co-owns the restaurant with his wife, opened the establishment in September 1992. Valencia has lived in Merced since moving to the United States from Mexico and said he would see restaurants similar to the one he eventually opened, located in San Diego when he would visit the area. He told himself one day he was going to open his own restaurant in Merced like the ones he found there.

“One day I went to San Diego and when I came back, I passed through here and I see that it was closed,” Valencia said referring to a shuttered Taco Bell.

Valencia said it took him about a week to find the owner of the building and when he did, the owner told him he had offers from multiple other businesses some which were willing to pay up to three times the monthly fee Valencia offered. In the end, the owner told Valencia that he reminded him of himself at that age and the two men agreed to a deal.

The restaurant, which is named after Enrique’s wife Maria, is located near the intersection of R Street and West 18th Street. Open 24 hours, it offers authentic Mexican food, including various types of salsa.

The Merced location was the first of several Maria’s Taco Shop locations to open throughout the Central Valley, Valencia said. There are a total of four Maria’s Taco Shop locations including one in Atwater, Ceres and Modesto. All of the restaurants are run by family members, he said..

“A lot of people are happy that we have a lot of things on our menu,” said Chayanne Valencia, Enrique’s 33-year-old son. “Most places just have basics — tacos, burritos, quesadillas. But we like to provide a little bit of everything for everybody,” he said.

Chayanne Valencia said one of the most popular and most ordered items are the rolled tacos. The Asada fries are another favorite particularly by the Late night customers who visit the establishment which is not far from local bars.

“Our tacos are very good, the burritos as well, he said. “Mainly I would say for sure the number one go to if anybody comes that hasn’t tried our food, I always recommend the rolled tacos, the Asada fries and the supreme burritos and nachos as well and the quesadillas,” he said.

For the first five years of operation, the restaurant was open from 8 a.m. to midnight, according to Enrique Valencia. Customers waiting in line late at night when the business was trying to close for the day led to the decision to stay open 24 hours.

Valencia said one thing he sees as a key to the business’s success is stability, having remained relatively the same since opening 32 years ago.

That includes both staff, five have been with the restaurant for more than 20 years, Chayanne Valencia said. And also the food.

“We’ve had customers that go to Arizona, they go to Miami and they come back and they say every time they come to Merced before they leave, they’ve always got to stop by here at Maria’s Taco Shop — and just kind of get that feeling again of when they were little when they came here when they were young,” he said.

“They know the quality is always going to be the same,” he said. “The customer service is always going to be the same.”