Taqueria Los Ocampo is a counter-serve Mexican restaurant at 801 E Lake St in Minneapolis’s Lake Plaza, the original location of a family-run chain that opened in 2003 and expanded to St. Paul’s Seeger Square in 2005 (source: Taqueria Los Ocampo). Locals come for cooking that skips the Tex-Mex shortcuts.
Order at the counter and expect generous plates at modest prices. The huarache, a long oval of masa topped with beans, meat, cheese and salsa, anchors the menu. The house’s trademarked Huarachazo® is a bigger version for heavier appetites (source: Yelp). Alambre is a sizzling mix of grilled meat, peppers, onions and melted cheese scooped into tortillas. Weekend menudo draws regulars looking for the classic tripe-and-hominy soup. Birria tacos and the fresh hot sauces also earn steady praise (source: Wheree). Rotating weekly specials round out a menu of roughly 87 items (source: MenuToEat).
Visitor Highlights & Practical Info
Arrive mid-afternoon on a weekday to avoid lunch and dinner lines. Weekend mornings are prime menudo time, so expect more company then. Bring an appetite rather than a reservation, because ordering is walk-up. Metro Transit’s Route 21 runs along Lake Street, and the Midtown Global Market sits a short walk east, which makes it easy to pair the two. Confirm current hours on the official site before you go.
