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Chef-owner Carlos Ordaz-Nunez of TBT El Gallo (Photo courtesy TBT El Gallo)
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From Mexico With Fries — flank steak, poblano crema, pico de gallo, pickled onions, guacamole and cheese (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
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(From left) They Call Me Mike Hongo, featuring mushrooms, queso fresco, crispy onions and poblano crema, and Donde Es Dori? with beer-battered cod, pickled radish, chipotle mayo, pico de gallo and cilantro (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
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TBT El Gallo is located at 2118 W. Cary St.
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TBT El Gallo specializes in tacos, burritos and tortas. (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
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More of the TBT El Gallo menu (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
“In 30 minutes I can say I own TBT, a totally badass taqueria,” chef Carlos Ordaz-Nunez of TBT El Gallo said in late March, just before the takeout eatery’s grand opening.
Ordaz-Nunez spent his life savings to purchase the building, located in the former Naked Onion Space at 2118 W. Cary St., in September. Since then, he and his tight-knit team have made over 50 pop-up appearances at breweries, restaurants and markets around the region, drawing lines, attracting regulars and cementing the chef’s not-so-traditional vision.
“This is a dream I’ve had since 17 or 18 years old,” the Hanover native says.
Relocating to Richmond last summer, Ordaz-Nunez originally intended to work on his parents’ 125-acre Mechanicsville farm, Rosa’s Garden. But in September, on a whim, the former cook purchased a flat-top grill and some folding tables.
“I drug my wife out to a farmers market and made tacos in the parking lot of Berry's Produce [in Mechanicsville] — everyone was hella confused, just wondering, 'Why are you out here?' ” he says with a laugh.
From there he connected with The Broken Tulip, Ashland's Canteen and area breweries and established a weekly Sunday gig at Vasen Brewing Company. After six weeks of pop-ups, Ordaz-Nunez says he had a culinary identity crisis.
“There was this moment where I thought, 'Do I want to basically be like pretty traditional Mexican food, the way my mom and grandmother cooked?' " Ordaz-Nunez explains, "but there was a little bit of a disconnect; it wasn’t who I am.”
After initially launching a menu more aligned with authentic Mexican cuisine, Ordaz-Nunez ditched expectations and embraced his unique cooking style.
“I said f--- it, lets get weird,” he says.
With a menu centered on tacos, burritos and tortas — TBT — "weird" for Ordaz-Nunez means defying definition and layering tradition with flexibility and fun.
While more authentic tacos from carnitas to tinga de pollo are available, it’s offerings like the Slam Dunk Contest quesabirria taco; the vegetarian-friendly Tierra Santa with roasted squash and nopales, fried corn, chile-cumin butter, and poblano crema; or the fried chicken torta that have set TBT El Gallo apart.
“My parents are like, 'What are you doing?' but I know I have something. They’re terrified of the fact that I do a pork belly al pastor,” Ordaz-Nunez says, laughing.
Other menu items include the Donde Es Dori? — a nod to the forgetful fish from the Pixar film "Finding Dory" — with beer-battered cod, chipotle mayo and pickled radish; a breakfast-style burrito dubbed The Hangover Cure; and Weird at Electric Forest, deconstructed birria tacos transformed into papas fritas, the french fries topped with the stewed meat, shredded cheese and queso fresco and served with a side of consomme. Many menu items play on pop culture, including the Aloha Fluffy, a reference to comedian Gabriel Iglesias, or They Call Me Mike Hongo, a nod to a scene in the Will Ferrell movie "Everything Must Go."
First entering the dining industry as a teenager, Ordaz-Nunez worked at the local chain Mexico Restaurant. From there, he would bounce between back-of-house and front-of-house positions before eventually landing at Texas De Brazil. Climbing the restaurant’s corporate ladder, he worked for a time in Washington, D.C., before returning home to Richmond.
Since gaining his small but mighty squad of faithful kitchen staff, all of whom have fine-dining backgrounds, Ordaz-Nunez says, “Everything started to fall into place.”
The steady dedication to pop-ups has allowed TBT El Gallo to gain a faithful following, attracting a group of diners who are looking for dishes rooted in heritage, balanced with a fresh and unique perspective.
"We just want to make great food that is indicative of my perception of Mexican food, which is like really broken Spanish, and have fun,” Ordaz-Nunez says. “It’s just wild, really, and kind of incredible to me that this happened. We’re really humbled and appreciative.”
TBT El Gallo is open Wednesday through Friday from 5 to 10 p.m., Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 9 p.m.
