Meet the Pittsburgh Taco Boys: a couple of guys, with serious restaurant chops, who came to Oakmont to put good stuff on tortillas.
Grab a Taco From the Pittsburgh Taco Boys in Oakmont
It’s a recollection so evocative and downright poetic, it sounds like the stuff of Jungleland-era Bruce Springsteen: Pitt freshman, sittin’ on the trunk of an Olds, eatin’ tacos on a South Oakland street… But with apologies to the Boss, Dylan Essig’s vivid memory of leaning on his weathered ’96 Cutlass Supreme in front of Las Palmas on Atwood Street, inhaling its chorizo tacos drenched with spicy red sauce and washing them down with a grapefruit Jarritos, isn’t simply lyrical. It quite literally shaped his life.
“That was my first love, as an 18-year-old college kid — those tacos,” he says. Fifteen years later, he and Jeff Stayduhar are the duo behind Pittsburgh Taco Boys in Oakmont. It’s an understatement to say they’ve found an audience.
On a recent freezing Friday night, their small shop was positively humming: Punk rock blared from the kitchen speakers, meats hissed on the grill as wisps of their smoky perfume permeated the room, and the “boys” fired tickets and filled takeout bags posthaste. “It’s a pretty simple food. It should just be appropriately cooked meat on a nice corn tortilla,” Essig says.
Why the Simplicity Works
But this is the era of peak taco. “Taco Tuesday” is an entrenched part of dining culture. We are awash in tortillas filled with ingredients from traditional to luxe, served everywhere from gas stations to high-end restaurants. Pittsburgh Taco Boys stands out with house-made tortillas, local ingredients, and a reverence for tradition — even if it’s not theirs. “One guy called us and asked, ‘What region of Mexico are you trying to represent?’ But we’re not claiming to be anything that we’re not. We’re a couple of white guys. We’re not saying we’re like the kitchen of your abuela, you know?” says Essig, a Butler native. “We go to those spots, and we love those spots. They’re an inspiration to us. We’re not trying to be that. We’re just having fun making fresh, good food.”
To that point, consider the gorgeous mosaic ofinfluences in the taco specials. Exhibit A: the falafel taco, which comes with mixed greens, cilantro lime vinaigrette, jalapeno farmers cheese, and pickled red onion. The fried chicken taco is adorned with hot honey ranch and pickles. Harissa lamb, apple cider braised pork, and shaved steak tacos (with ramp chermoula and pickled ramps) have graced the menu. Around Thanksgiving, there’s the “Turkey Boy” quesadilla (with masa chorizo stuffing and cranberry).
Local Sourcing
They learned how to make their own tortillas, milling and pressing corn from Frankferd Farms in Saxonburg, Butler County (also the source of their beans), with a machine imported from Mexico. It makes for “a unique tortilla,” Essig says.
Their meats come from Thoma Meat Market, also in Saxonburg, and peppers for their hot sauces are grown at Coldco Farm in Verona and Tiny Seed Farm in Hampton. They also work with Churchview Farm in Baldwin Borough. Essig went to Pitt to study political science but started working in Oakland restaurants and caught the service-industry bug. He joined the staff at Legume, which evolved into Butterjoint. Stayduhar worked at Richard DeShantz’s Meat & Potatoes in Downtown. When the pandemic hit five years ago, both fellows, like so many in the restaurant industry, had time on their hands. The friends connected, and that’s when they dreamed up Pittsburgh Taco Boys.
They started doing regular pop-ups at Lawrenceville’s popular Driftwood Oven, “guerilla-style,” as Essig puts it, using a mobile flattop grill and a tent. They quickly developed a loyal following. Growing the business was the next logical step. While toying with the idea of a food truck, they learned about a turnkey spot available in Oakmont — the former Burk’s BBQ, tucked behind Brr-Kee’s Ice Cream shop. “It was the perfect fit,” Essig says. “The place was exactly what we were looking for.”
The Future Ahead
They opened in 2022. The tiny shop — eight seats along counters, plus a pinball machine — has something of a punk rock/skater aesthetic, inspired by Spak Brothers pizza in Garfield.
As the word has spread about Pittsburgh Taco Boys, the two decided to double down and expand in place. The adjacent space, formerly a Butler Brew Works Bottle Shop, will open this year.
“We’re looking at getting 35 seats and more pinball machines,” Essig says. “We’re trying to make it a nice hangout for the area.”
Story by Dan Gigler
Photo From Pittsburgh Taco Boys