Condado Tacos Finds the Perfect Home in Ballpark Village

Now serving custom-built tacos and tequila-infused cocktails in Ballpark Village, Condado Tacos offers an inexpensive and intoxicating experience for visitors and residents of downtown St. Louis.

This is the first Missouri location of the Ohio-based chain, and it’s one of 12 planned openings for the growing brand in 2023.

“Ballpark Village draws crowds during St. Louis Cardinals baseball games, live concerts and other events, where people are already spending money, so Condado Tacos offers an affordable option for great food and drinks to supplement their itineraries,” general manager Lupe Hernandez says. “The restaurant is very casual – come as you are and have a good time.”

Complementing the lineup of irresistible eats at Ballpark Village, including Katie’s Pizza and Pasta Osteria and Salt + Smoke, Condado Tacos puts its own spin on Mexican favorites.

Start every meal with a trio of dips – think chorizo queso, street corn guacamole and pineapple salsa – and a side of housemade chips. Then, dig into signature tacos such as The Heater – not for the faint of heart, it’s stuffed with guacamole, queso blanco, tequila-lime steak, onion, jícama and cabbage slaw, pickled jalapeños, pepper jack cheese, Mexican chimichurri and cilantro-lime aïoli.

Vegan? The Dutch Dragon packs a punch with guacamole, roasted portabella mushrooms, tomatoes, jícama and cabbage slaw, pickled jalapeños, corn salsa and tomatillo salsa.

The Southwest Midwest featuring a hard corn shell wrapped in a soft flour tortilla, roasted chicken, black beans, lettuce, tomato, corn salsa, Southwest sauce and Cotija cheese will satisfy more than just your cravings, though. For every Southwest Midwest taco purchased, Condado Tacos will donate the equivalent of one meal to Feeding America, with one million meals a year guaranteed.

“Part of our mission is to make our local communities better places to live, work and play,” Hernandez says, “and our partnership with Feeding America allows us to have a greater impact on the fight against hunger on a national level.”

Don’t see exactly what you want on the menu? Condado Tacos is best known for its build-your-own bites. Create your ideal tacos, nachos or bowls with proteins such as braised beef brisket, slow-roasted pulled pork, Thai chile tofu or Korean barbecue pulled jackfruit – plus, toppings such as black beans, pickled red onions, smoked Cheddar or jícama and cabbage slaw. Finish off your concoctions with salsas and sauces ranging from cool and creamy to spicy and chunky.

“By giving people the option to build their own meals from the ground up, we put people at ease,” Hernandez says. “You can order a bowl with rice, beans, chicken and cheese, and there’s no judgement, but you also have the freedom to experiment. I encourage people to use the restaurant as their flavor lab – more often than not, you’ll discover that you like a lot more ingredients than you thought you did.”

If you can handle the heat, wash everything down with a craft cocktail such as the Handsome Devil with habanero-infused tequila, Ancho Reyes Verde chile liqueur, agave, lime and a Tajín rim. You can also order a flight of house margaritas to try different flavors such as blood orange, prickly pear, muddled jalapeño and white peach.

“Condado Tacos has curated approximately 140 varieties of tequila,” Hernandez says. “We’re shooting for the largest selection of tequila in St. Louis by the time we’re finished. Those can be enjoyed on their own, or we can convert them into your drink of choice.”

Stop by for happy hour, weekdays from 3 to 6 p.m. with the exception of game days, to enjoy a variety of drinks and a side of nachos for a discounted rate.

At Condado Tacos, the food and drinks set the stage for a memorable meal while the décor reinforces the ambience. Inside the large gathering space, psychedelic scenes brighten every surface, from the walls to the bar to the menus, and open garage doors lead onto the 110-person covered patio.

“Everyone – including me – finds it fascinating that the murals are hand-painted,” Hernandez says, “and I think the local artists did a wonderful job of representing the vibe of Condado Tacos as well as the history of St. Louis. Every time you come into the restaurant, I bet you’ll see something different in the designs.”

One of the most popular murals stresses that there’s “Enough Yum for Everyone,” and Condado Tacos customers from near and far can attest to that.