Alberto Martinez appreciates the opportunities of living in the United States. As owner of three locations of Bea Taco Town with his wife, Gricelda, they have brought authentic Mexican food to Pittsburgh.
“This is the country of opportunity,” says Alberto Martinez in the dining room of his newest restaurant on Banksville Road. “If you work hard and do the right things, people will see what you do and appreciate what you do.”
Martinez says they've been successful because they offer the real thing, with many recipes from their homeland.
Selections include tacos, burritos and enchiladas. The most popular items are enchiladas mineras, which are three grilled tortillas with guajillo pepper rolled with sausage and potatoes, topped with lettuce, sour cream, fresco cheese, avocado and half of a chicken breast marinated in Bea Taco Town's secret recipe, with rice and beans on the side for $15.
The OMG tacos are a favorite — corn tortilla and grilled arrachera (flank) steak or slow-cooked pork (pulled pork), sauteed nopales (cactus), pico de gallo, avocado and cilantro with beans on the side — two for $9, and three for $12. Mahi mahi baja tacos are grilled mahi mahi fish with rice, pico de gallo, lettuce, guacamole and aderezo chipotle mayonnaise with beans on the side for $9.50. Tacomigo are grilled rib-eye steak with nopales, guacamole, pico de gallo and cebollines (green onions) with charro beans on the side for $9.50 for two.
The alambres have steak, grilled chicken, sausage, poblano pepper and Oaxaca cheese, topped with guacamole, pico de gallo and cebollines — $8 for two and $11 for three.
They also offer vegetarian choices such as Dorado — deep-fried taquitos filled with mashed potatoes, topped with lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole, queso fresco, sour cream and your choice of rice or beans on the side — three for $7. For dessert, try the tasty tres leches cake.
The Green Tree couple opened their first restaurant in September 2014 and a second one in October 2015, both on Smithfield Street, Downtown. The Banksville location opened at the end of February.
The newest location has items the other two don't have, is open more days and hours and has lots of seating for dining in. They've decorated in bold orange and bright-green hues to create a lively atmosphere, which Mexico is known for, Martinez says. Customers can bring their own alcohol. There is no corkage fee.
“It has really been well-received here on Banksville Road,” says Martinez, a native of Mexico City who came to America in 1997 and worked in the restaurant business before opening his own. “We really like this area. There is a lot of traffic on Banksville Road.”
Gricelda Martinez's middle name is Beatrice, which was shortened to create the establishment's name.
“I really like meeting customers and talking to them,” says Gricelda, who is from Salvador and adds that style of cooking to some menu items. “I would tell someone who hasn't tried our food to give it a chance. We have items you can't get other places in Pittsburgh.”
Their adult children — son, Erick, and daughter, Maritza — are a big part of the daily operations of the business.
“In this business, the key is to give customers good food for a fair price, and they will come back,” Erick Martinez says. “We have lots of repeat customers. Everything is made fresh here, and it's authentic. People love that it's different. This is a lot of the food I grew up eating. People are open-minded when it comes to their stomachs. We value being in the U.S. We can have ideas and express them here.”
The newest Bea Taco Town is at 2957 Banksville Road, Pittsburgh. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays. Details: 412-344-1122 or beataqueria.com
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 412-320-7889or jharrop@tribweb.com.
