SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio — From tacos, burrito bowls, street corn, to frozen margaritas… Cilantro Taqueria has it all!
When we asked owner Octavio Hernandez what the fan-favorite is, he said that everything was "muy delicioso."
“That’s hard to say because everything is so good." Hernandez says. "To me, I love everything, but people try a lot of quesabirrias, people love the quesabirrias!”
For three years, Hernandez has been sharing his rich Mexican culture and heritage right here in Northeast Ohio.
He says his biggest inspiration to starting his restaurant is learning traditional dishes from his mother.
“When I was a little kid, she started letting me make my own food," he continued. "She said you have to make your own scrambled eggs or over-easy eggs, whatever you like."
Hernandez says his secret to making mouth-watering food is simple. It’s love.
”When you cook with love, everything is gonna taste much better all the time," says Hernandez.
When the pandemic hit, it threatened to close his business, but the support from the community has been so overwhelmingly positive that he kept going.
“That makes me feel so loved. It makes me feel like I’m in the town with my family.”
Cilantros has multiple locations in Northeast Ohio -- including Shaker Heights, North Olmsted and Lakewood with a special on margaritas and appetizers for Cinco de Mayo.
There are also vegan options for those who don’t eat meat.
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Editor's note: Video in the player above was originally published in an unrelated food story on April 7, 2023.