STORY & PHOTOS BY KRISTI WOODY

FEATURED IN VOL 7, ISSUE 2: Legacy

There are plenty of Mexican restaurants around Jackson, but one stands out among the crowd: Takos Borukas. This taco truck turned dine-in restaurant has built a loyal following in town with a personable owner and authentic menu.

Juan Zarate’s interest in food service began during his teenage years working at taco stands in Mexico. When he moved to the States as a young adult, he jumped right into working at a local Mexican restaurant and continued on that path until 2016, when he finally took the plunge into running his own business. During his time at other restaurants in Jackson, he dreamed of having his own restaurant and offering the authentic Mexican flavors that he remembered from childhood.

Without the funds to immediately open a restaurant, he tried opening a food truck, which presented the difficulty of finding a place to park. His luck changed when Wes Harris offered to let him park at his State Farm office and sell during the office’s closed hours. This partnership opened the door for Takos Borukas to begin building its loyal following of taco lovers.

Unfortunately, at the beginning of 2017, less than a year after opening, the Takos Borukas food truck was completely destroyed in an accident. Juan could have easily let this discourage him from running his business, but he rallied and got his business back up and running after about a month break. After a couple of years in the parking lot, Juan was finally ready to open his dine-in restaurant. He had some setbacks, but in June of 2019, he opened the doors in Millenium Plaza on Vann Drive, which just so happens to be the same strip where he parked his truck during those first years. As we all know, spring of 2020 dealt a major blow to restaurants all over the world, including Takos Borukas, with the pandemic. After an extended closure, they were able to open up for carry-out, then got back to dine-in soon after. They’ve been one of the lucky establishments to bounce back after a very tough year, and there’s no doubt that’s due to Juan’s determination and hard work!

Takos Borukas offers all the Mexican staples that are familiar, but with a few more unusual meat options, such as lingua and tripa. Juan is also passionate about making his food very flavorful, and you can absolutely tell a difference when you dine there. At the very basic level, even the rice and beans are bursting with flavor. Juan claims his rice is the best rice in town, and he is not lying!

While having dinner at Takos Borukas, you might see Juan running food out and chatting with customers with a smile on his face. It’s very clear that he loves what he does, and even his 9-year-old son picks up on that passion. He’s already told his dad he wants to join the family business when he
grows up.

KRISTI WOODY is a photographer and storyteller. She also works as the university photographer for Union University and owns her own wedding photography business, Woody & Pearl Photography. In her free time, Kristi enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter and rambunctious beagle, Rhett, Liliana and Chipper respectively. If you can't find Kristi in Jackson, you'll find her in her second favorite place: Disney World!

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