By Matthieu T. Vollmer

Contributor

MARSHFIELD—Taqueria El Sol Mexican restaurant opened in May 2014 on Central Avenue, bringing authentic Hispanic cuisine to the greater Marshfield area.

The owner of the establishment, Humberto Cano, Jr., said that they initially opened only the supermarket, but customers wanted more.

“We opened Supermarket La Central in May 2012. At the time we were selling tamales and things like that. People kept asking us why we didn’t just open up a restaurant. So eventually we did,” Cano said.

Cano said the Spanish-to-English translation of “taqueria” is “a place where tacos are sold,” and “sol” translates to “sun.” The restaurant’s décor includes a variety of bright colors, including sturdy wooden chairs with suns engraved on their back rests.

Cano was born in Chicago. He moved to Mexico when he was 2-years-old and returned to Chicago at the age of 12 where he attended school and studied accounting in college, after which he managed the general accounting for a local small business.

“When we moved to Marshfield we noticed that there were not enough Hispanic products here. So we brought all of the authentic products like corn tortillas and tamales from Chicago to Marshfield,” Cano said.

Cano also brought his head chef with him, who has over 20 years of experience in cooking authentic Mexican cuisine. Cano explained that their specialty is marinated pork or steak, known as al pastor, which is a very traditional dish that most other Mexican restaurants don’t serve.

In addition to al pastor, Taqueria El Sol serves chorizo, which is Mexican sausage, lengua, which is tongue, and tripitas, which is beef intestine, all of which are very traditional and authentic Mexican dishes.

Colleen Johnson, a first-time customer and Marshfield resident of over 20 years said, “Lunch was very good. I had the chorizo with a soft shell. They had very authentic tortillas, great salsa, and good service. It was clean on the inside and attractive. We enjoyed the atmosphere, and we would come back again.”

Each meal is freshly made from scratch, including the salsa. Cano mentioned that best-selling dishes include chimichangas, burritos, and al pastor tacos.

“The salsa was very good. It was just the right amount of zing,” said first-time customer and Marshfield resident John Thornton.

Since opening Cano has been impressed by how supportive the community has been. Taqueria El Sol joined the Marshfield Chamber of Commerce prior to opening.

“I am surprised by the response from the community. Everyone is friendly and giving great suggestions. They want us to stay, which is very nice to hear,” Cano said.

La Central, the supermarket on the East side of the building, carries a variety of Mexican beer and soda including Dos Equis, Modelo, Pacifico, and Jarritos. Other products include tortillas and tamales.

In addition, the market offers fresh herbs and spices including laurel, canela, chile mulato, and banana leaves. Authentic piñatas available for purchase line the edges of the ceiling in the supermarket where they also carry fresh produce and some meats.

Supermarket La Central is an authorized agent for i-transfer. For $1.50 per transaction, locals can perform money wire transfers or pay bills in Mexico from Marshfield.

Supermarket La Central and Taqueria El Sol are located at 1705 S. Central Ave. in Marshfield. The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. Monday through Sunday. The Supermarket is open from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. on Sundays. For more information call 715-384-6811 or search “Taqueria El Sol” on Facebook. Cash or credit cards are accepted. Take out and catering is also available.