Cleveland Taco Guide: Hola Tacos' Juan Vergara Is Creating A Memorable Taco Experience

Juan Vergara doesn’t consider himself a chef. As a restaurateur and owner of local spots Barroco Arepa Bar and Hola Tacos, Vergara often thinks of himself as a connoisseur of great cooking and dining experiences. Originally from Cali, Colombia, Vergara moved to Cleveland in 1999 with the pursuit to live and succeed in the American Dream.  “We came to this country with nothing. The thing you always want to do is take advantage of what this country can provide,” Vergara says. “You want to show people something different, something that says this is [me].”

Working his way up in numerous kitchens from the age of 14, he gained tips and knowledge from various chefs and owners, learning unique ways to incorporate his own personal flavors into Latin American cuisines and dishes.  In 2019, eight years after opening Barroco, Vergara decided to combine the flavors most familiar to his upbringing in the Latin- and Los Angeles-inspired restaurant Hola Tacos, which features the wildly popular beef birria tacos. Dotting the menu are dishes such as the garlic and smoky chipotle chicken tinga tacos and the sweet, tangy marinated pork of al pastor tacos, both of which are simmered in chiles, spices and full of zesty rhythms.

With his small taco menu and vibrant, colorful and bold branding across each restaurant, Vergara knows exactly why customers are always hungry for more. That insight comes from observing customers’ interactions during their meals — the most important lesson Vergara says he learned during his years in the kitchen. A customer should feel a certain sense after every meal: full, enthused and delighted by the idea of trying something new. “In Spanish, there’s this saying that you eat with your eyes,” Vergara says. “Ultimately it’s about an experience — getting the customer to be blown away about tasting a dish that’s unknown to them.”

Click here to order up 30 of Cleveland’s best tacos. Plus, meet the Northeast Ohio restauranteurs mastering Cleveland’s new favorite dish.