Short Order: Dos Sabores Taqueria and Mexican Grill
Owner Cesar Ramirez, a 29-year-old from Cholula, Mexico, proudly highlights the cuisine of Puebla, his native state, at Dos Sabores Taqueria and Mexican Grill. Launched originally as a food truck in 2018, the restaurant offers several specialties seldom seen on Mexican menus in the city.
Ramirez’s cemita sandwiches ($9–$12) feature a round, house-baked sesame seed roll stuffed with layers of veggies, dairy and protein. In his youth, cemitas were only accessible in nearby Puebla City, where the sandwich originated, Ramirez says. “It was amazing,” he says with a smile, reflecting on those early special indulgences.
Dos Sabores’ cemitas are of Olympic proportions. Inside, contrasting layers meld successfully; they include a thick smattering of refried beans, a slice of ham and a main protein such as breaded chicken or pork. Neatly cut avocado mingles with thinly sliced white onion, a slather of mayo and a hearty sprinkling of shredded Oaxacan cheese, or quesillo. With the first bite, papalo, a bold cilantro-like herb, shines through. Notes of heat in the form of smoky-sweet chipotle peppers are discernible. (Pickled jalapeños are also an option.)
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Memelas ($4–$5) are a regional take on Mexico City’s huarache, a dish popular across Mexico with a masa dough base. Ramirez’s memelas include a mound of toppings on a dense yet soft foundation best described as flatbread’s cousin.
While growing up, Ramirez’s family prepared memelas topped with beans, cheese and salsa. To meet his food truck customers’ regular requests, Ramirez, who often receives help at the restaurant from his brother, Miguel, started offering chicken, beef or pork on the dish in addition to beef tongue and campechana (aka Mexican seafood cocktail) for more adventurous eaters.
Ramirez keeps the rest of the small menu focused on well-executed dishes that can be made in-house daily, and it doesn’t disappoint. Served with diced onions and cilantro, the tacos ($2–$3) are small but mighty, especially fantastic with a squirt of the green or red salsa crafted onsite by Ramirez’s mother. The red version packs a punch; the green contains cooling notes of cilantro and lime.
The regional cuisine isn’t the only reason to visit Dos Sabores. During one weekend visit, nearly every table was full of patrons nursing ice-cold Modelos or large glasses of red-rimmed Micheladas, a dressed-up beer mixed with tomato juice, hot sauce and lime. Amid colorful décor, families gathered together, chatting happily over the murmur of soccer playing on televisions in the background.
6042 Huntley Rd., Worthington
614-781-0713
Dos Sabores Taqueria and Mexican Grill
