Taqueria & Tortilleria Lupita
Elias Pando Builds on Tradition To Bring Quality Tacos and Blue Corn Tortillas to OKC
What can I say about the tortilla that hasn’t already been said? It has defined Mexican cuisine throughout the centuries. It is the star of many favorite dishes in Mexican kitchens. Tortilla traditions and recipes are passed down through generations of food lovers. It doesn’t need reinvention; it just needs individuals who continue to be passionate and caring about the tortilla and its importance in our culture.
Continued life is given to quality tortillas by the people who keep with the traditions of generations past. Elias Pando, owner of Tortilleria Y Taqueria Lupita, is motivated by these traditions as he continues his journey of giving Oklahoma great tortillas. What started in the mid-1990s with one humble family has flourished into the brand and enterprise of today.
Elias’s Tortilla Girls team arrives around 1:00 a.m. to fire up the four tortilla machines, pumping out roughly 1,300 flour tortillas and 3,500 corn tortillas per hour. His latest project is the blue corn tortilla, first mentioned in a conversation with a good friend, Chris Castro. After overcoming his skepticism and testing out different ratios, Elias developed the perfectly balanced blue corn tortilla, marrying ideal texture, flavor, and appearance. Unsurprisingly, it’s gaining traction amongst restaurants, food trucks, and grocery stores.
Beyond his tortillas, delicious tacos, and growing catering service, Elias has multiple ideas in the works, from a Nopal tortilla, made with the eponymous prickly pear cactus, to a bar and larger restaurant near their current location.
If you find yourself in the area, be intentional with your spending and support people like Elias, someone who gives back to the community and will contribute to Oklahoma City’s culinary scene for years to come.
> Taqueria & Tortilleria Lupita; 2622 S Robinson Ave, Oklahoma City; (405) 232-2760; Lupita’s Blue Corn Tortillas can be found at La Feria Latina (both locations), Paseo Farmers Market, Super Mercado Morelos, and Urban Agrarian.
