Don Juanz Baja Beach Tacos, a Louisiana-based restaurant known for its coastal Baja-style tacos and fresh-made Mexican dishes, is coming soon to the former Super Chix space at 2011 Kaliste Saloom Road in Lafayette, Louisiana, directly across from River Ranch.
Founded by Don O’Byrne in Bossier City, LA in 2006, the concept came from his time living in California during the 1980s. While there, he frequently traveled into Baja California, visiting places like Rosarito, Ensenada, and San Felipe, where fish tacos and tacos al carbón were well known. According to Don, one of those trips included meeting a taco vendor named Juan who showed him how to make fish tacos. This is where the inspiration behind Don Juanz was birthed.
Not going to lie, when I looked up the company and found their website listing only Northern Louisiana locations, I was like, how is this going to be perceived? But they seem to have a pretty legit come-up story.
Former Super Chix space in Lafayette, LA
The menu at Don Juanz features coastal Baja cuisine with an emphasis on fresh ingredients and made-to-order dishes. According to the company, its tortillas are made fresh for each order, its salsas are made from scratch daily, and the restaurants do not use microwaves. The menu also makes heavy use of seafood, including Gulf shrimp and yellowfin tuna.
Some of the restaurant’s signature options include the Baja Beach Fish Taco with seared yellowfin tuna, cabbage, cilantro, jack cheese, and creamy lime-cilantro dressing. Other options include Baja Shrimp Tacos, Baja Carnitas Tacos with grilled pineapple and honey-tequila chipotle sauce, Baja Calle street tacos with skirt steak, and El Dorado Tacos made with mahi-mahi and mango salsa.
Food images sourced at donjuanz.com
The menu also includes Baja bowls, quesadillas, nachos, salads, and several burritos, including the restaurant’s “Burrito In A Wet-Suit,” a Baja Grande burrito covered in either chipotle queso blanco or mole sauce. They also have desserts like the Baja Lime Pie and Baja Nana’s.
The menu also offers gluten-free or lighter options. In fact, a large portion of the Don Juanz menu can be prepared gluten-free, and the restaurant has also participated in Ochsner’s Eat Fit program with several menu items meeting the program’s nutritional criteria.
See their full menu here: https://donjuanz.com/menu/
The Lafayette location buildout plans include a full bar, custom booth seating, new wall sconces and pendant lighting, updated bathrooms, and resurfaced walls finished with a Spanish-drag stucco treatment.
Outside, the existing yellow patio covering will be removed and replaced with a new outdoor pergola, giving the patio a refreshed beachy vibe.
There are no announced opening dates for Don Juanz Baja Beach Tacos in Lafayette, LA—yet. Hopefully the buildout won’t take too long and they can open while it’s still hot outside. So maybe mid-December?
For more about Don Juanz Baja Beach Tacos, visit their website at https://donjuanz.com.
Food images sourced at donjuanz.com
