Shen. Valley grad serves up taste of home at Dauphin farmers market
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL - Alvaro Mendez talks to the Sentinel about his taco stand at the Crossroads Market near Gratz on Feb. 2, 2024.
LYKENS TWP., Dauphin County – An Amish-owned farmers market in rural Dauphin County may not be the number one place someone would expect to find authentic Hispanic fare.
Though, every Friday at the Crossroads Market between Gratz and Berrysburg, Shenandoah Valley graduate Alvaro Mendez shares a taste of the home cooking he grew up with.
“It’s basically a dream come true,” Mendez, a 2017 graduate, told the Sentinel Friday. “I love cooking and I had some experience working [at a restaurant] in Frackville.”
He runs Mendez Tacos, selling tacos, quesadilla and fajita. His stand is the only ethnic food stand at the market, if not the Tri-Valley area. The stand opened in January of 2020 and is entering its fourth year.
Starting three months before pandemic lockdowns, he said, sounds tougher than it was.
“Food is something that will always be there. People will always be hungry,” Mendez said. “People are always down to try something new, something different, something new. it was a tough start, but now we’re more settled.”
“Our goal was to serve fresh and authentic food,” Mendez added. “I’m just trying to give people a little taste of what I grew up with.”
“We always grew up with the home cooking,” he continued. “The flavors of what a home meal is. Growing up in these parts, no one really knows about that kind of stuff.”
He said the stand is a family affair, with help at the stand from brother Jaime some weeks and help from the family in keeping him on track.
“I couldn’t do it without them. They always kept me in check, made sure the food stays fresh, the flavors stay authentic,” Mendez said. “People are very open minded to trying new things so that helps out a lot.”
Mendez said he’d bounced ideas off relatives when he was fine-tuning the flavors.
He said customer response has been overwhelmingly positive, selling out some weeks.
As for Shenandoah, he said he’d received positive support from former classmates and friends on social media.
Mendez also sources his tortilla and rice in the borough.
“Shendo will always have a special place in my heart,” he told the Sentinel.
The Crossroads market runs from 10am to 7pm every Friday off Route 25 just west of Gratz. It’s about an hour from Shenandoah.
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