Smoked Meat Taqueria Is the Lunch Through Late Night Restaurant Lyn/Lake Deserves

Alejandro Castillon has scooped up the former Hasty Tasty locale to open Prieto this summer. Taking full advantage of the massive smoker installed within the building on the corner of Lyndale Avenue and West Lake Street, the chef and experience restauranteur can smoke whole animals over wood fire for succulent tortilla stuffers utilizing every part of the beasts.

Prieto is Castillon’s mother’s last name. As such, dinner dishes will likely have a bit of Sonoran influence. In addition to the smoke meats, the flour and corn tortillas will be made on site by a couple, originally from Puebla, Mexico, who live an apartment above the restaurant. Prieto will be open for lunch, dinner, late nights, and weekend brunch.

A familiar face in many kitchens around town, Castillon was on the opening kitchen team at Isaac Becker’s Bar La Grassa, He also opened the original downtown Barrio before branching out to open the fast-casual restaurant that’s now located on East Lake Street.

Castillon first opened Sonora Grill as a taco stand that became a full restaurant with chef Conrado Paredes in 2011. Near the end of last year, Castillon sold his stake in the business. This opportunity presented itself soon afterwards.

Along with his considerable experience, the chef is pulling in some help from his local chef friends who are now running their own, very successful restaurants. They’ve consulted on legal matters, remodeling advice, and one mega-watt bartender will likely be creating a cocktail list for Prieto’s full bar. The restaurant will also likely sell empanadas from nearby Boludo, that restaurant’s owner Facundo De Fraia is also a friend.

Prieto is currently undergoing very light renovations - mostly painting and awkaward taxidermy removal. The bones of the restaurant are solid, Hasty Tasty was only open at the address for less than a year. Behind the bar, with 24 taps for beer, will be Spanish tile. A back room will get a honky tonk-taqueria makeover.

By the time summer is in full swing, Prieto’s 25 patio seats will be set out and a rollback door near the back of the door will open to bring the outside in.

Expect Prieto to begin serving by mid-June.

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