Let me get this out front; I’m a sucker for Mexican food.  Whether its street meat from a truck, or the adaptive re-use of a former fast food restaurant, I’m all in!  Imagine my delight when my fellow curator, Christopher Gentile and I happened upon Taqueria Los Primos on a recent trip on Route 1 (Washington Boulevard) in Laurel, Maryland.

It’s always a good sign when you walk into a Mexican place & most people are speaking Spanish.  Los Primos is one of those places.  It was filled with working people taking time out for lunch, families with kids on a special excursion, and travelers like us.  Good people watching.

Traditional, Authentic Offerings

The menu is extensive.  Picaditas, chilaquiles, gorditas, enchiladas, gringas, barbacoa, sopas, flautas, just an amazing assortment of great traditional dishes from which you can choose.  In case you want to go into caloric overdrive, there’s an extensive selection of Mexican sodas, too.  As a diabetic from Philly, I stick with “wudder”, coffee or unsweetened tea!

We ordered at the counter and they gave us a number on a metal holder to take to our table.  After a short wait, our lunch was ready and it was brought out of the kitchen to us.  Service with a smile, nothing gruff – even for us English speakers.  I ended up with Quesabirria al pastor, which was sensational.  It’s not something I’m used to seeing on the menu at my usual Mexican haunts.  Delicious through and through, with plenty of heat.

New Jersey Christopher chose asada quesadillas.  He hardly spoke to me until they were gone.  I was okay with that.  We still had a drive ahead of us before we got to DC where we rambled around the Mall and spent the night on Capitol Hill. We could talk when we got back on the road.  Mostly it was a lot of “Mmmmm” and head nodding until our meals were a fond memory.

More Los Primos Options on Route One

The Los Primos empire consists of three restaurants (Hyattsville, MD + Walkersville, MD) and six food trucks, half of which are also on Route 1.  The Laurel location has convenient free parking out front, but mind the traffic turning in – it is a busy part of the route.

If you crave Mexican food as much as I do, I hope you’ll take the opportunity to visit them sometime soon.

Online orders: www.order.store/store/taqueria-los-primos-laurel/7oJFpoNlQb-pR1uiwHKbXg

Instagram: www.instagram.com/taquerialosprimosmd/?hl=en