Unfortunately, life’s tragedies can strike without warning, and about 10 years ago Maribel found herself without a home, food, and no means to provide for her family. It was her motherly instinct, resilience, and determination that then pushed her to turn to what she knew best – to cook.

With her own mother’s vast knowledge of authentic Poblana recipes, Maribel sought out opportunities to cook and sell food as a source of income to sustain her three children and their grandmother. When an opportunity presented itself to start up a taqueria inside of a local gas station, Maribel continued to work with even more conviction.

When she wasn’t cooking, collecting recipes, or sourcing authentic Poblana-based ingredients, Maribel was designing her Taqueria. In the evenings, her children would join her in collecting scrap pallets of wood to then dismantle and re-configure as decor for her kitchen. After two years of cooking and saving, Maribel’s dream came to fruition and she opened Taqueria Poblana in 2017, bringing Bryan, Texas an authentic taste of Puebla, Mexico.

Despite leaving the comforts of home and venturing into the unknown, Maribel and her mother persevered. Maribel told us, "Just because we come from another country doesn’t mean we are just immigrants. Just because we are women doesn’t mean we need to be low. We want to rise."

Today, just a few short years after opening, Taqueria Poblana continues to serve traditional Poblana food for the hundreds of hungry patrons that enter their humble establishment each day. Their hard work has paid off, with Taqueria Poblana even being recognized in Texas Monthly's "Tacopedia" as the definitive example of tacos al pastor in the state.

As the matriarch of their family, Maribel’s mother speaks on the generations of flavors that have been passed down from her own grandmother’s mother and the importance of sourcing traditional ingredients for each of their dishes. While some may see a taco or enchilada as just meat and cheese, real Poblana food includes so much more. Fresh radishes, cream, avocado, cheese, hand-crafted sauces with ancient spices, and roasted meats are packed into each bite. Refreshing aguas frescas are served daily with innovative additions like alpha sprouts, cucumbers, chia seeds, and more. As seasons pass, Taqueria Poblana adapts their menu and offers homemade tamales, chiles en nogada, and cemitas.