El Taco restaurant, founded by two Penn alumni, opens second location on Spruce Street

The restaurant El Taco, founded by two Wharton School graduates, opened its second location at 3716 Spruce Street on Penn's campus on March 9.

The restaurant was founded by 2000 College and Wharton graduate Alvaro Luna, his wife, Edna Luna, and their friend, 2000 Wharton graduate Brett Weinheimer. It is open Monday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

El Taco serves Mexican-inspired dishes, including crispy tacos, quesadillas, and burrito bowls. It is also well known for its homemade guacamole and salsas, according to Shop Penn. The restaurant also hosts weekly Taco Tuesday deals, promotions for first responders and college students, and fundraiser programs.

“The entire El Taco team couldn’t be more excited about the reality of bringing [Edna Luna's] amazing Mexican-inspired fare to the heart of Penn’s campus, on the same block as [Alvaro Luna] and I walked as Penn freshmen 25 years ago,” Weinheimer told Shop Penn in November 2021.

El Taco has been operating at its first location on Drexel University's campus since February 2018.

College first year Kaitlin Kramer said that she enjoyed her experience when she ate at the restaurant.

“The food was really good, and it was a fun, casual environment," Kramer said.

El Taco is one of the newest restaurants to join Shop Penn, Penn’s retail district. 

“Penn strives to bring a unique mix of dining options to the campus and surrounding neighborhood,” Ed Datz, Penn’s executive director of real estate, told Shop Penn. “El Taco is a popular locally owned staple here in University City, and we are excited that they have picked a location in the Shop Penn district for their next venture.”

Four more restaurants — Dig Inn, Raising Cane’s, Five Guys, and Amma’s South Indian Cuisine — are set to open new locations near Penn’s campus in the coming months.