Taco Bay now open in downtown Laconia

LACONIA — The Old Soda Shoppe storefront downtown is vacant no more with the opening of Taco Bay on Monday, an Alton-based restaurant that’s expanded its imprint to the City on the Lakes.

Located at 30 Beacon St. E., Taco Bay, with its vibrant yellow and teal decor, is bright and welcoming with a large dining space and service counter. Red stools dot the room, and around the corner is a small bar boasting marquee lighting and a fun atmosphere.

For taco and margarita lovers, the restaurant is a welcome sight.

Menu items include tacos, quesadillas and burritos, including owner and chef Evan Vogel’s favorite: The buffalo chicken taco, complete with blackened pulled chicken, buffalo sauce, sour cream and topped with fried onions and scallions.

A pork belly taco is another featured menu item, and includes braised pork belly, cilantro, pickled radish and carrots, topped with a sweet soy sauce.

The Laconia menu will boast something the Alton location does not: nachos.

The menu is a large nod to traditional Mexican tacos, because they are “lighter and fresher,” Vogel said. The flavor inspiration? Vogel’s Texas roots and travels to Mexico, where he learned to love the freshness in each bite.

“Vacationing to Mexico a lot, I really like the traditional kind of tacos. They're just fresher, not as heavy. But the buffalo chicken taco, I eat one like every day,” Vogel said. “There's a lot of places like this, in Texas, that do fun tacos, and I wanted to bring it up here, see how it worked.”

The original Alton location is a seasonal hot-spot that operates via a takeout window and with outdoor seating. There is no dining room or bar, two items which Vogel brought with him to Laconia.

The new downtown location is jointly-owned by Vogel, Katherine Young and Christopher Riley. The three, along with dedicated local staff, were still preparing for Monday’s grand opening on Saturday.

The restaurant is currently hiring for a variety of positions, including cashiers, to join their team-focused environment, with an emphasis on onboarding local members.

Open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., the trio of owners is excited to join the Laconia community as a year-round foodie destination.

“It's got a downtown and some happenings, and I think it's really been blowing up the past few years,” Vogel said. “They're building a lot of new homes and complexes for, you know, condos and restaurants. I'm happy about it. I like that a lot of the places downtown are really community-based, because that's how I am in Alton.”

For more information, visit Taco Bay Laconia on Facebook or Instagram.

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Katlyn Proctor can be reached at katlyn@laconiadailysun.com or by calling 603-524-0150.