Local food truck Taste is opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant at 801 Washington Blvd. in Pigtown. Taste, which is owned by Helen Markatos, focuses on smash burgers, jerk chicken tacos, and banana pudding.
Markatos is married to Domonic Carter, who owns tattoo shop Ripp’d Canvas at 783 Washington Blvd. Carter also owns 801 Washington Blvd. as it used to be a former location for Ripp’d Canvas before most recently being a barber shop.
Markatos and Carter are taking on a full renovation of the retail space to make it into a restaurant.
Markatos and Carter have been residents of Pigtown since 2015, and Markatos is excited to bring another restaurant to the neighborhood.
Taste is already a staple in the neighborhood as it does weekly stops at Pickett Brewing Company and Wico Street Beer Co. Markatos has also been featured on the show Plate It, Baltimore.
The menu at Taste will focus on smash burgers with a special blend of thinly-smashed beef, topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and the Taste smash sauce on a potato roll. Double and triple burgers will be available and there will be additional add-ons like bacon.
The jerk chicken tacos are marinated and topped white onion, sour cream, cilantro, hot sauce, and cheese.
Taste also offers salmon caesar wraps and chicken caesar wraps.
Markatos is Greek and wants to eventually add a Greek dinner item to the menu.
Markatos hopes to open Taste in a few months. The hours will likely be 12pm to 8pm.
The inside of Taste will have limited seating for about eight to 12 patrons. Markatos wants to eventually add outdoor seating.
