Taco time: Popular Columbia Mexican restaurant eyes second location in the Midlands

A beloved Columbia Mexican restaurant seems to be setting its sights on an additional location.

Tacos Nayarit Mexican Grill, which currently has a restaurant at 1531 Percival Road in Columbia, recently teased on social media that it is eyeing Irmo for another location.

“Second location? Swipe (right) to see where,” the restaurant posted on Instagram on Aug. 19. The next slide showed officials from Tacos Nayarit signing real estate paperwork for 1720 Lake Murray Blvd. That’s about a mile-and-a-half east of Lake Murray and the Dreher Shoals Dam, and about a mile west of the Kroger at St. Andrews Road.

The post does not indicate when a new Tacos Nayarit might open at that location.

Tacos Nayarit is consistently considered one of the top Mexican restaurants in Columbia and draws crowds to its colorfully decorated spot on Percival Road that features indoor and outdoor dining. It’s known for its savory menu that includes traditional tacos, birria tacos, torta sandwiches, quesadillas, tostadas and much more.