Las Olas Taqueria
With locations in Hampton, Exeter, and Wells, Maine, Las Olas Taqueria (356 Lafayette Road, Hampton, 967-4880; 30 Portsmouth Ave., Exeter, 418-8901; 1517 Post Road, Wells, Maine, 207-216-9711; lasolastaqueria.com) brings the bold, fresh flavors of West Coast-inspired Mexican cuisine to the Seacoast. The original location opened in Exeter, born from co-owner and founder Matt Burke’s craving for the kind of quick, fresh burritos he fell in love with while living out West. After returning home and realizing nothing like it existed locally, Burke set out to recreate that experience — launching Las Olas, which means “the waves” in Spanish, as a casual, made-from-scratch taqueria focused on quality, speed, and affordability. A second location would soon open in Hampton, followed by a third in Wells a few years later. While the menu has evolved significantly since Las Olas’ original opening, the core mission remains the same: to serve fresh, scratch-made, fully customizable meals at a great value. Today, Las Olas features six main menu “vehicles” — burritos, tacos, bowls, salads, nachos, and quesadillas — all designed to be built your way. Most recently, the team completed a months-long recipe revamp of their salad offerings, refining flavor and quality across the board. The Scene recently caught up with Ken Wehry, a longtime Las Olas team member and now the director of operations for all three locations, to chat about how the concept has grown, what keeps customers coming back, and which dishes he thinks first-timers should try.
How long has Las Olas Taqueria been around?
The first location was in Exeter, in 2008. … Hampton, I believe, we opened in 2010, and then Wells came four years later, in 2014.
What makes Las Olas Taqueria unique?
Las Olas’ focus truly is on providing affordable, healthy food — that’s been the basis from the beginning. … I think our uniqueness is probably still being able to provide the quality food that we have at the price point that we have it at.
What is your favorite thing on your own menu?
It’s tough, but ultimately, I would have to say that my favorite is probably the burrito as the base. … As far as the type, it would be our chorizo, which is a local chorizo from Kellie Brook Farm in Greenland. It’s my favorite chorizo, period. … It’s a ground chorizo, mildly spiced, and I’ll usually have my burrito loaded with everything I possibly can.
What is something that everyone should try?
Our signature quesadilla. It’s a little bit outside the box when it comes to quesadillas in general. … Ours is almost like a quesadilla bowl, so you get this awesome crispy, cheesy tortilla as the base that we put into a bowl and top with rice, beans, your choice of protein or veggies and then all of the fixings such as salsa and sour cream.
Name a celebrity you would like to see eating at Las Olas Taqueria.
If I could think of one person, I would have loved to have had Anthony Bourdain come in. … I don’t think he’ll ever die in spirit — he is just a huge piece of the world’s culinary history.
What’s one essential skill needed to successfully run a restaurant?
I think that the customer service aspect needs to be the biggest piece of the puzzle when it comes to your operation. … You really have to be engaged with your customers, be understanding, be empathetic and be kind. … Those are the best building blocks for any healthy, successful restaurant or hospitality business.
What is your favorite thing about being on the Seacoast?
I’ve traveled quite a bit, not just around New England, but also around the United States, and the Seacoast offers something unique that I believe no other area offers. … The Seacoast area is stunning, and the food scene is just incredible, all the way from Massachusetts to Portland, Maine. … We have incredible restaurants and small businesses here. It’s an awesome melting pot.
— Matt Ingersoll
Featured Photo: Courtesy Photo.
