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TAQUERIA FELIZ
The vibe at Horsham’s Taqueria Feliz on a cool autumn
night was unmistakably festive. That is strictly by design.
You see, feliz is the Spanish word for “happy,”
and this is precisely the experience that co-owners
Brian Sirhal and Executive Chef Tim Spinner have
succeeded in creating ever since they opened Cantina Feliz in Fort
Washington five years ago. Since then, these two boyhood friends
and longtime restaurateurs have launched three more popular Mexican
restaurants — La Calaca Feliz in the Fairmount section of
Philadelphia, Taqueria Feliz in Manayunk and, since the beginning
of this year, Taqueria Feliz in Horsham.
All four restaurants are clearly built for fun. Just perusing the
playfully colorful murals, most of which are inspired by the Day of
the Dead, makes one smile. But the co-owners’ passion for Mexican
culture, most specifically, its underrated cuisine, is what fires the loyalty
they’ve generated with their loyal guests. While Cantina Feliz
offers Chef Spinner’s sometimes offbeat interpretations of traditional
Mexican cuisine, La Calaca Feliz is known for its upscale
reimagining of Mexican street food. Manayunk’s Taqueria Feliz is
an even funkier rendering of modern Mexican street food, where
Tacos de Chapulines (or crispy grasshopper tacos) still amaze local
palates.
Spinner and Sirhal have gained valuable experience working
closely with Philly’s great cosmopolitan restaurateurs—Spinner, at
Stephen Starr’s El Vez and at José Garces’ Amada, and both, at
Garces’ Distrito, where they felt emboldened enough to open their
own Mexican (Cantina Feliz).
But Horsham’s Taqueria Feliz is no carbon copy of its Manayunk
sister. With able assistance from Executive Chef Michael
Brenfleck, a three-year veteran of La Calaca Feliz, the partners put
their heads together to develop some “similar flavors,” as Sirhal calls
it, like coconut-crusted Coco Loco Shrimp with sriracha aioli, and
Brisket Enchiladas. But there are some brand-new offerings at the
Horsham location, such as Crab Enchiladas, filled with lentils,
tomato and crema in a chipotle cream sauce, and Mexican Pizzas.
These extremely thin-crusted pizzas, made with corn masa (or
dough), are quite original. While the Chicharrón is topped with
crispy chicken skins, braised kale, and smoked mozzarella, topped
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