World Taco Factory opens in Garden City Park
World Taco Factory in Garden City Park is sleek, modern and edgy, with seating for 87 customers. Credit: Newsday/Melissa Azofeifa
Garden City Park just got an injection of culture with the opening of World Taco Factory.
Co-owner Jay Thawani Ahmed’s newest restaurant, whichopened April 5 on Jericho Turnpike, was inspired by his travels to places such as Thailand, China, India, Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Spain.
"I met my wife 24 years ago when I was in school and we went all around the world and just traveled," he said. "We embraced the cultures of the world, flavors of the world, people of the world."
Thawani Ahmed hired Eddie Fahmy from A2Z Restaurant Consulting as a consultant to bring this restaurant to life. The decor is sleek, modern and edgy with bold red and black colors splashed across the spacious facility, which has seating for 87 patrons.
There is also space for outdoor seating for customers to enjoy as the weather heats up. One wall is dotted with visa stamps from various countries while another wall has a giant mural of the Catrina, the iconic figure associated with the Mexican celebration of the day of the dead, or Dia de los Muertos.
The stylish bar top also nods to travel, with stamps of different countries such as Colombia and Lebanon. The tables where diners sit are branded with quotes about food and travel from influential chefs and writers such as José Andrés, Guy Fieri, Winona LaDuke and Louise Fresco.
The menu also nods to different global cultures and cuisines. Think the cauliflower taco ($5.50) inspired by Turkish cuisine, made with chickpea hummus, toasted pistachio, chimichurri and pomegranate seed, or the butter-poached lobster taco ($8.50) inspired by U.S. cuisine, or the chicken al pastor taco ($4.95) inspired by Mexican cuisine.
The chicken al pastor is a must try, made on a rotating trompo, which gives it an authentic and juicy flavor along with the pineapple salsa and lime crema. The restaurant's signature cocktails include the WTF Sangarita ($14), which is a classic margarita with a red sangria float. The eatery also has red wines and chilled wines, as well as bottled beers and hard seltzers. The non-alcoholic drink list includes Jarritos ($5.50) and canned sodas ($5.50)
World Taco Factory’s menu will also have a weekly taco feature, such as one fusing Indian and Mexican cuisine to make a fried paneer taco. Paneer is an Indian cheese made from cow, buffalo or goat milk, and lemon juice, vinegar or citric acid.
Thawani Ahmed worked in the dining industry more than two decades — including at Syosset’s Rare 650 (named Sagamore at the time), Prime in Huntington and Melville’s Blackstone — when he left in 2020 to take care of an ill family member and be more present with his growing, young family. This restaurant, which took him two years to create in a former storage space, is his first foray back into the industry.
"We thought about it for a long, long time," Thawani Ahmed said. "We wanted to create something that was high energy [and] fun."
World Taco Factory, 2481 Jericho Tpke., Garden City Park, 516-444-4983, theworldtacofactory.com, Open 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday, Bar open 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday to Saturday, 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays.
Melissa Azofeifa is a restaurants reporter with Newsday's FeedMe team. Having grown up on Long Island, she loves talking about food and its impact on culture. A graduate of Stony Brook University, she joined Newsday in the fall of 2024.
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