Jose Garces Taco Shop, Buena Onda, Expanding to Center City

Jose Garces thinks its time to expand his fast-casual fish taqueria, Buena Onda, and 1735 Chestnut Street is the spot he chose to do so.

"Buena Onda", Spanish slang for "good vibes" was Garces's first contribution to Philly's fast-casual scene. He opened up shop in March 2015 on the ground floor of The Granary building, alongside Marc Vetri's fast-casual operation Pizzeria Vetri (Vetri has since grown the concept to a second location in Rittenhouse, plus two more in D.C. and Austin, Texas).

The general concept of the shop is simple: $3.50 environmentally-conscious seafood tacos (on top of composting, Garces partnered up with Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program, ensuring sustainable sourcing no matter how many Buena Ondas pop up in the future), and free Yards beer while you wait for them. Then-Philly Mag critic Trey Popp awarded it two stars