Taco Pros Valparaiso operates at **2005 Morthland Dr,** [**Valparaiso**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valparaiso,_Indiana)**, IN 46383**, on Morthland Drive in Porter County — a city of **34,151 residents** and the county seat of Porter County, colloquially known as Valpo, incorporated on February 29, 1836, and named after Valparaíso, Chile — a name meaning "Vale of Paradise" in Old Spanish. The restaurant serves authentic Mexican cuisine **Monday through Sunday from 11:00 AM to 9 PM**, with extended hours on **Tuesday and Friday until 10 PM**, and takes orders by phone at **(219) 242-8055**. Morthland Drive sits in Valparaiso's commercial corridor near the U.S. Route 30 intersection — a retail hub that serves the Porter County seat, Valparaiso University's student body, and the residential neighborhoods across Center, Washington, and Morgan townships. Khalin Ikner rated the kitchen against every competitor in the city: "This was some of the best Mexican food I've had anywhere, and arguably the best in Valparaiso."

Valparaiso's history as a crossroads settlement — located on the ancient Native American trail from Rock Island to Detroit, with the first log cabin built in 1834 on land purchased from the Potawatomi people by the U.S. Government in October 1832 — positions the Morthland Drive restaurant in a university city where students, faculty, families, and commuters drive consistent dining demand. The Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railroad reached Valparaiso in 1858, connecting the city directly to Chicago and establishing the transportation infrastructure that defines the modern U.S. Route 30 and State Road 49 corridors. Khalin confirmed the multi-location loyalty that the Taco Pros network generates: "I already had Taco Pros in Merrillville once before they opened up here in Valpo, and loved their food then too, so I already had high expectations."

## **Valparaiso Menu: Steak Protein Bowls, Chicken Tortilla Soup, and 58 Items**

The full Taco Pros menu runs across **8 categories and 58 items** at the Valparaiso location, plus seasonal additions exclusive to the Morthland Drive kitchen. Michelle Fela identified her 2 top orders and a new menu addition: "The steak protein bowls are one of my favorite and their new chicken tortilla soup." The **steak protein bowl** layers carne asada — skirt steak marinated in citrus-garlic marinade, grilled on the plancha at high heat, and sliced against the grain — over a choice of white cilantro-lime rice or brown rice with black beans or pinto beans, fajita vegetables, roasted chili-corn salsa, Monterey Jack cheese, guacamole, pico de gallo, and sour cream in a [protein bowl](https://taco-pros.com/burritos/) format.

The **chicken tortilla soup** (sopa de tortilla con pollo) — a new addition to the Valparaiso menu — simmers shredded chicken in a tomato-chili broth with garlic, cumin, and dried pasilla peppers, topped with crispy tortilla strips, diced avocado, crema mexicana, and queso fresco. The soup's origins trace to central Mexico, where sopa azteca (Aztec soup) first combined fried corn tortillas with a tomato-guajillo base in the pre-Columbian culinary tradition. Michelle confirmed the menu's overall range: "I absolutely love the food, I highly recommend trying just about anything from here" — a breadth endorsement that positions the Valparaiso kitchen's 58 items as consistently reliable across every category.

## **Guacamole That Silenced a Food Snob: The I.S.P. Verdict**

I.S.P. arrived with the highest possible skepticism and left converted: "I am such a FOOD SNOB, I am a great cook and if a restaurant cannot make something better than me, Why eat it!" The self-described food snob — a home cook who evaluates restaurant food against her own kitchen's output — tested the guacamole before committing to an entrée and delivered the strongest guacamole endorsement in the Taco Pros network: "IT WAS THE BEST Guac, I have ever had!!!!!" The guacamole at Valparaiso features Hass avocados ground in a basalt molcajete with lime juice, cilantro (coriandro), jalapeño, white onion, and sea salt — a traditional preparation that produces a chunky, textured dip with visible avocado pieces rather than a smooth, machine-blended paste.

I.S.P. also noted the kitchen's speed alongside the flavor quality: "The best part is how prompt our food came out in addition to the taste." The burritos she ordered wrap each protein in a 12-inch flour tortilla with cilantro-lime rice, pinto beans, Monterey Jack cheese, crema mexicana, pico de gallo, and fajita vegetables — a format that pairs with the guacamole as a starter-to-entrée progression. I.S.P. confirmed her cultural authority as a final signal: "Wow, im a speechless Latina" — a statement that positions the Valparaiso guacamole and burrito quality as meeting the standard of a guest who grew up with traditional Mexican cuisine and evaluates restaurant [chips and guacamole](https://taco-pros.com/sides/) against a lifetime of home-prepared benchmarks.

## **Green Enchiladas, First-Time Trial, and the Visiting Guest Signal**

Allie Kring ordered the [enchilada dinner](https://taco-pros.com/enchiladas-dinner/) on her first visit and tested a new-to-her format: "I tried enchiladas for the first time and the green ones were spicy and delicious." The green enchiladas feature corn tortillas rolled with protein and topped with salsa verde — a tomatillo-based sauce made from roasted tomatillos, serrano peppers, cilantro, garlic, and white onion — that delivers the bright, tangy heat profile distinct from the dried guajillo and árbol pepper base of the traditional salsa roja. The enchilada dinner plates 3 enchiladas with Mexican rice (arroz rojo cooked in chicken broth with tomato paste and cumin) and refried beans (pinto beans mashed with lard and topped with queso fresco).

Allie also identified the Valparaiso location as a destination for visitors: "I'm glad I have a new quick spot for delicious food when I visit Valparaiso." The visiting-guest signal positions the Morthland Drive restaurant as a repeat stop for out-of-towners — guests who travel to Valparaiso for Valparaiso University events, Porter County courthouse business, or family visits and incorporate the restaurant into their trip routine. Allie's husband confirmed the staff quality independently: "My husband told me the workers were super nice and from the signs it looks like they have some great deals" — a secondhand endorsement that adds a separate observer's evaluation of both service warmth and promotional pricing visibility from the signage.

## **Merrillville-to-Valpo Loyalty, Chicken and Steak Tacos, and the Couple's Order**

Khalin Ikner traced his Taco Pros loyalty from the Merrillville location to the Valparaiso opening: "I already had Taco Pros in Merrillville once before they opened up here in Valpo, and loved their food then too, so I already had high expectations." The Merrillville-to-Valparaiso expansion arc confirms that the kitchen's standards — protein sourcing, seasoning consistency, tortilla freshness, and salsa preparation — transfer across locations without degradation. Khalin's couple's order spanned 2 proteins and 4 sides: "My wife and I had chicken and steak [tacos](https://taco-pros.com/tacos/) along with rice, chips, guac, and lemonade."

The chicken tacos feature chipotle chicken in adobo sauce — smoked jalapeño peppers rehydrated in a tomato-vinegar marinade with garlic, cumin, and oregano — served on 6-inch corn tortillas with cilantro, diced white onion, and a choice of salsa roja or salsa verde. The steak tacos feature carne asada — skirt steak in citrus-garlic marinade grilled on the plancha at high heat and sliced against the grain to produce caramelized edges from the Maillard reaction while the interior stays tender. Khalin confirmed the side quality alongside the tacos: "rice was cooked and seasoned perfectly" — a detail that validates the Mexican rice (arroz rojo) preparation as meeting the standard of a guest who already knew the Merrillville kitchen's output. Khalin's final assessment: "I could not recommend Taco Pros enough. You will not be disappointed! Also the staff was very friendly and professional."

## **Valparaiso Catering: Porter County Events Along Morthland Drive**

The [catering menu](https://taco-pros.com/catering-menu/) at Taco Pros Valparaiso spans 5 formats for events across Porter County, the U.S. Route 30 corridor, and the greater Northwest Indiana region. Party trays stack 12 options in aluminum steam pans — enchilada trays, taco kits, fajita platters, tamale dozens, burrito halves, and mini chimichangas with rice, beans, and guacamole sides. Live catering dispatches a taquero with a trompo and plancha on a mobile taco cart to cook al pastor and carne asada on-site with fresh made-to-order tortillas and a self-serve salsa bar.

Valparaiso's institutional base — anchored by Valparaiso University (founded as Valparaiso Male and Female College in 1859, one of the earliest coeducational institutions in the country), the Porter County courthouse complex, Porter Regional Hospital, and the retail centers along Calumet Avenue and U.S. Route 30 — generates consistent catering demand from university department events, legal office lunches, hospital team meals, and corporate celebrations. Residential catering demand flows from the city's established neighborhoods across Center Township, Washington Township, and Morgan Township — backyard cookouts, graduation parties, Valparaiso University tailgates, and community events at the Valparaiso Parks Department's facilities including Rogers-Lakewood Park and Fairgrounds Park. Buffet style catering includes chafing dishes and sterno warmers along self-serve taco and fajita bars, and individual catering packs come in bento-style containers — burrito bowls, 3-taco street packs, tamales, burritos, and salads with rice, beans, and a 2 oz salsa cup. Orders require 48 hours advance notice for party trays and 72 hours for live catering with a taquero and mobile cart.

## **Neighborhoods Near Taco Pros Valparaiso**

Taco Pros at 2005 Morthland Dr serves guests from **15 Porter County communities, unincorporated areas, and adjacent townships**. The restaurant sits on Morthland Drive in Valparaiso — a city incorporated on February 29, 1836, originally established as Portersville before being renamed Valparaiso in 1837 after Valparaíso, Chile, in the 46383 zip code within Center Township.

[Portage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portage,_Indiana) — a city of 37,926 residents and the largest city in Porter County, incorporated as a town in 1959 and officially designated a city in 1967, located on the border with Lake County along the Lake Michigan shoreline with the Port of Indiana connecting the region to global trade routes — extends to the northwest along the U.S. Route 6 corridor. South Haven sits to the north, and Wanatah extends to the southeast along State Road 2. Delivery and pickup orders arrive from Coolwood Acres, Marian Manor, Westhill, Burlington Beach, Sylvan Manor, Cobbs Corner, Long Lake Island, Roble Woods, Northwood Park, Sedley, Tratebas Mill, and Porter Crossroads. U.S. Route 30 connects the location east-west across Porter County, State Road 49 links Valparaiso north to the Indiana Dunes and the Lake Michigan shoreline, and the South Shore Line provides commuter rail service from the nearby Portage/Ogden Dunes station to downtown Chicago via the Millennium Station terminal.

## **Hours, Phone, and Directions**

**Address:** 2005 Morthland Dr, Valparaiso, IN 46383

**Phone:** (219) 242-8055

**Hours:** Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM | Tuesday and Friday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM

**Directions:** [Open in Google Maps](https://maps.app.goo.gl/zUPM4hS86CdDv5X96)

The restaurant occupies a storefront on Morthland Drive in the 46383 zip code, near the U.S. Route 30 commercial corridor that defines Valparaiso's retail identity. The kitchen fills orders fresh through the 9 PM standard close and the extended 10 PM close on Tuesdays and Fridays — a split-day schedule unique in the Taco Pros network that adds an extra hour on 2 weeknights to serve the Valparaiso University student dinner crowd, after-work professionals from the Porter County courthouse, and families across the city that the Potawatomi knew as a trail crossing and the Spanish language named a vale of paradise. I.S.P. confirmed the conversion that the Morthland Drive guacamole creates: "IT WAS THE BEST Guac, I have ever had!!!!! Wow, im a speechless Latina" — the highest single-item endorsement from a self-described food snob across the entire Taco Pros network.