FoodLab will soon start cooking up diverse dishes in northwest Rochester

Jeff Kiger, Post-Bulletin, Rochester, Minn.
Updated ·2 min read

Sep. 18—ROCHESTER — FoodLab,

a spin-off of the

popular Taco Lab food trailer,

is gearing up to open its northwest Rochester restaurant in early October.

Owners Jorge Mosquera and Enedino "Nino" Morales have been working on the space at 1203 Seventh St. NW for months to prepare for the opening.

They posted on social media

this week that FoodLab will have a grand opening on Oct. 6, 2023, with some invitation-only soft opening events leading up to it. They expect to have six to eight employees staffing the restaurant, when it opens.

While they started out as Taco Lab, the pair are experimenting with the menu at FoodLab to go far beyond just tacos.

"FoodLab offers original New American gourmet food, at reasonable prices, in an upscale, family-friendly environment" is their description of the restaurant.

The menu posted on the FoodLab website lists a varied array of breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes as well as Happy Hour offerings.

The appetizers include items like kimchi nachos and seafood ceviche. For breakfast, FoodLab's offerings include crème brûlée French Toast and Oreo pancakes plus more substantial fare. The dinner menu features filet mignon risotto and bourbon chicken masala.

Of course, tacos and burritos are also on the menu in various forms.

Will the Taco Lab trailer still serve up its street tacos and Kung Fu Chicken after FoodLab opens?

"Taco Lab will absolutely continue to operate the food trailer seven days a week from 11 (a.m.) to midnight at the Roasted Bliss location on Civic Center Drive. We will also continue to operate our food truck at local and regional events and festivals," answered Mosquera.

The opening of the FoodLab restaurant has long been a goal of the owners. They jumped at leasing the Seventh Street spot where

El Sueño

formerly cooked until it closed in February.

El Sueño now operates a restaurant in Pine Island.

Barb Phelps and Leigh Ann Peltoma of Titan360 Commercial Real Estate lined up the space for Mosquera and Morales.