Primos Tacos + Tequila, a fast-casual Mexican bar and restaurant, opened at 3 Madison St. on Thursday, Feb. 19. Mexican cuisine has been limited in Hamilton in recent years. Previous taco-focused restaurants have come and gone, leaving fewer quick and casual options for students looking for something outside the typical pizza, sandwich or sit-down restaurant experience. Primos Tacos + Tequila aims to fill that gap by offering a fast-casual alternative centered on street-style tacos.
In addition to tacos, Primos offers a variety of sides, sweets, starters like chips or tortilla soup and a wide selection of tequila-based drinks. Primos also encourages repeat visits through a loyalty program. Customers who purchase tacos receive a card with 10 spots; each taco earns a stamp toward a free taco after the 10th purchase, a deal aimed at rewarding regular customers.
Since opening its doors, the restaurant has already drawn a stream of customers from across the community. According to General Manager Kendra Young, the response so far has exceeded expectations.
“It’s been great, definitely better than we anticipated so far,” Young said. “Since opening day, we’ve been busy with students, village locals and parents. We have been really well received by the community so far.”
Despite opening only a couple of weeks ago, the restaurant has generated interest among students in the village, even among those who have not yet had the chance to visit. Sophomore Austin Raicht is excited about the new addition.
“I haven’t been able to get down to the new Mexican restaurant yet, but I’ve been hearing great things from all who have been,” Raicht said. “I’m really excited to go and try the tacos and love the fact that Hamilton continuously tries to add new restaurants that add variety to the town.”
The idea for the restaurant came from conversations with local residents about what Hamilton’s dining scene was missing. Young explained that the concept aimed to fill a gap in the village by offering something quick, casual and accessible.
“[A Mexican option] came up a lot in surveys about what was missing in Hamilton,” Young said. “We thought it would fill a need for something casual with quick service, something that wouldn’t be a full sit-down dining experience.”
Their goal has been well-received. Sophomore Alex Macey described his experience as both welcoming and efficient.
“The service was very fast and everyone was very friendly,” Macey said. “I really enjoyed my food and the experience. I especially liked the chips and queso starter. [Primos Tacos + Tequila] is definitely a place worth coming back to, with food I would go back for.”
However, despite the emphasis on fast service and a grab-and-go dining option, the restaurant is split into two rooms. The first half has bar seating with a menu offering over 40 different tequilas, designed for quicker visits. The other half has tables with napkins, sauces and menus for a full sit-down experience.
The menu itself also reflects the background and experience of the restaurant’s executive chef, who spent significant time working in Southern California and brings that influence to the kitchen.
“[Our chef] has a lot of experience with authentic Mexican cuisine, and bringing that to Hamilton offers something that hasn’t been here in a while through street tacos,” Young said.
Many of the restaurant’s staples are prepared from scratch in-house. While Primos operates in its own space, the restaurant shares ownership with the nearby Colgate Inn Tavern, where some of the preparation takes place before being brought over to Primos.
“Everything is made fresh,” Young said. “The chips, the guacamole, the salsa, all the sauces – all of that is made from scratch. For example, all of our chips are made in the kitchen at the Inn and brought over here.”
With its emphasis on quick service, fresh ingredients and authentic flavors, Primos Tacos + Tequila has become a new food option in the Village for the community, filling the gap in fast-casual Mexican food.
