Towson's Caliente Is

The new Uptown Towson restaurant Caliente held their grand opening Friday. Free samples of chicken, empanadas and other Peruvian and Mexican dishes were available

“We want people to try it, like things that they normally wouldn’t try in other places,” said Lirio Hernandez, the general manager of Caliente.

Major discounts will be applied across the menu for those who choose to purchase full entrees. The Caliente mascot, a chicken, will be there to interact with guests.

The 409 York Road restaurant has a spacious dining area and a neon sign that reads, “Some like it hot, I like it Caliente.” It’s set in front of a grass-like wall, allowing customers an on-theme photo-op.

Robert Portillo, the owner of Caliente, said that he chose to open in Towson because of student engagement and the big possibilities that come with it.

Though the restaurant technically opened on Jan. 3, business was slow due to weather concerns, according to Hernandez. But, TikTok brought more traction since opening day and several Caliente crew members use TikTok to help attract a local audience.

“We are actually going viral on TikTok because of the birria tacos,” Hernandez said.

Some of the restaurant’s birria taco videos have gotten over 10,000 likes on TikTok. So far, the crispy, meat-filled tacos are a customer favorite.

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