Tacos Rick-O food truck owner opens RiCkO's Churro Bar in NoDa

RiCkO's Churro Bar opens in NoDa on Sunday, Aug. 11.

Why it matters: The build-your-own churro shop is Charlotte's first churreria, according to owner Ricky Ortiz, best known for his popular Mexican food truck Tacos Rick-O.

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Dig in: RiCkO's Churro Bar has every kind of churro, any way you like it — stuffed (with dulce de leche or Nutella), topped (with sprinkles, cookie chunks, cereal, coconut flakes), or doused (with chocolate, marshmallow, crème brûlée).

• In addition to BYO churros, you'll also find espresso drinks, horchata frappes, and refreshers "which are sort of like a lemonade, that come in passion fruit and strawberry, with edible glitter," Ortiz said.
• The shop will also offer traditional Mexican breads, ten types of tres leches cakes and soft-serve ice cream.
• There'll also be savory options on the menu, like sandwiches, avocado toast and croissants.
• Of note: All the churros are made to order because they're best served warm.

From L to R: Strawberry refresher, S'mores churro in soft serve ice cream, Pirulín latte: Nutella rim, espresso, milk, topped with pirulin sugar stick. Photo: Laura Barrero/Axios Crème brûlée loop churro. Photo: Laura Barrero/Axios Horchata matcha. Photo: Laura Barrero/Axios Cookie Monster loop churro inside a soft-serve ice cream cup. Photo: Laura Barrero/Axiso

The vibe: The 1,000-square-foot space has bar seating for about six people inside and a few tables outside. It's meant to be a grab-and-go spot.

These candles are all hand-made in Mexico. Ortiz says he's hoping to add work from local artists to sell at the shop too. Photo: Laura Barrero/Axios

Flashback: Ortiz was born and raised in Durango, Mexico, where he says you can "find churros on every corner."

• He moved to Charlotte about 13 years ago and opened Tacos Rick-O about a decade ago.
• "I built this for [my mom]," Ortiz explained while pointing at a mural of his mother inside the restaurant. "She's been by my side, helping me with everything and she's going to be running this."

The mural of Ortiz's mom, Maria, was painted by local artist Dead Folks. Photo: Laura Barrero/Axios

Zoom out: There's an influx of Hispanic food coming to NoDa soon, including Dominican restaurant MaBí and Peruvian Nikkei restaurant Panko .

Ortiz started this project in 2019. A mix of permit delays, supply chain issues brought on by the pandemic and other roadblocks delayed the opening until now. Photo: Laura Barrero/Axios

Stop by: 3100 North Davidson , between Happy Camper and Haberdish.

• Open daily 10am-10pm. Closed on Mondays.

Ricky Ortiz with a box of churros. Photo: Laura Barrero/Axios

What's next: Ortiz wants to expand RiCkO's Churro Bar to South End. But first, he has a few other projects in the works, including a Latin restaurant lounge in Plaza Midwood.

• Right now, you can find Tacos Rick-O at the Charlotte Premium Outlets from Friday to Sunday. Eventually, he plans to open a bar where he can keep the food truck parked permanently and open six days a week.

Go deeper: The most anticipated new restaurants and bars in Charlotte