On this week’s episode of The Sauce podcast, host Lauren Healey sits down with Jason Tilford, chef-owner behind Session Taco and the newly opened Lapez Mod Mex in the Central West End.
Jason walks through nearly two decades of building chef-driven concepts in St. Louis, starting with a tiny, made-from-scratch Tortilleria in the CWE, to opening Mission Taco Joint in 2012, and now evolving the brand back to its roots while launching Lapez as a more elevated, sit-down experience.
In this episode:
- How Jason and his brother Adam got started with Tortilleria, handmade tortillas and scratch cooking before it was common in STL
- Opening Barristers, St. Louis’ first soccer pub, and building a chef-driven bar food concept
- Milagro in Webster Groves, early acclaim, and how it helped spark what became Mission Taco Joint
- Why scaling the “taco joint” model didn’t work everywhere, and what they’re doing to course-correct
- What sets Lapez Mod Mex apart, Spanish-forward drinks, curated wines, seafood-driven dishes, and knife-and-fork plates
- A real conversation about the current restaurant climate, closures, and what the industry is facing right now
Watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify and all major platforms. New episodes drop every Tuesday.
Presented by SWADE Dispensary, with 11 locations across Missouri. Learn more about their new Passport Membership program at swadecannabis.com.
