Food Network Says These Are the Best Nachos in Maine

Food Network is a popular American cable channel that focuses on food, cooking, and lifestyle programming. Launched in 1993, it has become a leading destination for food enthusiasts.

Food television has become a massive part of pop culture, with shows covering everything from cooking competitions and restaurant adventures to food-and-travel destinations and reality TV. Shows like Chopped, Beat Bobby Flay, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and Man v. Food have become iconic over the years, propelling everyday dishes and local restaurants into must-try destinations.

So when Food Network named Luchador Tacos' nachos the best in Maine, it makes you more than eager to give them a try.

Chef-owner Katherine Mitchell, a Mexican American who grew up in East Los Angeles, started Luchador in 2017 as a tiny roadside food stand in South Paris. She was looking for the LA-style tacos she grew up with and couldn’t find them in Maine, so she decided to make them herself. That little trailer eventually grew into full-fledged restaurants around the 207.

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Luchador has grown to four locations across Maine:

South Paris — 243 Main St.
Windham — 781 Roosevelt Trail
Auburn — 945 Center St.
Old Orchard Beach — 1 E. Grand Ave.

The menu is tight, focused and delicious: tacos, burritos, quesadillas, bowls, fries, nachos and more, all built around grilled steak, chicken and pork, along with homemade red and green salsas. There are vegan and gluten-free options, too.

But the nachos are the real star of the show here. Loaded with crispy tortilla chips, black beans, melted cheese, roasted poblano-corn crema, your choice of asada, birria, pastor or calabacitas, plus cilantro, onions and guacamole, with salsa on the side.

The poblano-corn crema is what really sets them apart and makes folks like Food Network stand up and take notice! It's creamy, smoky and a little sweet, which is a nice switch-up from the usual sour cream & cheese routine.

These are hearty, loaded-up taco-shop nachos, exactly the kind of dish that feels worthy of a Food Network shoutout.