Boba ni Taco Offers a Wide Range of Specialties

New Diamond Bar restaurant Boba ni Taco caters to a diverse crowd, serving American, Mexican and Asian specialties.

Owned by Shawn Thonen, the restaurant opened in October 2011. The executive chef is Thonen’s best friend, Rafael Gutierrez, who has worked in the restaurant business for almost 17 years. 

“I used to go eat everywhere he worked in Wichita, Kansas because he always made the best dishes,” Thonen said. “I decided to open a restaurant because I have faith in him.”

The menu at Boba ni Taco is vast, with dishes including puffy tacos, Philly cheesesteaks, cheeseburgers, Chinese fried rice, fish and chips, green pork burritos, and bananas foster. Of course, there’s also lots of boba.

“We have milk teas, slushies, smoothies and snow bubbles,” Thonen said.

For Thonen, having such a wide range of items on the menu is key.

“Our restaurant stands out because it is unique,” he said. “At Boba ni Taco, you find a lot of everyone's favorite dishes. We have a diverse quality in our food in the way it is prepped, cooked and served. We have seen families come in and order a variety of different culture's foods. No matter if the children want fresh greasy food or the adults want fresh healthy food, we can take care of them.”

Thonen and Gutierrez believe in transparency, with diners knowing what they are eating and how it was prepared. Recently, the two went through a drive-thru, and Gutierrez ordered a thin chocolate shake.

“The person taking the order responded with, ‘I have no control over it being thin or thick, it just comes out of a machine,’” Thonen said. “So we saw we could not get the non-owner operator to help us with what we wanted. I went further to ask him if he or anyone that worked there knew how much actual meat is given in a burger there. No one knew. I did this at another location, and was told that nobody knows.”

This didn’t sit well with Thonen or Gutierrez.

“I felt this was very important to anyone trying to find out exactly what they are eating,” Thonen said. “It's like they are trying to hide something. Having the owner there, you know they care more about their restaurant than someone just working for someone else.”

Almost everything at Boba ni Taco is made from scratch, something that is important to Thonen.

“You can tell the difference in quality when you get something homemade instead of something out of a box,” he said. “We offer fast food prices for premium meals that we take time in preparing everyday.”

Thonen, who is married and has two young children, decided to open his restaurant in Diamond Bar because “the city is well rounded with different cultures and very close to home,” he said. “The city of Diamond Bar is very beautiful and I really want my children to go the great schools it has to offer.”

He is already supporting school fundraisers and offering special coupons, and hopes that he can forge a close relationship with the community.

“It is important for local residents to support local family owned businesses for we are here to help one another,” he said. “Everyone needs to eat to survive, we just to want to see people happy and enjoying our meals we have prepared for them.” 

Boba ni Taco is at 1220 S. Diamond Bar Blvd., Suite C, Diamond Bar.