The outside of the new El Limon.
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
El Limon Mexican Taqueria opened its doors on Friday with the goal of bringing authentic Mexican cuisine to Langhorne Borough.
The restaurant at 108 South Bellevue Avenue is the third Bucks County location for El Limon, which has more than 30 locations across the region.
Local residents and co-owners Michael and Lauren Berling, Chuck Simmons and Michelle Fairburn secured the franchise rights for the borough location. The other Bucks County locations are on Galloway Road in Bensalem Township and Radcliffe Street in Bristol Borough.
Michael Berling, who is half Ecuadorian, was introduced to the brand in 2014 and said his grandfather owned restaurants. He said he became excited about franchising when he found out El Limon was franchising around 2020.
“There wasn’t a lot of diversity in food in Bucks County, so just naturally, because I love the food, we started going out to El Limon in Ambler all the time,” Berling said. “Around 2020, I found out they’re franchising local franchise, and I was excited to get in contact with them.”
The menu includes tacos with options such as steak, chorizo, ground beef, carnitas, tinga chicken, al pastor and la lengua, or beef tongue. Other menu items include tortilla soup, quesadillas and salads. All ingredients, including pico de gallo and guacamole, are prepared fresh daily on-site.
“It’s not only quality food, but affordable,” Berling said. “It kind of encompasses all of the different types of dishes of Mexico that you’d generally be familiar with.”
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
The restaurant has a BYOB policy and offers two complimentary margaritas to age 21-plus customers.
The owners each brought a different skill set to the partnership.
Berling works in public accounting, Simmons is a contractor and Fairburn is a realtor who manages bar operations at a nearby eatery.
“It’s always nice when you have different people that can bring different things,” Berling said. “It allows us to use that synergy to not have to go outside and pay other people to do things.”
Simmons managed the renovations needed for the space in the historic Hicks House, which dates the original structure to 1763.
“We had to pretty much take apart the whole place except for the drywall on the outside,” Berling said. “Chuck built everything and did all this. Everything you see that’s not plumbing underneath or electric, Chuck did.”
The interior of the new restaurant in Langhorne Borough.
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
Berling, who serves on the borough’s planning commission and is a Virginia native, has a strong connection to Langhorne Borough.
“I’ve always been obsessed with it, to be honest with you,” he said. “Back when I visited in 2012, before I ever moved up here, I thought, ‘I could live there one day,’ and it worked out.”
The owners plan to hold a grand opening celebration in the fall, but the eatery opened for business Friday.
“We just want to uphold the brand of El Limon,” Berling said. “I think people have high expectations when they’re familiar with it, as they should. It’s great food.”
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